Gospel in the Park returns Sunday at Pride Park

By: Ardie Arvidson | SCNow
Published: June 11, 2009

Gospel in the Park will be Sunday, June 14, at Pride Park on Sixth Street in Hartsville, beginning at 5 p.m. The theme is "Unity in the Community."
The Rev. Rick Fountain will give the devotional service, and the Jerusalem Baptist Church family will assist.

In concert will be The Friendly Voices, The Sonoco Men's Club, New Jerusalem Praise Team and New Jerusalem Youth Choir, all of Hartsville and the Sensational Brown Brothers of Florence.

Booths will be set up with information from the South Hartsville Neighborhood Association, Community United serving youth and families and Butler Heritage Foundation.

Fountain is an associate minister at Jerusalem Baptist Church. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in February 1999 by the Pee Dee Baptist Association. He has served as interim pastor at Outreach Community Church in Lamar, served as a deacon, Bible study leader, Sunday school teacher, Vacation Bible School teacher and director and coordinator of the Church Angel Tree program at Jerusalem Baptist. He is also a business development specialist with the S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Department where he has been employed since 1986.

Fountain is a graduate of Hartsville High School and Francis Marion University. He is married to the former Linda Samuel, and they have three daughters, Ronda, Jessica and Traci.

Fountain is also very active in the community. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hartsville Family YMCA and Elohim Outreach Center and is on the steering committee for Coker College Community Race Relations. He is a member of the Boys & Girls Club Male Mentoring Team and initiated a mentoring program at West Hartsville Elementary School for boys in grades 4-6. He was awarded the Sonoco Products Co. Community Relations Award, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Citizen of the Year Award and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Community Service Award.

"I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Gospel in the Park program and look forward to sharing with all who will be there," Fountain said.

"I would like to give a special thanks to the Revs. Edward Carraway and J.D. Blue for their support and to the community for making this event successful. Due to the tremendous response from the community, we will be extending Gospel in the Park through October," said Barbara Carraway, Gospel in the Park organizer.

Remember to bring a lawn chair and your Bibles, said Carraway.

Sponsors are Walt Peterson of Nationwide Insurance Agency, Hannibal Seafood, Foxes Corner, Discount Auto Parts, Margaret Tingen and Associates, Blackwell Insurance, Spider BP and Quality Auto Sales.

For more information, contact Barbara Carraway at 383-8852, the Rev. C. Edward Carraway at 230-3467 or the Rev. J. D. Blue at 339-5998.