Social - January 2003

Music minister celebrates silver anniversary

Career brings composing, choirs and calling

By TARA MANJARRES, Special to the LTN

January 24, 2003 - His resume is impeccable, his boss is impressed and he rarely misses a day of work.

Unfortunately for Lincolnton’s employers — he’s not for hire.

His name is Phil Campbell, and he’s celebrating his 25th year as music minister First Baptist Church.

“It’s rare that you have staff- members at a church for 25 years, and it’s even more rare for the staff-member to stay at his first full-time job,” said Dixon Free pastor of First Baptist Church, located off of Hwy. 321 bypass.

Straight out of seminary school with a new bride, Campbell moved to Lincolnton to help build the music program at First Baptist, which was then located on Main Street.

“I remember that church member Jerry Payseur asked me if I could conduct Handel’s Messiah,” Campbell said recalling the 1978 interview. “I said ‘of course’ and I guess he figured if I could direct something of that magnitude I could handle anything.”

That question might be more telling than Campbell could have realized. Enormous tasks seem to define his tenure at the church over the past two decades.

When Campbell became the music and education minister the church had only one choir. Now it has eight. He has added three specialty choirs to the church — youth, senior adult, and a children’s choir of singing youngsters with toothless grins. He has also developed hand bell choirs where members play the musical instrument to church hymns.

“I love choral music,” Campbell said sitting on the front pew of the church, a place he doesn’t often get to occupy. Normally the tall man, who has just turned 50, is directing the choir.

“I love that our church is multigenerational and that I can lead music of all types to speak to the different kinds of individuals.”

In addition to music he has also taken on huge responsibilities working with youth and senior adults. In fact he is one of the few that can remember teaching different generations of the same family.

“I’m amazed myself,” he said. “Now I have the children of some of the children I used to teach in my early days. That’s amazing.”

Campbell knew quickly in life that he wanted a career in music and ministry. And soon he figured out that he could have both.

He grew up a preacher’s son living in many places throughout North and South Carolina. His parents are Rev. Joseph and Mary Campbell. Eventually his family moved to Gaston County where his father retired from High Shoals Baptist Church.

He was a teenager in Gastonia when his life’s work became crystal clear.

“I surrendered to the ministry,” Campbell said recalling that he was a junior is high school. “I kept putting Him off. I felt other people could do it better than me, but I realized it was what God wanted me to do.”

And Campbell said he has been rewarded for being obedient.

“One of the highlights of my life was being able to baptize my daughter and son,” he reminisced.

He has also had the fortune to apprentice with five uniquely different pastors learning from each of them.

Campbell said perhaps one of the favorite things that he has witnessed is the evolution of the church over the last quarter of a century. He especially loves the family atmosphere that has developed.

“It’s open and friendly,” he said. “The congregation is like a family. The last four to five years have been super.”

Now forging ahead on the next 25 years, Campbell is taking on yet another task — composing. He has just had his first hymn published this month.

“The hymn just flowed out of me,” he said.

Campbell’s working on more hymns and music. Even with over 20 years on the job, he’s not restless.

“I’ve still got something more to give. I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished everything yet. If I can just teach, lead or direct one more person to Christ then I still have work to do.”

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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