Trinity Ecumenical Church pastor, the Reverend Philip Bouknight, spoke to members of the Rotary Club of SML. Reverend Bouknight spoke about his life both before he become world class opera singer and later a minister in the Lutheran Faith. Growing up in a rural area of South Carolina Reverend Bouknight’s message was to follow your dreams despite potential rejection from selecting personnel. Reverend Bouknight stated he was told his voice wasn’t good enough to join his middle school’s choir. That didn’t deter him and later in high school he was identified as a potential opera prodigy. Also as a freshman in high school he was told he was not college material and to follow a path in skilled trades. After getting great grades as a freshman he was placed in advanced placement classes later receiving scholarships in music to the University of South Carolina and then Rice University.
After traveling the world singing opera, he noticed the high rate of poverty in many of the countries visited and believed he had a calling to enter the ministry. After initially being told Superior’s doubted the true nature of is calling, he entered the Lutheran Seminary. HIs p/oint and message was to follow your dreams and work hard.
The Reverend Bouknight also spoke about a ministry he is passionate about. Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a new ministry providing help to older adults with the goal of allowing them to stay in their own homes as long as possible. The pilot program will begin shortly in the Scruggs Road area of Smith Mountain Lake. In addition to Trinity Ecumenical Parish, Runk and Pratt Senior Living, Rotary Club of SML and the SML Lions Club are four organizations currently supporting this effort.
For more information about Neighbors Helping Neighbors or to volunteer,, please call 540-685-0646.
picture caption; from left, SML Rotary Club president, Carolyn Gordon, Reverend Philip Bouknight, Rotarian Pidge Morgan.
