Associate Minister of Music

I joined the staff at Spotswood Baptist Church on 1 June 2002 as the director of the orchestra.  In October of the same year, I was ordained as a minister.  There have been several significant events in my life: marrying the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, the birth of our two children and three grandchildren, being selected as a warrant officer in the Marine Corps, graduating from college, conducting the U. S. Marine Band in a concert, but as great as these are, there is one defining moment.  This is the way I would like to describe it:

“I had always gone to church – my parents made sure of that.  Once, when I was in the 6th grade, the church we were attending started a special class for young boys.  We were taught certain facets of the faith.  At the end of the class, we were told that there would be a ceremony in the next week’s morning service in which we would play a part.  We were told that we would be asked certain questions and that we were to answer ‘yes’ to each of them, which we did.  Afterwards, we were baptized and each received our church membership card  Things went well for a few years, but a nagging uncertainty kept on bothering me.  I married the woman of my dreams, had two beautiful children, and successfully completed a tour of duty with the U. S. Marine Corps, but something was missing from my life.  Finally, one night, I went to church with my wife and I suddenly saw my life in comparison with God’s law and realized that I was morally and spiritually bankrupt.  I prayed for forgiveness and to ask Jesus to save me.  From that moment, the nagging has been replaced with hope of eternal life.  The uncertainty has been replaced with a confidence in the saving power of Jesus Christ.  The fear has been replaces with the knowledge that no power in the universe can take me from the hand of the One who saved me.  If any of you reading this doubt God’s love, just look at the cross.  If you think you are too bad for God to save you, just look at the thief on the cross.  God is in the saving business.  There will be many to go to hell, but they will have to step over and around numerous provisions of God to get there.  ‘Religions’ say you have to work hard to get to heaven.  God says that He has already done the work, and that all you have to do to receive it is to believe on Him and ask for forgiveness.  It is a free gift, not of works.  There have been many men who would be a god, but there has been only one God who became a man to suffer and die for our sins that we might have eternal life if we put our trust in Him.  How can you say ‘no’ to love like this? ” 

Much of my experience in life has come from my twenty-one years in the Marine Corps.  I enlisted in the Marine Corps on 7 July 1972. After basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, I served with:

• 2d Marine Division Band, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (1973-75)
• Quantico Marine Band in Quantico, Virginia (1983-85)
• III Marine Amphibious Force Band, Okinawa, Japan (1986-87)
• Naval School of Music, Norfolk, VA (Instructor: Rehearsal Division) (1988-89) 

After appointment to Warrant Officer on 2 September 1988, I served as the Director of four Marine Corps Bands:

• III Marine Expeditionary Force Band, Okinawa, Japan  (January 1989 - January 1992)
• Quantico Marine Band, Quantico, Virginia (January 1992 - December 1994)
• Marine Forces Reserve Band, New Orleans, Louisiana (December 1994 - April 1998)
• Marine Forces Pacific Band, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (May 1998 - October 2000)

My last assignment while on active duty was as Head, Music Section, Headquarters Marine Corps, which I held until I retired in May 2002.

I earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in performance (trombone) from Delta State University (1978), Cleveland, Mississippi, and a Master of Arts (composition) from George Mason University (1994), Fairfax, Virginia.

I am married to the former Pamela Mosely of Cleveland, Mississippi. We have two children: Carla and Robert, and three grandchildren, Braden, Ainsley, and Jace.

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