The South Carolina Singing Churchmen will be at Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. The South Carolina Singing Churchmen will bring 51 years of history, tradition and praise to Gaffney on Thursday, Oct. 22.

At least 50 members of the men’s chorus, including instrumentalists and a handbell team, will perform at Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church, 805 Cherokee Ave., at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Comprised of music ministers from churches across the state, the Singing Churchmen was founded 51 years ago by a former worship and music director from the South Carolina Baptist Convention and has been under the convention's umbrella ever since.

"It was a means of pulling together music ministers for fellowship, ministry and music-making," said Mark Powers, current director of the group and Worship and Music Director for the S.C. Baptist Convention. "(Music) is just such a powerful means of communication. When you combine it with the power of scripture and the message of Christ, then it becomes a wonderful tool for worship and proclamation of the Good News of Christ."

Overall, there are about 300 fulltime music ministers in South Carolina

and at any given time about 100 of them are on the rolls of the Singing Churchmen, Powers said. Powers said the group's founder, 85-year-old Tom Westmoreland, is scheduled to perform in Gaffney.

Powers, who was a member of the Singing Churchmen for 28 years before beginning his present duties with the state convention, says it has been roughly 15 years since they last performed in Gaffney.

The group was invited to Gaffney by Mark Abbott, music minister at Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church and the newest member of the Singing Churchmen, Powers said.

The Singing Churchmen’s concerts last about an hour and 20 minutes. In addition to the chorus and handbell team, the Singing Churchmen also includes a Southern Gospel group, a praise team and an instrumental ensemble.

The Singing Churchmen perform about 12 concerts a year across the state in addition to mission trips. The group has made mission trips to Romania, Taiwan and India, among others, and is planning a mission tour of Great Britain in about three years.

While the Thursday concert is free, the Singing Churchmen are accepting offerings for an ongoing overseas mission.

"We are in the process now of buying a set of handbells for music missionaries in Venezuela," Powers said.