Grammy winner to speak at local conference

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 15, 2016

NATCHEZ — An award-winning gospel singer will speak at a Natchez church this week, hoping to bring healing to his fellow man.

New Hope Vision Center, a non-denominational church at 418 Morgantown Road in Natchez, will host its 19th annual “MAN2MAN” conference at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

The main speaker, the Rev. Donnie McClurkin, is a American gospel singer and minister who has won three Grammy awards, 10 Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award, the church’s administrative assistant Shirley Graham said.

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New Hope Vision Center Pastor Stan Searcy said the conference is tailored to the men in the audience, offering mentoring to walk them through difficult parts of their lives.

The theme of the conference is centered on healing.

“We fall down, but we get up,” Searcy said. “(McClurkin) is big into the restoration of broken people. Pastor Donnie is, you know, he’s just an all-around guy, and we are blessed to get him to our city,” Searcy said.

Though the conference is meant to minister to men, the services will be open to men and women of all ages.

“I would have to leave town if I didn’t let everybody in that place,” Searcy said. “The church holds 1,800, and I think it’s going to be overflowing.”

A men’s pre-conference dinner will be offered at 6 p.m. today at the Louis Gunning Community Safe Room at 323 Liberty Road. Admission is $20 for adults and $13 for children 10 years old and younger.