The Civitan Club of Salisbury held its annual Clergy Appreciation Day program at the Country Club of Salisbury on Feb. 6 with member Don Pruitt presiding.
Civitans around the world honor local clergypersons during the first week of February. Clergy Appreciation Day recalls the events of Feb. 3, 1943, when the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester was hit by a torpedo from a German U-Boat in the North Atlantic. Four Army chaplains — two Protestant ministers, one Catholic priest and one Jewish rabbi — gave their life jackets to soldiers and went down with the ship.
Civitans commemorate the sacrifice of those brave chaplains by inviting local clergypersons to a luncheon in their honor.
Guest speaker for the program was the Rev. Harold Jordan, chaplain at the Glenn A. Kiser Hospice House and minister of Third Creek AME Zion Church in Cleveland.
Jordan mentioned serving as pastor for the late Rev. Bill Adams, a popular and much honored member of the club, during and after Bill’s residence at Hospice House.
Minister guests at the meeting who were recognized: Danielle Kosanovich, St. John’s Lutheran; Jim Dunkin and Randy Kirby, First Presbyterian; Jim King, Christ United Methodist Church (UMC); Ken Clark, Enon Baptist; Richard Johnson, Hall’s Chapel Baptist; Kenneth Lance, Salisbury First Baptist; Melanie Mudge, St. Luke’s Episcopal; Mark Murphy, China Grove First Freewill Baptist; and Dan Gobble, Providence UMC. Ministers who are members of the Civitan Club were also recognized. They included Malcolm Bullock and Eric Faust.
The Civitan Club of Salisbury supports 14 charities, scholarships, Teacher Appreciation, Clergy Appreciation and other community needs. Its two major fundraisers are a spaghetti feast and golf tournament.