Rev. W.R. Norful Sr., who has served as pastor of St. John AME Church at Pine Bluff for 25 years, will be feted with a “Once in a Lifetime Retirement Celebration” beginning Friday and continuing through Sept. 16.
Norful will be honored in a grand way for his total of 45 years of pastoral ministry.
The event will feature gospel music and Hollywood icons during a weekend filled with praise and worship. The weekend will begin Friday with a gala event at 7 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel Ballroom at Little Rock. Television actress Kim Fields will be the host. Gospel-recording artist Karen Clark-Sheard will be the featured musical guest. Tickets for the gala are $75 per person and may be purchased by calling 870-535-3123 or visiting www.wrnorfulsr.com.
A worship experience will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Gospel-recording artist and pastor, Smokie Norful, will be the guest speaker. The worship experience is free of charge and is open to the general public.
The celebration will conclude with worship service at 11 a.m. Sept. 16 at St. John AME Church, 1115 W. Pullen St. Bishop Samuel L. Green Sr., who is over the 12th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, will be the guest speaker.