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Amish Ministry Tour 2025

When

June 21-28, 2025

Our Itinerary

See our Full Itinerary for more details.

Map Showing Progression of the Tour

Brief Bio of the Choir

The Sanctuary Choir is the primary worship service choir for First Baptist Church, Easley, SC. Our choir is comprised of adults and college students who are members of the church or attend First Baptist Church. Under the direction of Rick Baumgarner, the choir has shared the love of Christ through choral music of all styles for the past 44 years. In addition to singing regularly in worship services at First Baptist Church, The Sanctuary Choir has also participated in regional choral festivals, shared in local ecumenical worship services, and served local nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals. The choir has sung under the direction of nationally acclaimed choral directors Mack Wilberg, Milburn Price, Greg Fuller, Bingham Vick, Alan Raines, and Jennaya Robison.

The choir has toured internationally twice: England and Scotland (1987) and Germany and Austria (1999). In 2022, the choir toured and sang all across New England (Boston, MA; New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine). This concert tour to Pennsylvania and Washington, DC is our second extended domestic choir tour.

The choir is led by director, Rev. Rick Baumgarner. He is a graduate of Furman University (Greenville, SC) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). Rick Roe, choir accompanist, has played for The Sanctuary Choir for 39 years. He is a graduate of North Greenville University (Greenville, SC) and Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN).

Description of the Tour

This year’s tour gives us a chance to share the love of God in the Amish region of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. The theme of our tour this year is Finding Peace in Simplicity in order to nurture a deeper walk with Christ. We are praying that we may be able to give new purpose to the lives of those we encounter along the way.

We drove all the way to Gettysburg on Saturday, June 21, and then sang in worship at Gettysburg United Methodist Church on Sunday morning. After enjoying a few days in Amish region near Lancaster, our group moves to Philadelphia to serve with the Salvation Army at Roxborough. We sing in two beautiful churches in Philadelphia on Wednesday: the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and Christ Church. After serving and enjoying the city of Brotherly Love, the choir continues to Washington, DC. In our nation’s capital, we have made arrangments to see many of the sights for which Washington is known. After visiting Mount Vernon on Saturday morning, the choir will travel all the way to South Carolina that day.

List of Tour Songs

  • “Be Thou My Vision” (Heather Sorenson)
  • “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (arr. Dick Bolks)
  • “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Allen Pote)
  • “Our God Will Go Before Us” (arr. Michael Ware)
  • “May a Song Remain Within You” (Larry E. Schultz)
  • “Give Me Jesus” (arr. Robert Sterling)
  • “Goodness of God” (arr. Jay Rouse)
  • “Who But the Lord?” (Craig Courtney)
  • “Is He Worthy?” (arr. Heather Sorenson)

Rick's Blog

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Check out photos and videos of the tour day by day!

Day 1 - Saturday, June 21st

To Love Our God Tour Day 1

Day 2 - Sunday, June 22nd

To Love Our God Tour Day 2

Day 3 - Monday, June 23rd

To Love Our God Tour Day 4

Day 4 - Tuesday, June 24th

To Love Our God Tour Day 4

Day 5 - Wednesday, June 25th

To Love Our God Tour Day 5

Day 6 - Thursday, June 26th

To Love Our God Tour Day 6

Day 7 - Friday, June 27th

To Love Our God Tour Day 7

Day 8 - Saturday, June 28th

To Love Our God Tour Day 8