During more than 50 years of music ministry at Alabama Baptist churches LaWayne Fleming has inspired melodies in the lives of many people.
Fleming, 67, and his wife, Janice, are members of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church in Birmingham Association where he now takes a seat in the choir to sing.
But not long ago he was standing in front of choirs to lead them, most recently at First Baptist Church, Fairfield, from which he recently retired. The church gave him an official send-off at a banquet where they presented him a book containing letters and pictures of the events and people from his ministry.
Fleming has worked as a member of the ministry teams of numerous Alabama Baptist churches and coordinated church services alongside many pastors.
“He’s one of the easiest people I’ve had to work with in my 52 years of ministry,” said Frank Posey, pastor of First, Fairfield.
Choir members of various ages and high school students he has taught, says they have all been impacted in ways they’ll never forget.
Rufus Webster, who was directed by Fleming in the choir of First Baptist Church, Bessemer, said. “He had a charisma and was just able to lead. He did things with perfection and pizazz. He was just a prince.”
“He’s always concerned about others and always got the job done,” said First, Fairfield, pianist Rachel Rowell, who compiled the book of memories. In the classroom Fleming made lasting impressions on everybody, said Webster, who was the youth minister of First, Bessemer, while Fleming was the choir director. Webster also taught with Fleming at Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer.
“He introduced new and different things to those kids,” Webster said. “He brought show choirs and Broadway to Jess Lanier. His choirs were constantly going to state competitions.
“Because of his background as an athlete, he was also able to get some students into choir who might not normally have come,” Webster added. “He was very versatile and able to work with anybody or any kind of voice.”
Fleming began directing choirs in his hometown church, First Baptist Church, Arab, at age 16. At the time his only previous musical experience was singing in the Future Farmers of America quartet at Arab High School.
Later he would attend Howard College (now Samford University), where he majored in music and played quarterback for the football team. Forced to drop out of college to work, Fleming was hired by the Northwest Alabamian newspaper in Haleyville and became choir director of First Baptist Church, Haleyville. He eventually returned to college at Howard and became minister of music for Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham, while he completed his degree.
After earning his degree in music education from Howard College, Fleming taught choral music for three years at West End High School, Birmingham.
He left there to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and hold a part-time choir director position in a Dallas church.
While at Southwestern, Fleming felt led to go back into education.
So he moved back to Alabama and began a 33-year teaching career in the Bessemer school system. This career included his teaching choral classes at Bessemer Junior High School, Jess Lanier and Vestavia Hills high schools. He retired from teaching in 1995.
During part of his teaching career he was also music director at First, Bessemer, for 10 years.
Fleming used his musical talents at other Alabama churches, among them Canaan Baptist Church, Bessemer; Bluff Park United Methodist Church, Hoover; and Hillview Baptist Church, Birmingham.
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