When Telesa Ellison’s family joined Northport Baptist Church in 1965, John Hinton had only been there for about three months.
But news of the music programs he’d created there had already traveled.
“When he came in February of 1965, we came that following June, my mom and dad and six children,” Ellison said. “The reason was that they had heard so many things about the music program he had started and the children’s choirs.”
Now, after decades of faithful service, Hinton is retiring as the church’s music director, and Ellison said it’s going to be a huge change for a lot of people — she, for one, has been in one of his choirs for the whole 59 years.
Connection
Ellison said it’s emotional for her family “because we’ve had such a connection.”
“He’s a pretty phenomenal mentor, guide and friend,” she said. “He’s taught me so many Scriptures; I sing a lot of the Scriptures after being in the choir for so long.”
Janet McCracken had a similar story; she said Hinton has impacted her entire family through the choir ministry.
“I am so very honored, blessed and thankful that he has been a major influence in my life,” she said. “My parents, all of my siblings, my children, my daughter-in-law and my niece and nephew have all been impacted by Dr. Hinton’s God-given musical talents.”
And through it all, Hinton was bivocational — he taught music, was a principal and a supervisor and now he’s also the mayor of Northport.
“I did music on the side all those years,” he said. “But it’s really a calling; this was what I enjoyed so much, being able to serve the Lord that way.”
Calling
Hinton started playing the piano “very young” when he was growing up at Big Sandy Baptist Church out in Tuscaloosa County. Through the years, he traveled with the church’s quartet, then at age 19 began to feel a pull toward music ministry. He served at Circlewood Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa for about six years before moving over to Northport Baptist.
There, Hinton developed choirs and ensembles for all ages from preschool to senior adults and became known beyond the local area for the caliber of the program.
Over the years, he conducted Handel’s Messiah several times and led the choir as they performed in several Bill Gaither Homecoming concerts.
Hinton loved it all, but student ministry was one of his favorite parts of the ministry.
“For me, working with the youth was a real high point,” he said. “The choir tours we took over the years were memorable, and seeing the kids grow up — so many of them are now leaders in the church, and that’s really the reward.”
McCracken was one of those students.
“My fondest memories of my teenage years are not cheerleading or everything else, it’s the choir tours and ensemble tours and everything that we used to do,” she said. “It was awesome, it was absolutely awesome.”
Communal rock
On April 21, Hinton’s last spring program as music director, McCracken’s brother came back to sing with the choir even though he had been gone from the church since 1976, she said.
“If you gathered all of the people who have been under his direction, especially from youth, the stories would go on for weeks from everyone reminiscing,” McCracken said.
Hinton said the people at Northport Baptist “have been wonderful throughout the years.”
He said they were a rock for him when his first wife, Elaine, died of cancer at age 52.
“They prayed for and supported us in every way,” Hinton said. “When it came to raising my kids and with my wife in the situation she was in, the church was just a life saver.”
He said he and his second wife, Emalyn, have felt the love of the church for the whole of their 30-year marriage also.
“It’s been a wonderful ministry; the people have been supportive through the years,” Hinton said. “It’s just been a real enjoyable time — I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Northport Baptist will host a special service in Hinton’s honor May 19 at 9 a.m. with a retirement reception from 2-4 p.m. in the Family Life Center. All are invited.
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