A Tribute to Tom and Nan Porter

25th Anniversary of Ministry in University Baptist Church Kyle Crockett September 7, 2008 When I was first asked to speak about Tom and Nan, I was told to talk for about five minutes. At first, I thought, man, thats a long time. But let me tell you, you dont even know how much Tom and Nan have done until you start to write about them. Everything from piano lessons to church committees, believe me when I say the Porters have done it all. So, to begin, here is a breakdown of the church with Tom and Nan (show drawn out diagram) and here is a breakdown of the church without Tom and Nan (show diagram with nothing on it). When I was in first grade, my first real introduction with the Porters was piano lessons with Ms. Nan. Granted, I wasnt as naturally talented as my sister, but since she was taking, my parents thought they would just throw me in there as well. I took lessons for eight or nine years, and stopped taking when my sister graduated, but a definite friendship grew between the Porters and me. At the same time, I sang, sometimes reluctantly, in the children and youth choir, which Tom directed. No matter if we had twelve kids at practice or two, Tom just couldnt cancel one. Through the years, the choirs size fluctuated, but Tom was there every year. Again, at about the same time, I was becoming old enough to participate in the youth group, which meant choir tour. I had heard many stories of the organization of Tom, but I had never seen it in action. He had us marching around Atlanta like a small military unit. It wasnt necessarily a bad thing, he certainly kept us straight, and we were never late for ANYTHING. These trips just helped me to appreciate Tom even more. Now that I think back on the trips, we were not a very enjoyable group of kids. We had to be awful to keep up with, and I thank the Porters for taking care of us. In my 10th grade year, Tom asked me to join the adult choir. I didnt see any harm in it, so I agreed. At first, I wasnt so sure about the whole thing, but by my first choir debut, I knew I would enjoy it. You church members dont know what kind of work goes into those anthems. Tom is a dedicated director to put up with the choir he has here at UBC. Lets not forget about Nan, though. She has been alongside Tom in all of his 25 years here at UBC, and has been just as influential to the church. She plays the piano for us every Sunday, she sings in the choir when she can, and not only does she have to put up with the choir, she has to put up with Tom. Finally, I would like to thank the Porters for basically keeping our church running for all the years they have been here. If anything needs to be done, ask Tom. If you have a question about something and no one seems to know the answer? Tom will. If there is anything that this church needs, Tom and Nan are always glad to attend to it. So, thank you Tom and Nan, and may the bells be rung forever.