Paula Tibbs is a member of Eau Claire's First Presbyterian Church clearly open to the direction of the Spirit. Her passionate concern for the people of the Congo and experiece as Elder for Mission for her church has led her to head toward seminary this coming year.
Paula's path, raised "V & E" (Vacation Bible School and Easter) Presbyterian, a sojourn with Catholics, but eventually finding a home with Eau Claire's Eau Claire's First Presbyterian Church is not front-page news - but it speaks of the way God's hand moves among us. For example, her "useless" French major in college led her, years later, to a deep concern for the French-speaking people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Greg Farley started learning guitar around 10, and came back to it after several other instruments. Raised Catholic, he sought a better fitting spiritual home, studied with Jehovah's Witnesses, eventually settling, more-or-less, in charismatic Christian circles. His Song of the Soul is comprised of original compositions by Greg, from his new CD called For All To See.
Greg can be contacted at (715) 839-0135 or emailed at gregtf1@yahoo.com about his CD or to arrange a performance by him and his band, PS150
Greg Farley's Song of the Soul includes the following music, all composed and performed by Greg:
Naked And Afraid
Fix Me
Seeking, Saving Me
Wherever I Go
Walk On The Water
For All To See
Chris Powell started piano lessons when 6 years old and added trombone to his repertoire in high school, and appreciates music of all stripes but has a special passion for classical music. Chris is a member of the First Baptist Church in Eau Claire, though he was raised without much exposure to organized religion.
Chris selected the pieces for his Song of the Soul related to a quote from a German opera house: "Bach gave us God's Word; Mozart gave us God's laughter; Beethoven gave us God's fire. God gave us music that we might pray without words".
Chris's Song of the Soul includes the following music:
Chuck Fager has been the director of Quaker House in Fayetteville, NC, for 4 years now, advocating for peace and providing information and advocacy to those attempting to avoid or get out of the military, in one of the most concentrated military environments of the USA. Chuck is the author of more than 14 books and many more stories, articles and publications. He was a member of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's staff and a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War.
Conner Lynch is a senior at Eau Claire Memorial High School with a passion for punk rock music, and a dedication to living out his values - things like his opposition to war and violence, and his personal commitment to respecting his own body and well-being.
Marty Webb has spent the last 6 months in Sri Lanka with his wife, Rita, where she's been serving the Nonviolent Peaceforce since 2003. Marty, raised Catholic, was refused CO status during the Vietnam War, and ended up convicted for refusing induction.
Marty's experience in confronting the draft, and the alternate service he ended up performing, became a turning point in his life. He eventually ended up in Eau Claire, got first an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, then an MA in Religion and Theology, though Marty dislikes labels and the tendency to categorize people and their beliefs. Marty has attended the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire since about 1990 and has taught ethics courses at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.
Will Williams was born in central Mississippi on 9/11/1943 and joined the military as a way past the limitations of his race and environment. He did 2 tours in Vietnam, suffered major PTSD, fully emerging from it after 9/11/2001 as he found his voice to speak out against war with the Veterans for Peace.
Jennifer Eddy is an Eau Claire physician with a love of things French, including the language and the country. She and her husband were married there and own a small residence in the south of France. Jennifer was raised to be a rationalist but lived out the maxim that kids tend to react in opposition to their parents. She was a philosophy major and sought a spiritual home in many places, including the Taizé community of France, with Quakers, and with the Episcopal church.
Bethany Jacobson's older son joined the marines when he turned 18 and was deployed to Iraq in 2004, at which point Bethany, with the encouragement of her son, began to speak out against the war in Iraq "for the boys", as part of Military Families Speak Out.