Hesston College and First Mennonite Church will partner to host Common Threads: Anabaptist and African American Songs and Stories of Suffering and Hope at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 15. The event is free and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be received to cover program costs.

Common Threads is a program of story and song that features current Hesston College faculty members Tony Brown, John Sharp and Ken Rodgers. They will give voice to Anabaptist martyrs and enslaved African Americans by singing their hymns and telling their stories.

It is an exploration of the way Anabaptist religious persecution and African American racial suffering have intersected. Both groups have suffered at the hands of legitimate governments and both found hope in the midst of pain and humiliation.

"Both groups found strength and consolation in their steadfast faith in God," Sharp said. "They were utterly confident that God's purposes would, in the end, prevail. Their stories and songs have not typically been linked, but we believe it is useful to do so. Their witness stands for all who will see and hear."

"Thinking about how we can connect with others and finding those common threads can offer promise for humanity," Brown said. "In the end, we as a human species are more profoundly alike than different. It is the idea of difference that formed the basis for racism, persecution and systematic oppression. Humanity needs to find value in difference while at the same time exploring the common threads that bind us together."

Brown is a professional baritone, artist in residence and sociology professor. Sharp is a history professor, storyteller and author. Rodgers is director of the Chorale and instructs in the music department. Alumni and Church Relations Director Dallas Stutzman will represent the college.

A reception and short Hesston update will follow. Search Common Threads at www.youtube.com for a short video on the program.

Also, Sharp will bring the 10:30 a.m. Sunday message at FMC Bluffton with Brown and Rodgers providing special music.