Ohio church to host Dolly Parton service

An Ohio church is giving Dolly Parton fans a place to come together and remember the country music icon and philanthropist. St. John’s United Church of Christ in Newark will hold a special service Sunday, Aug. 30, honoring Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80.

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The church will offer two opportunities to attend: an 8 a.m. outdoor drive-in service and a 10:30 a.m. service inside the sanctuary. Both are part of St. John’s regular Sunday worship schedule. The church said the service will include a special prayer time in Parton’s memory. Music will, appropriately, play a major role in the tribute. Award-winning vocalist and “Newark’s Got Talent” runner-up Karri Rose Baker is scheduled to perform Parton’s “Here You Come Again” and “I Will Always Love You.”

The pastor is also planning a memorial edition of his “Positive Living Podcast” for Sept. 1 featuring Parton tribute artist Karen Hester, who has appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”Parton had a notable connection to Ohio through her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children. The statewide program says her work has brought books and the benefits of reading to more than a million children in Ohio.

St. John’s United Church of Christ is located at 285 W. National Drive in Newark, about 40 miles east of Columbus. The church says its 8 a.m. outdoor service can be heard from vehicles on 107.5 FM. Its 10:30 a.m. sanctuary service is also livestreamed.

Tributes to Parton continue across Ohio and the country. Gov. Mike DeWine ordered U.S. and Ohio flags at public buildings across the state lowered to half-staff through Sept. 1 in honor of Parton’s life and legacy.

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