Hopewell Baptist Church in Moultrie announced this week that Willie Wynn, former tenor singer with the Oak Ridge Boys, will minister in music during the 11 a.m. worship hour on Sunday, July 6.

“Little Willie Wynn,” as he was known during his 15-year career with the Oaks, was born and grew up in the Hopewell community and his first public appearance was at Hopewell with his brother, Gene. After the Oaks, Wynn spearheaded two other groups, The Tennesseans and Sweetwater. He is a lifetime member of the Gospel Music Association and has received numerous awards, including a Dove Award and a Grammy Award.

Known as “the little man with a thousand friends” he has traveled the world singing and has appeared on TV shows including Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, Merv Griffin, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Hee Haw. He has been featured on the Gaither Homecoming Videos and in 2000 was inducted, along with the Oak Ridge Boys, into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. In 2011 Wynn was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame at Dollywood.

He recently returned to the studio to record a new CD, produced by Woody Wright with background vocals by the Oaks Ridge Boys, Bill Gaither, Ben Speer, The Tennesseans, Sweetwater, Gene McDonald and others.

Wynn said he is excited to be returning to Hopewell, where he first began singing, and hopes to see many of the friends he grew up with.