Donald and Violet Orr

175 Timeline / All Profiles

Donald and Violet Orr

As newlyweds, they had not talked about serving God overseas. But as they each felt the call to surrender to missions, they moved toward the front of the church, wondering what the other might think.

DECADES OF SERVICE
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

MINISTRY EMPHASIS
Music

AFFINITY GROUP
American Peoples

Back to 1950s

As newlyweds, they had not talked about serving God overseas. But as they each felt the call to surrender to missions, they moved toward the front of the church, wondering what the other might think.

Donald and Violet Orr were sitting across the church from each other as they listened to missionary Harry Schweinsburg share about the needs in Colombia. They were especially moved by his plea for missionaries to come teach music and lead churches to incorporate music into their worship. Music is what God had used to bring them together. But missions in another country was not something they had discussed. Could they respond without discussing it first? Violet decided she had to respond. She stepped into the aisle and bumped into someone. It was Don! He was also responding to the call. They joined hands and together surrendered themselves to missions.

They were the first music missionaries appointed by the Foreign Mission Board. They began by teaching in schools, but soon taught music in seminaries and also in churches. New believers were not used to participating in worship, and the Orrs struggled to help churches worship through music. As the years went on, the Orrs noticed a greater sense of joy in those who sang praises to God. They spent years training leaders and teaching children they knew would one day lead music in their churches. Missionaries in other countries began to ask for coworkers who could focus on using music as a way to grow the kingdom of God.