November 4, 2018
By: Bill Conger
DeKalb County Adult High School Coordinator Susan Hinton has worn a lot of hats in the community. She is the Past President of the Smithville Study Club, DeKalb County Education Association, and the Business and Professional Women’s Club to name a few. Now, she is serving as a missionary of sorts carrying the gospel in song as a piano player and singer for a popular Southern Gospel group.
On many a Sunday morning you’ll find Hinton playing piano with the band at Smithville First Baptist Church, but her lifelong talent of tickling the ivories has taken off to the next level. She’s one part of the Southern Gospel group, Three Parts Grace.
“This is just a personal conviction,” says Hinton. “If God gives you any kind of talent, he expects you to share that talent.”
Hinton has been playing music since she was at least 8 years old. Her mother taught her a few little tunes before she took formal lessons with the soft-spoken Mary Thomas.
“I’ve got in trouble with Mrs. Mary. I wasn’t learning the timing as I should because if I could hear a song, I could duplicate it. I didn’t want to practice, so I would get Mrs. Mary to play the song for me, and then, I could play it back until my mother started asking me to play some songs, and I couldn’t play the timing right. She found out what I was doing and talked to Mrs. Mary who from that point on, both of them made me learn to read the music, which I’m very grateful for now. “
Three years ago, David and Susan England of Sparta asked Hinton to play on a CD they were recording. They liked what they heard so much, they asked her to join the group.
“She adds so much,” says Susan England. “Her music ability is beyond and such a blessing. When you have a gospel group and you can sing with instruments, sometimes it makes an impression for people to come closer to God for whatever reason, especially a piano. Anyone that knows Susan Hinton knows how well she can play. She has a heart for the Lord and that makes a huge difference. “
“[She has] a lot of energy and just a ton of talent,” adds David England. “As a musician, I certainly respect that, and I think that feeds well when we work together. A good anchor vocally. Susan and I have sung together for a lot of years. It’s kind of nice to get that third part in there to get it anchored vocally.”
“God’s just blessed my music,” Hinton humbly says. “God took what little I could do and multiplied it. I think he increases the talent if you use it for Him.”
That point was underscored for Susan England a few years ago when she was unsure of the group’s future.
“I fell on my face and I said, ‘Lord, if you want us to keep doing this, you need to show me. Sure enough, in about a month, I looked at our calendar and I thought well it’s almost completely filled for the next year. That was my answer from God.”
Hinton returned to her home church with Three Parts Grace when they stopped by for the morning worship services at Smithville First Baptist. But often times they’ll be on the road, touching lives at fairs, churches, and other venues.
“Some churches are very emotional and they shout and sing and clap along,” recalls Hinton. “At some churches it’s more dignified. I don’t think there’s any specific way to worship. God sees people’s hearts. If you’re worshipping and singing from your heart and you’re singing to God, then that’s what really matters. My husband says ‘You get out of the way. You just sing, play, whatever you do, but you turn it over to the Lord and let Him do with it what He wants to, and let the people hear what they need to hear.”