Southern Gospel Singer/Songwriter/Minister
Last night the Vintage Gospel Lads had a concert at our church. It is a group that is very familar to the people of this area. They used to tour, now they are all serving in churches so a few times a year they meet in different places to sing. It was a great concert with lots of good 'ol SG clapping, quartet humor, and moving harmony. Close to the end they sang a song that I wrote with Marty Funderburk called "I've Got Family There." Murray Hollis (the lead singer) called me up to sing the second verse and finish out the song with them. It was a surprise to the audience and a lot of fun for me. I'm not sure I have ever sung with a vocal group that tight. They have some of the best voices I have heard in SG, bar none. Mel Taylor was at the piano. He has struggled with cancer the last couple of years. He gave everything in that wonderful performance. He was worn out at the end but he didn't miss a note. Someone said to me after the program "I didn't know you were a Southern Gospel writer" and I replied, "Neither did I".
My day took me back to my first ministry in a little church. I knew everyone in the church well. Now, everywhere I go in Joplin, I see the faces of people I know. Even more often, I see people that recognize me because I lead worship in front of a couple of thousand people each week, but I could not tell you their names to save my skin. I probably still know more people than I did in that little church, but it bothers me. Today I sat and talked for a couple hours with a man I have literally known all my life. He led songs in a church where my dad preached. A few years after our family moved here from So. California his family followed. He is slowly losing his wife, she is in ICU on a respirator. Sometimes it's just good to be there.