In 1889 a schoolteacher told a ten-year-old boy, You will never amount to very much. That boy was Albert Einstein. In the 1960s and 1970s, television broadcasts spread white gospel music into US living rooms while Elvis Presley toured with gospel quartets. Douglas Harrison. I have always enjoyed much of what Southern Gospel has offered. Witness the gyrations of the singers in a SG concert. That truth is the Word of God (John 17:7). CCM and Southern Gospel have been filled with scandals that the GMA (Gospel Music Association) have tried hiding as quickly as possible. For them, southern gospel music was a drug; something that gave them a spiritual pick-me-up. There is no need to belittle anyone because you dont share their beliefs. The French philosopher Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. As my good brother reported on the gcmwatch blog GCMBLOG, Kirk Talley, (who came out of the closet after a man, who Kirk had sent a nude picture of himself, threatened blackmail), has frequented the sodomite and lesbian congregation of Open Door Community Church near Little Rock, Arkansas several times in the past. In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy Christianity. But Christians know that this great pleasure-cruiser will eventually come into contact with the immovable iceberg of the Law of God, sink into hell and take all those on board with it. I have been aware that my allegiance to church attendance would surely have improved had I the pleasure of some deep down southern gospel as an enticement. But heres what the Bible says anyway: Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.) For an audience in a gay bar, writes Harrison, gospel drag "transmutates the gospel classic into a call for action on the part of the audience" (144). In Luke 6:41,42 He speaks of seeing a speck in a brothers eye. Ever the marketer, I advertised these concerts, hoping to draw large crowds. I have tried asking, but most women take offense. 1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: He brings his book to life with ethnographic thick-description, particularly in his opening chapter on the live experience of southern gospel music, but mostly avoids the pitfalls of documentary work's tendency to view its subject as a cultural and temporal Other. Most four-year institutions in the US have a Newman Center located nearby; these are small Catholic churches established for college students, as opposed to permanent residents. As an IFB pastor, I regularly scheduled Southern gospel groups to sing at our church. The irony of history is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles. Religion Dispatches An interesting bit is that he has one sister who is bold enough to obey the Bible and stop fellowship. Southern gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Though Jesse Aiken conceived of seven-shape notation in 1846, Ruebush-Kieffer songbooks like The Temple Star popularized the style of singing that Harrison argues anticipated the "melodic and harmonic developments that would come to define twentieth-century white gospel" (64). 5. I think we can all agree on that point. Darlene, you arent smart enough to do that on your own. Browse the top southern gospel tracks to find new music and discover artists. I enjoy classic Rock-n- Roll. The Church is made up of true believers; hypocrites are pretenders who sit among Gods people. Harrison now uses the blog to also engage and debate fans and detractors of Then Sings My Soul. It is approved of by many Churches and Pastors while most other types of music is condemned as Worldly or down right wicked. 400 for Sierra. there is more hope of a fool than of him. We all all sinners and have a lot of work to do before we reach that state of sinless perfection which of course will not be on this earth. Southern gospel music, including song lyrics, melodies, and live music experiences, has provided evangelicals with the tools to negotiate the tensions between past and present, sacred and secular, commercialism and piety, and, for some, as Harrison details towards the end of his book, between orthodox and "queer" identities. as well as those voices and perspectives that have found no other meaningful outlet for this type of conversation in the epistemologically cloistered world of southern gospel" (11). Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding Gods law. So even though 10 people today couldnt write on one controversial subject and agree, God picked 40 different people to write the Bibleand it stands the test of time. This was way back in the 80s. The songs, and the emerging style of southern gospel music they typified, "offered people a powerful language in which to express complicated feelings of fear and faith, to voice a nostalgic longing for what had been lost, and to work toward a better life here in this world by singing of their pietistic hopes for a brighter day hereafter" (53). Hell will be your just desert (exactly what you deserve), and you will have no one to blame but yourself. The conservative evangelical, as Harrison acknowledges, can summon a persecuted identity when it is convenient and not have to worry about actual discrimination. Second, what is it about southern gospel that attracts "queer" fans and supports heterodox interpretations of a seemingly orthodox musical culture? My hope for you is that God would convict you of, yes homosexuality, but also all sin. Fans have a right to know that theyve been had. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Theres also just the fact that fans dont really need or want to knowallthe sordid details of a given scandal. generation. Because Jesus died on the cross, we are all forgiven of every sin.. Guided by theological fundamentalism and social conservatism, southern gospel's performers and fans tend to take a dim view of homosexuality. A segregated society and record industry might have created artificial barriers between white and black gospel cultures, but Harrison sees both cultures as unique because their fans and performers have interpreted gospel's meaning and spiritual function in different ways. I know this is going to sound much different than what you have heard, but remember Kirks among friends at the Open Door church. Congregants were encouraged to listen to southern gospel music country music with Jesus-y words. You may have forgotten your past sins, but God hasnt. Q&A-After bottoming out, Michael English "Comes Home" However, I have of late become increasingly frustrated with the whole deal. Lowest? Charles Finney stated, God is not angry merely against the sin abstracted from the sinner, but against the sinner himself. Now, this revelation came to his family at this time. Kirk Lewis Talley (born June 9, 1958), is an American Southern gospel performer and songwriter. He has been in this hole before! And I suspected that the reason some of those concerts were held on Sunday nights was to attract potential Church Hoppers from other churches. No regrets of homosexuality breaking up his marriage, driving away his sister, or causing his lifelong depression. 2 (June 2009): 123141. http://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/. those that refuse cannot be forgiven. Marsha is also the founder of BALM (Born Again Lesbian Music). Go figure? Christianity never heard of scandals from our hymnwriters. That is very Unchristian as far as I am concerned. It is meant to get your feelings up, it is sensual, it is mental coasting. The sinner himself is the direct and the only object of his anger.. Funny, when the Bible doesnt say what you want, you slander it. marianne Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. By his own admission, 2004 was the worst year of his life. While there is absolutely nothing bad or wrong with what I viewed in the Robbie Hiner video, for some reason I sometimes become uneasy, anxious, or angry in some social settings when there is the possibility of being pointed out to speak, sing, or dance before the crowd. By the 1940s and 1950s, a period traditionally known as the "Golden Age" of white gospel, groups such as the Speer Family, the Blackwood Brothers, The Statesmen, and The LeFevres had established thriving careers as professional performers that transformed singing-convention participants into paying fans at concerts that attracted up to two million people per year. Reaction to country music was somewhat mixed. He went on to brag about the way that church ministered and worshiped god. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Southern Gospels stars in bed with homosexualchurch. Putting on a good show was of utmost importance because there were other Baptist churches around, and no church wants to lose members, especially members with families to boost numbers and coffers. His analysis here is a bit confusing and contradictory at times, but its important to note that he does not deny the role of racism in southern gospel culture. So be it. Who's gay in Gospel music? - the DataLounge Chuck Colson said, True tolerance is not a total lack of judgment. It was rumored that Kenny was in trouble. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Change). The Bible has also survived criticism. 2 1997: Loving God & Loving Each Other 1998: Still The Greatest Story Ever Told 1999: God Is Good 2000: I Do Believe 2002: Everything Good 2003: A Cappella 2004: The Best Of The GVB 2006: Give It Away 2007: Together, feat. Listen online to southern gospel music for free at Last.fm. Southern Gospel got its start in what we know as the "Bible belt" in the southeastern United States. The true pivot towards professionalization, according to Harrison, began in 1924 when V. O. Stamps challenged Vaughn's gospel music empire by creating the Stamps-Baxter Music Co. in Texas. I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. In 2003, gospel singer Kirk Talley was "outed" when the FBI arrested a man who attempted to blackmail Talley with suggestive photographs he shared on a gay web site. Jesus was able to offer that woman forgiveness for her sin, be-cause He was on His way to die on the cross for her. answer-. 3. 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. "Through southern gospel," he argues, "evangelicals develop the capacity to think and act as modern pluralists or situational relativists when necessary, while retaining their identification with antimodern religious traditions that notionally believe in timeless, unchanging absolutes" (3). But, Karen Clark Sheard has actually performed at Gay Clubs and has publicly spoken of having gay pals, and somebody affiliated with COGIC eventually had to. If they are not 100 percent sure, then there is a chance that they are wrong and they are risking their eternal salvation by trusting in a wrong belief. We had left the TV on, and as I headed out the door the name Michael English caught my attention. Jesus made it very plain in our text, Mt. Another friend of mine spent several years traveling with well-known southern gospel groups. But then Southern gospel star Candy Christmas, previously known as Candy Hemphill, has good reasons for the long delay before releasing her 'On The Other Side' album."The way I think of it is that in Michigan, when they're building a new car model, they shut down all assembly lines and send everyone home. You too can be happy and fulfilled like I am. In 1962 a record company told a group of singers, We dont like your sound. Prov 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. See 1 John 3:46. The seven-shape system attempted to "improve the quality of congregational music making by teaching as many people as possible how to sight-read . The sun is shining. Groups with guitars are definitely on their way out. They said that to the Beatles. People may have found my preaching helpful or profound, but make no mistake about it, they found me to be quite the entertainer. final in Early February 2007. 25-44-45. are you looking for excuses not to believe God. Bill and Gloria Gaither represent the heart and soul of Southern Gospel today. (In fact I do remember a case that was so bad the group member literally disappeared without a trace. The acts were identical, right down to the lead singer gesticulating at the exact same time and kicking off her shoes. All first-time comments are moderated. The sin should be laid bare before the whole Church. In the early twentieth century, James D. Vaughan of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee became a critically important "transitional" figure in white gospel music. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. By Diane Scharper. Brian Free is undeniably the most recognizable southern gospel tenor of our. COGIC. Wow, what a neat trick. Can you settle this? Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? The openly lesbian Marsha Stevens is best known for her songwriting. Reconciling these competing purposes allowed the genre to achieve cultural relevancy while providing fans with messages and emotions that grounded their identities as pious people marginalized by a corrupt modern world (8485). While IFB preachers attempt to paint southern gospel music as something that is spiritual, it is, in fact, entertainment. (Notice verse 11 allows for redemption from this lifestyle, but total submission and repentance is necessary). Yet, there is good newsincredibly good news. 1:9). Harrison's gay-gospel paradox transcends race and could be applied to any homophobic area of American life, but the hypocrisy seems all the more glaring, as Heilbut emphasizes, in a musical and religious culture that played such a pivotal role in the civil rights movement.3Anthony Heilbut, The Fan Who Knew Too Much: Aretha Franklin, the Rise of the Soap Opera, Children of the Gospel Church, and Other Meditations (New York: Random House, 2012), 36, 60, 90, 320; Samuel G. Freedman, "Using Gospel Music's Secrets to Confront Black Homophobia," The New York Times, June 1, 2012, accessed August 4, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/02/us/gospel-music-book-challenges-black-homophobia.html; Louis Bayard, "Review of Anthony Heilbut's 'The Fan Who Knew Too Much,'" The Washington Post, August 3, 2012, accessed August 5, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/review-of-anthony-heilbuts-the-fan-who-knew-too-much/2012/08/01/gJQAtfvHUX_story.html. As we have already mentioned, CCM and Southern Gospel are wrong on many accounts. "Why Southern Gospel Matters." Those who reject the Bible should take the time to look at the evidence before they come to a verdict. Kirk Talley - Wikipedia I dont view Southern Gospel Music as any more Spiritual as any other kind of music. 1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Just nothing. You right wingers are all alike. I was unfamiliar with Robbie Hiner. My friend thought these groups were spirit-led, when, in fact, they were well-paid professional entertainers. Introducing AccuRadio "Staff Picks" -- our recommendations to guide you through more than 1400 channels! Ruebush and Kieffer's books also emphasized a new style of singing that distinguished them from other popular southern tunebooks. p.s. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God, for many false Christs have gone out into the world. At each stage in southern gospel's growth, performers and industry leaders tried to maintain a delicate balance between the sacred and the secular, between maintaining tradition and embracing professionalism. Earlier this year I street preached at the Super Bowls Gospel Celebration. I do agree that press releases should not be deceptive. Being gay is considered a sin to many religious people, so the backlash could be harsh whether coming out to family or the entire Christian music world. The intended audiences of each book may not overlap but they both expose the hypocrisy of the gay-gospel paradox in conservative Christian culture and, hopefully, will force broader debate. No heaven, no hell. The queer gospel fan has no such luxury and suffers the burden of "self-regulation that falls to the nonconforming individual who wishes to forge a religious identity beyond what orthodoxy strictly permits or heaven will allow" (168). 15:19-24). John J. McCall Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How should I deal with this? His immersion in the gospel world exposed him to the genre's "family secret": gay people formed the heart and soul of black gospel music while the fundamentalism of churches and clergy kept them in the closet. Again, I am thankful for your honesty in your posts. Not once did he say that his sin had caused this fall. Tell them that it is natural for them, and for all of us, to be tempted to do things that God says are wrong. This could be music sung by solo artists, family bands and trios and quartets. Southern gospel stalwarts Jeff and Sheri Easter, who opened the show in Gaffney, said people in the Christian music industry warn them to avoid English because of what he did - and because. sitting thru it from toddlerhood thru high school. Harrison suggests that the existence of black southern gospel groups like Teddy Huffam and the Gems, who performed from the 1970s into the early 1990s, and the popularity of black authored songs among white gospel fans and singers, should temper the emphasis on "black-white polarities," which only obscures "our understanding of cultural dynamics submerged beneath the surface" that gave rise to an explicity "southern" gospel genre (103). You mentioned in both that post and this one about the Southern Gospel group where the lead lady gets so in the spirit that she throws her shoe and praises the Lord. 1 (2008): 2758. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here? My Experience with Religious Fundamentalism and Bipolar Disorder, Dear Evangelical, Just Because You Quote the Bible Doesnt Make Your Comment True. Once you do this, then you can have salvation. Rev 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; Just to acknowledge your sin is not enough,,you must repent. It is a rainy, gray day here in the Northeast. So I was never expected to dance in the IFB subculture. Typically, these people were what I called diesel sniffers. Taken together, these political forces and cultural expressions constitute a backlash against the social and political upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s that left the nation's white working class searching for a sense of identity and belonging in a country they no longer recognized. I remember hearing the Talleys in concert and Kirk has always sounded like a sincere Christian which proves to me that the idea that gays are evil is all in the mind. Jimmy Swaggart called him "a cancer in the body of Christ.". Then Sings My Soul focuses on the culture of white southern gospel music while acknowledging the "long history of stylistic exchange and mutual influence" with black gospel music and their near parallel commercial development during the early and middle twentieth century. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Praise God. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. It is an act of kindness and truth, so you can repent of your sins, and accept forgiveness. After some time, he brought up his process of redemption. Your comments are welcome and appreciated. SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC. The Bible has many seeming contradictions within its pages. 7:18-19: a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. Perhaps the most fascinating part of Harrison's historical analysis is his overview of how southern gospel became self-consciously "southern." The word means one who fears homosexuals. Groups who sang at our church included: David Meece, Sierra, Annie Herring (2nd Chapter of Acts), and NIA. The Gaither Vocal Band Scandal - News Insights . The Bible is the source of the claim, and it is utterly infallible. Brittany Ferrendi Music 30 June 2016 Hits: 82829 religion Christian Coming out of the closet in the Christian music world is no easy task. Where should I begin life anew?" With the snarky little snipper about so called rightwingers, Im sure Darlene doesnt care what the Bible says, she can just look at people and through some sort of accumulated osmosis determine they are ok. And yet archeologists are proving every year that the Bibles detailed descriptions of historic events are correct. dont make a conscious decision to choose that self-destructive lifestyle, they simply give in to their sinful desires. He lost money, singing dates, received mean emails, etc. He hates the theft, but loves the thief. Race is intimately tangled up with the cultural dynamics Harrison identifies as part of an identity that emphasized "'us' and 'them'" (96104). Interested in submitting your work to Southern Spaces? What I found wasnt surprising to me, but it was disappointing. . Darlene assumes much about right-wingers. salvation is only granted to those who are willing to repent of their sins. even as a kid i knew it was fake. Old-style country was grudgingly permitted, but new style country was verboten no different from rock music. The scandals simply reveal the truth for what it is. Through a set of divinely arranged circumstances, years agoI drove home a Feminism Against Progress Podcast and Links. Funny you should mention Annie Herring and the 2nd Chapter of Acts. It was enjoyable to listen to him for a few minutes. Goodman's style, like that of Tammy Faye Bakker, represented the gospel diva's conscious and "highly visible deviation from secular American culture," a "style of adornment" that constituted the "semiotics of evangelical nonconformism"a rebuke of middle-class gender conformism (147). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. To your amazement, about thirty people suddenly dive off the end of the ship and cling to a lifeboat. He destroyed the power of the grave for all who obey Him. (I suppose I could imagine a case where its technically true. Bill Gaither's Disobedience to God's Word - Way of Life Literature Blues music? Thousands of talented people, both amateur & professional love to sing and play musical instruments to Southern Gospel Music. So it is with southern gospel music. Southern gospel - Wikipedia Voltaire died in 1728, but the Bible lives on. It was written over a period of 1,600 years by more than 40 writers from all walks of life. Early career As long as I can remember, the paid staff included a head pastor, a youth pastor, and a minister of music. What upset him, you ask? In the 1990s, I went through a CCM phase, thinking that if I brought in name groups, doing so would attract people to our church. Heilbut, the noted gospel music producer and author of The Gospel Sound,2Anthony Heilbut, The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1971). A common theme as with most Christian read more. 1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? He is faithful and will welcome you with open arms. Referencing Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Project," Heilbut recalls that gospel "grounded me and kept me sane, not because it gets better,' but because for most people, it does not." In the IFB world many will view me as either Not Right With God or unsaved. There is a critically important distinction between the outsider identity of the conservative evangelical and the gay gospel fan. Then you will find yourself in a terrible dilemma. I dont hate Southern Gospel Music, but personally, I really dont care much for it. An associate professor of English at Florida Gulf Coast University, he is a literary and cultural critic by training, which shines through in his deep textual analysis of song lyrics, stage performances, and styles, and in his occasionally overwrought, jargon-laden prose. By 1977, Bible societies alone were printing over 200 million Bibles each year, and this doesnt include the rest of the Bible publishing companies. We know what he wrote only by the copies we have. If you contact Kirk, dont expect a straight answer (no pun intended). (Largest crowd? I encourage you to demand an end to this promotion of this abomination. He and his wife attended numerous southern gospel concerts every year. Scripture itself teaches you that whoever would fellowship with sodomites and lesbians are enemies of God. If you do accept God, and do it his way, not yours, you will find the answers to the questions you ask. The first book printed was the Bible. The definition would be as such, to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially ones spiritual well being to Christ): believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with. Christian Hits, Rock & Hip Hop -- younger, hipper Christian Contemp Programmed by Ben Ditzel. Top 5 Openly Gay and Allied Christian Musicians CCM, Southern Gospel, and Scandals - Fundamental Families Until that time what is now known as southern gospel "had simply been gospel' music to its practitioners and fans" (89). Guy Penrod - Wikipedia The Bible places these heroes of the stage outside of that fellowship. (For example, suppose they made it public information that one member was being fired for sin problems. Jimmy Lee Swaggart (/ s w r t /; born March 15, 1935) is an American Pentecostal televangelist, gospel music recording artist, pianist, and Christian author.. His television ministry, which began in 1971, and was originally known as the Camp Meeting Hour, has a viewing audience both in the U.S. and internationally.The weekly Jimmy Swaggart Telecast and A Study in the Word programs . In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? It grieves and displeases Him that a rational moral agent, under His government, should array himself against his own God and Father, against all that is right and just in the universe. In 2006, a photo of the songwriter and gospel music impresario Bill Gaither embracing the lesbian songwriter Marsha Stevens and her partner generated such Two contributors complained that theres a culture of sweeping things under the rug when a given singer sins in some way, criticizing sunshine and roses press releases that give the false impression all is well. The anointing argument is often used to exclude the person from any scrutiny or rebuke. Often, Ever the marketer, I advertised these concerts, hoping to draw large crowds.