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Before I begin this conclusion of our look into the history of the relationship between gospel music as ministry and gospel music as entertainment, I'd like to thank all the readers who posted comments into last month's look at this subject. I value and appreciate all of the input I received, and have kept it all in mind as I prepared this month's article. I am always grateful for that kind of response.

When we left off last month, World War II had begun. The effects of the war on the life of this nation have been well-chronicled elsewhere, and the results of it have resounded to this very day, not only in the life of this nation's society overall, but in the world of professional gospel singing.

Rangers Quartet in 1941
(L-R): Marion Snider, Arnold Hyles, Walter Leverette, Denver Crumpler, and Vernon Hyles.

The war's end saw the dawn of a greater affluence than ever before in the United States, and the tradition of the singing conventions declined markedly with that affluence. The conventions were mostly rural in nature, and emphasized participation first, and performance second. With the shift to a more urban society, conventions found it harder to exist, and performance became the main emphasis in gospel singing. Naturally, this set the stage for a separate industry to emerge, and create an entertainment culture where there wasn't one before. With the concurrent rise in the notoriety of gospel singing groups via the radio, and the attendant development of the recording industry alongside that, there grew a demand for professional singers to perform gospel music for the public. Hence, the "gospel music business" took on a life of its own.

LeRoy Abernathy

Abernathy learned the piano and music very quickly, playing and singing for his father's and other groups, and using his own growing musical acumen to help pay his way through the Atlanta Conervatory of Music. He began to write songs, not only for gospel quartets, but for political campaigns and anyone else in need of his services. When the postwar boom came, Abernathy was right there, with various groups, and a lot of original songs. Perhaps the most noteworthy of which was "Wonderful Time Up There", also known as the "Gospel Boogie" because of its' unique musical structure in the gospel world. That song was a staple in the repertoire of almost every gospel artist for decades, and even a top ten hit for Pat Boone in 1958.

Naturally, controversy arose in the church world about a song using a "boogie" rhythm to become successful. Never one to be patient with those who weren't willing or able to embrace his enthusiasm, Abernathy maintained that the song was an example of his using his unique musical talents to reach others with God's message who otherwise might not hear it. The sales of the recordings and of the sheet music of it would seem to bear out Abernathy's claims. His successes set the stage for others to follow in his footsteps, and draw gospel music closer to the world of popular entertainment.

Statesmen Quartet, circa 1950
L-R: Cat Freeman, Jake Hess, Hovie Lister, James "Big Chief" Wetherington, and Bervin Kendrick.

By 1950, Lister had secured the services of talented singers such as Jake Hess and James (Big Chief) Wetherington, and was into a position to realize his dreams in short order. The Statesmen's performances were distinguished by their use of choreography and Lister's own uncanny sense of how to structure a program to meet the needs and desires of his audiences. The Statesmen used a combination of hymns, lively original gospel song material, and adaptations of black spirituals to entertain and move audiences wherever they appeared, and arguably, ministered to said audiences in that way. They joined forces in 1952 with possibly the only other gospel quartet that rivaled them in popularity, the Blackwood Brothers, who themselves had become polished entertainers in their own right, to become the most successful "team" of their type in the gospel music world. By 1954, both groups had appeared on and won on the Arthur Godfrey "Talent Scouts" TV program on CBS, and were successful recording artists on RCA Records.

Certainly, these groups brought gospel music to new heights of popularity and public acceptance, and other groups would understandably be challenged to follow their example. Some of these groups would follow in the footsteps of the Statesmen and Blackwoods, and some would take the music in even different directions.

Weatherford Quartet, ca. 1959. (clockwise): Glen Payne, Bobby Clark, Danny Koker, Armond Morales, Earl Weatherford (center)

By the mid 1950s, they had become staff members of Rex Humbard's church, the Cathedral of Tomorrow, in Akron, OH, and since Earl believed that a gospel quartet's first duty was to serve the church, the group remained there for many years. The large radio and TV exposure of Humbard's church helped the Weatherfords become an early exponent of using gospel music to evangelize in addition to merely entertain, and they remained popular for decades with that approach.

Couriers Quartet, ca. 1964
(L-R): Duane Nicholson, Neil Enloe, Don Baldwin, Dave Kyllonen, "Little" David Young(at piano).

By the early 1960s, the Couriers had become pioneers in bringing southern-styled gospel music to the Northeast United States and Canada, and one of the leading quartets on the traveling circuit overall. With the addition of "Little" David Young on piano in 1963, they were as close to the top of the circuit as they would get as a quartet, making records for Warner Brothers and being a part of the original cast of the successful syndicated TV show, the "Gospel Singing Jubilee". Then Young and group manager and founder Don Baldwin simultaneously left the group in 1965, and the group was at a crossroads of sorts.

They continued as a quartet for a couple of years with Phil Enloe (brother of lead singer Neil Enloe) and Eddie Hawks as replacements, then were challenged by a missionary evangelist named Paul Olsen to step out on faith and go on a missionary trip. Having turned down such invitations in the past because they felt they could not afford it, in 1967 they opted to go to the West Indies and give it a try. With their Bible College background, coupled with their relatively evangelistic approach already a part of their concert style, they encountered success with their unique combination of entertaining gospel singing and testimony from members of the group. After their return from the West Indies, Phil Enloe resigned from the group to pursue other ministry opportunities (Hawks had already left the group before the trip), and the Couriers decided not to replace him, but reorganized as a trio, which they remain to this day.

The Couriers thereafter pursued missions in a big way, while remaining a top group on the traveling circuit. In time, they established a policy of setting aside 10% of their income strictly for missions, and other artists began to emulate the Couriers' example and embark on missions themselves. By 2000, the Couriers had gone to some 80 countries as musical missionaries of the Christian gospel, and by their standards, consider their careers successful.

More pertinent to this discussion, though, is their musical approach and its' influence on gospel artists of today, and certainly, with both theological and musical trends going in the direction they have in recent decades, the Couriers' approach of combining entertaining, uplifting music with an evangelistic stage approach has certainly been a major influence on artists of today, whether directly or indirectly.

So what then, can we conclude is the proper relationship between ministry and entertainment to be in gospel music, based on its' history?

As far as it can be determined objectively, ministry and entertainment have always had a hand-in-hand relationship. Gospel music that's been entertaining has always ministered to some extent at least, and gospel music that ministers in the most effective way entertains, on a higher level than might first be understood by everyone.

So perhaps then, the most important lesson we can learn from this analysis of the issue is that gospel music must entertain its' audience to minister most effectively, and to entertain authentically, it must present an authentic and truthful picture of the gospel.

Reader Comments

Once again, John, you have done a grand job. You demonstrated two very important lessons I have learned over the years: there is a vialbe place in the Kingdom for the ministry of entertainment, and ANY ministry that is not engaging and entertaining to some degree with not really minister.

Awesome article, buddy.

Come see what’s up at Jim’s Gems

John - What an awesome article!!!

The controversy has brewed for many years regarding the supposed opposites of ministry and entertainment - and yet, you have explained clearly the natural relationship that exists in perfect harmony between them in the last 2 paragraphs - all in less than 100 words.

You truly have been given a gift from God to write, and I suspect, you are just getting started.

You wrote, "The Couriers' approach of combining entertaining, uplifting music with an evangelistic stage approach has certainly been a major influence on artists of today, whether directly or indirectly."

The Couriers have often talked about their "coming off of the front seats" of the concerts of the Blackwoods and Statesmen, who were so influential to them in their formative years.

And, they have also talked about the ones who have "come off of the front seats" of their concerts. That lists includes quite a few, including Nick Bruno, Richard Sterban, Joe Bonsall, Frank Sanchez, JR Damiani (the latter 2 both being inductees into the Pennsylvania Gospel Music Hall of Fame), as well as the other members of the Keystones, Eatsmen and Gabriels (which included yours truly), Bob and Joe DiQuattro, Phil and Marie Armenia, and many groups throughout the US and Canada - too numerous to mention.

Both Mark Trammell and Dean Hopper spoke with me at NQC last year of the incredible influence they had on their lives. Mark told me that Neil Enloe was his hero. Also, Bobby Clark and Roy Tremble of The Cathedrals have often credited The Couriers with helping them in coming to prominence.

In 1962, they met a young man from Indiana who had just started a brand new group and was writing songs. You will find Bill Gaither's songs "Lovest Thou Me" and "Oh, For a Faith" recorded on The Couriers' very next release(recorded in Nashville) in late 1962, as well as many more songs to follow. They were one of the first groups to give Bill's music great exposure, along with The Speers. In the mid-70's, I saw Bill Gaither and Evie Tornquist being interviewed by Jim Bakker on the PTL Club. Bill said that, way back then, Don Baldwin and The Couriers took the chorus of his newly-written song, "He Touched Me" and taught it to the people at the summmer camps all over the country - and he credited them with helping it to so quickly "catch on".

I used to joke with James Blackwood that I was one of his many grandkids - having come up through the group he helped mentor.

Several months ago, The Couriers appeared at a good-sized concert in the Vancouver area in Canada, and spokesman Dave Kyllonen asked the crowd how many there that night were Gospel singers today due to the influence or work of The Couriers. Dave, Duane and Neil were astonished as they counted 48 people who had risen to their feet.

Dave, Duane and Neil surprised us late last Spring by slipping into one of our concerts unannounced on a Sunday night in Pennsylvania. When recognizing them from the stage, I reminded the crowd that Paul , who had been mentored and taught by Barnabus and by others, instructed young Timothy, "the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (II Timothy 2:2). I told the crowd, that night, that this was the Scriptural plan to train young ministers and ministries - to try to mentor and bring others along to the point where they stand side by side with us - also proficient in ministry. I told the crowd that The Cerces were there that night only because of the consistent efforts and dealings of The Couriers in our lives.

And - this is my point. The Kingdom of God and the Gospel Music Industry is richer today because these men sought to help bring along inexperienced nd struggling newcomers. Rather than keeping them back, limiting new possible competition, they helped them develop in their ministries - and there will be thousands more people in heaven for all eternity because of it - due to the work of the groups that have only come to prominence because of their efforts.

This is a far cry from the situation that rages today - where many groups make sure that they keep the newcomers (and possible future competition) at bay - where they belong.

Thank you, Couriers, for allowing me to be in the ministry today, and having the most fulfilling life imaginable.

Cliff Cerce
The Cerces, PO Box 8525, Springfield, MO 65801
417-863-8440
http://www.thecerces.com

Cliff,

Did you say the "Eatsmen?" I hope you meant the Eastmen... otherwise I'd say the "Eatsmen" must have been a Pentecostal group, right? LOL.

Now, John:

Great article as usual. Can't say enough good things about Lee Roy Abernathy, Hovie Lister, Jake, Chief, or any of the Couriers... especially Mr. Neil Enloe... to me one of the top five songwriters of all time (the other four being Bill Gaither, Dottie Rambo, Mosie Lister, and Lanny Wolfe... in no particular order.)

I have had the chance to correspond regularly with Neil, and he's been a great help to me, a great encourager and mentor... so, Cliff, add me to the list of people who've been helped by the Couriers, Neil in particular.

I was also fortunate enough to spend time with James and Cecil Blackwood, as well as Brother Hovie Lister, Mosie Lister, and Jake Hess.

All of these people knew how to handle that balance between ministry and entertainment. In my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with putting on a good show to open their ears to the gospel.

As Mary Poppins put it: "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

Chris J. Becker
Hallelujah Street Music (ASCAP)
Cedar Rapids, IA

“Don’t play cards with Satan… He’ll deal you an awful hand.”—Daniel Johnston

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