#47 SWEET COMFORT by Sweet Comfort (1977)

SWEET COMFORT by Sweet Comfort (1977)
Maranatha! Music - HS-033

Jeff White is one of my very best friends. He was my pastor for a number of years and we share a deep love for classic CCM. As a younger man, Jeff often sang, played bass, and produced albums for Southern Gospel groups here in Upstate South Carolina. One of the groups that he produced needed a fill-in singer for a ministry trip to North Carolina, so they asked Jeff to hit the road with them that particular weekend in 1999. After a Saturday night concert at the small Assembly of God church, Jeff and the rest of the group were invited to have dinner in the home of one of the church members. They were told that the church’s pastor and his wife would be there as well. After enjoying a meal, Jeff struck up a conversation with the pastor’s wife, just talking about music and ministry.

She told Jeff, “My son sings Christian music, too, but you probably wouldn’t like his style.”

Bryan Duncan's mom Barbara

“Who is your son?” Jeff asked.

“His name is Bryan,” she replied.

Well, Jeff knew that the pastor and his wife had the last name of Duncan…and he began to connect the dots.

“Your son is Bryan Duncan?” he asked, smiling.

“Yes,” she responded.

“Ma’am, you have no idea,” Jeff excitedly related. “I know exactly who your son is, and I love his music!”

After church the next morning, the group members were invited to the home of Pastors Daniel and Barbara Duncan, at which time Barbara proudly presented Jeff with four CDs – two Sweet Comfort Band discs and two from Bryan Duncan’s solo career!

The Duncan family (Bryan's on the far left)

Bryan Duncan and I share a similar background and heritage, both of us first-borns that grew up deeply immersed in Pentecostal culture in the deep south. Our dads were both pastors in the Assemblies of God, a denomination with a strong emphasis on personal holiness and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the 60s and 70s, the ladies wore their hair long and piled high, and you almost never saw them in pants, shorts, makeup or jewelry. Worldly amusements were frowned upon (we never went to a bowling alley when I was young and I didn’t see a movie in a theater until I was 19 years old). We consumed way too much fried chicken at church dinners. At summer camp, boys and girls were not allowed to swim together. At church, the preachin’ was loud and the shoutin’ was raucous. People were literally healed of various physical ailments, they danced in the Spirit, and they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. From time to time, people were delivered from demonic possession. The music that was popular in A/G churches was a mixture of country hymns and Southern Gospel.

I rolled with it all quite well; Bryan Duncan’s experience was a little more complicated. You might say that Duncan has been a recovering preacher’s kid for about four decades.

Rev. Daniel R. Duncan

"Raised in a Pentecostal church, we were kind of lower middle class back then, and church was like going to the circus," Bryan told Chris Willman in a 1991 interview with Crossrhythms. "I've been insecure for a lot of years. But that's because I was doing what was expected of me as a good preacher's boy. I don't know where all the pressure comes from.”

“My dad never lived in the same town for long,” he continued, “so you couldn't really get a feeling of resentment toward people in the church, because you didn't know 'em, for crying out loud. But that started to bother me. I started to ask questions about relationships. I'm so dang shallow that I don't know people very well. I don't even know my immediate family very well. I started to get irritated by the fact that I can be really personal with a thousand people and not know what to say to somebody that I've known for five years. Because the shallow stuff doesn't work in a relationship with somebody you've known. I think I had enough in the Sweet Comfort Band days - enough of ‘raise the banner, hold the standard high’ and in the meantime your personal life is shot to hell because you're on the road all the time. You don't have a real life, you don't have a social life, you don't know anybody personally - but you know the Gospel, by dog. And you can travel the world and tell everybody about Jesus. But you don't know how to interact with your wife."

Wow.

Like any good first-born PK, the somewhat socially maladjusted Bryan headed off to Bible college after high school. For Assembly of God kids in the south, that meant Southeastern Bible College (now Southeastern University) in Lakeland, Florida.

It didn’t last.

I remember being told many years ago by some A/G buddies in North Carolina that Bryan Duncan was so cool he got kicked out of Bible college! There’s an urban legend that he was expelled for running girls’ underwear up the school flagpole. Turns out that wasn’t the case…but it also wasn’t very far from the truth. I recently had an opportunity to interview Bryan for this post and got the scoop from the man himself.

“Wow! That story from college gets worse every year!” he said. “Actually, there were several violations. I was running around the dorm in a woman’s bra with water balloons in it, first of all. I also organized a raid on the girls’ dorms. They said it was a ‘panty raid’ but I never used the word ‘panty’ ever! And by the way, we were beaten back severely by girls throwing books!”

Duncan went to Lakeland to study to be a missionary, but he just didn’t fit in at Southeastern. "They had an honor point system,” Bryan explains. “It seemed kind of juvenile for a college. You had 10 honor points, and they were taken away from you for various misdemeanors. I LOST 25 honor points!" The points (and his long hair) effectively ended his missions career before it ever got started. "I exchanged my missionary zeal for a music mission," Duncan says. "In a lot of ways, I still am a missionary. I'm a lot better with songs than with sermons."

About this same time, there was a bright light shining in the state of California, drawing kids from all over the country. It was dubbed the Jesus Movement. Bryan Duncan packed up his belongings and moved clear across the country, in part to get away from the pressure and limitations of his strict upbringing, but also hoping to become part of this new thing God was doing in Southern California.

Bryan Duncan picks up the story: “I was singing by myself, at the piano, back in the days of Calvary Chapel and the ‘big tent.’ I would play a Monday night Bible study to a crowd of about 1,500 back then. A bass player named Kevin Thomson heard me one night and came to my dorm room at Vanguard University to ask if I’d like to have bass and drums behind me. He just happened to have a brother [Rick] who played drums. So we met in Riverside, CA, in Rick’s living room, and we sounded way better than I did alone! That was the beginning of a 3-year, 3-piece version of Sweet Comfort.

The group was missing an important puzzle piece…but not for long.

“A guitarist named Randy Thomas was in a band in a neighboring city where we played,” Duncan continues. “Kevin asked him to sit in with us at a rehearsal. He added instant harmonies and a soaring melodic lead. We were all impressed. Of course, he says he never agreed to join the band!”

And just like that, “one of the most musically original and proficient groups to come out of the Jesus Movement” became a viable unit (at least that’s how they were described by author and CCM historian Mark Allen Powell). A foursome had thus been established that would remain intact throughout the entire lifespan of the group (which was actually quite unusual). They chose the name Sweet Comfort.

I asked Bryan Duncan about the group’s early association with Maranatha Records. “Well, Maranatha was really the only label covering the bands that were playing out of Calvary Chapel,” he answered. “I don’t think we had another option back then! They agreed to put our debut record on their roster but frankly, we were more jazz-rock than the usual country/folk/rock that their other bands were playing. I don’t think they ever considered us to be a standout property. But the association was the jumpstart we needed.”

My family was on the road in ministry during the late 70s; we made several stops at a prominent Assembly of God church in Concord, North Carolina. First Assembly in Concord had an infamous youth pastor in those days by the name of Noel “Butch” Cookman. During one of our visits, Butch tossed us an album cover and said, “You guys have got to hear this. You’ll love it.” The record jacket featured four photos of the individual band members and is often remembered by musicians for the white Peavey microphones in the pictures. We quickly pulled the album from the sleeve, put it on the nearest turntable, and instantly fell in love. We later learned that Noel Cookman and Bryan Duncan go way back (as they say in the south), and are still friends today. My brothers and I have also maintained a friendship with the inestimable Mr. Cookman, mostly via social media these days. He was always our favorite youth pastor during our time on the road, and we will always be grateful to him for introducing us to a band called Sweet Comfort.

But I digress.

Let’s talk about this record.

It was a self-titled release, back before the word ‘Band’ was added to the group’s name. Jazz, funk, R&B and smooth ‘70s rock came pouring from the grooves of this record. It’s been said that few bands had the musicianship displayed by Sweet Comfort. Another difference, noted by blogger David Lowman, is that they were substantially less preachy than most of the other Maranatha groups of the time period.

Reviewer Ken Scott has called the group “fairly competent funksters.” He writes that on this debut record, the band “serves up winners, with soulful lead vocalist Bryan Duncan be-boppin’ his way through peppy melodic grooves, mid-tempo funky things, and slow smooth lounge crooners.”

I had a chance to ask Bryan Duncan about how the group approached the recording process on this first album. “We’d never recorded before,” Duncan said. “Our understanding was that we would rehearse until the songs were flawless, run it down once in the studio, all together, and tape the whole thing at the same time! I’m laughing even now at our naiveté!”

Duncan says the best thing to come out of the recording process was working with Tommy Coomes of Love Song. “He taught us about song structure,” Bryan remembers. “He had a stopwatch and he’d say, ‘You should be at the hook in 30 seconds!’ Before that, I was just a shotgun screamin’ machine. Never thought about what should come first.”

The opening moments of It’s So Fine (Soul Tune Boogie) serve notice that this is not going to be a typical cowboy country Maranatha offering. No, this record has an actual horn section…a funky attitude...and it’s sung and played not only with excellence but also with an exuberance that borders on pure joy. Duncan’s soulful, expressive vocals are immediately noticeable, as is Thomas’ tasty guitar work. The word ‘boogie’ in the song title should’ve been a dead giveaway. Reviewer Ken Scott called It’s So Fine a “brassy funk mover” while Mark Allan Powell said it was “powerful.”

Duncan’s Fender Rhodes electric piano leads into Ryan’s Song, a ballad with an instrumental section that reminds me a lot of the theme from the TV show Charlie’s Angels (which was hugely popular at the time this record was recorded…perhaps the boys were big fans of Jaclyn, Kate, and Farrah?). If I’m guessing right, Rick Thomson sang lead on this track. It’s a song that put forth sort of a “soft sell” Gospel message, using real-life stories and situations from the lives of ordinary people – a tactic that would become a staple with this band throughout their career.

Next up was Childish Things, a fun, up-tempo track that blogger David Lowman calls the closest thing to a huge Christian radio hit (had there been CCM radio at the time). The song was based quite directly on Paul’s writings in I Corinthians 13:11.

When I was a child

I understood just like a child
Now that I am able
I'm gonna lay it on the table
When I became a man
I began to understand
I stopped acting like a baby
I'm gonna lay down, lay down
Childish things

Oh, let me lay it down
And keep on gettin' stronger
Let me lay it down
I don't need them any longer
Childish things

Childish Things gave the horn section a rest but featured a tasteful guitar solo from Randy Thomas. It was followed by a funky gem called Let It Go. This one actually was a little “preachy”…but Duncan’s playful yet powerful vocal helped the medicine go down smoothly:

Well, the grass looks greener on the other side
So you jumped them fences ‘till you almost died
But you still can't find it though you know you tried
And you ain't got time to be free

You spent your money 'fore you got it made
But it ain't so funny when the bills ain't paid
You keep on tryin' for that one more thing
And you ain't got time to be free

Let it go, let it go, Spirit move me
Let it flow, right now

The brass is back on this track, and Duncan’s keyboard work shines as well. As usual, the song is supported by a strong foundation of the Thomson brothers on bass and drums.

When I asked Bryan Duncan about his favorite songs from this project, he replied, “I favored the funky stuff more than the rest of the band did. My favorites were It’s So Fine and

Let It Go.”

Side One of Sweet Comfort concludes with Your Life, a short, evangelistic ballad featuring what sounds like a flugelhorn, Duncan’s emotive vocals, and some rich, impressive harmonies. Although the song is a direct invitation for the listener to accept Christ, it’s delivered with a) empathy for whatever struggles and difficulties the listener has experienced and b) language that is attractive, not off-putting.

All your life, you’ve always stood alone

Never needing anybody to show you how to live

But now your life is changing

And the Spirit says it’s time

And you hear the Father saying

“Won’t you live your life in Mine?”

You’ve had a lot of hard times

You’ve reaped a lot of pain

Felt a lot of sorrow

As you lived your life in vain

But now your life is changing

As the Spirit says it’s time

And you hear the Father saying

“Won’t you live your life in Mine?”

Your Life was the type of ballad that would become a hallmark of this group.

The Sweet Comfort album had a very bright, clean, crisp sound, thanks to the production of Tommy Coomes and a young Jonathan David Brown. The album also benefitted from the engineering talents of Brown and Jack Joseph Puig. Puig rose to prominence as a CCM producer and engineer and eventually won Grammys working with the likes of U2, Black Crowes, Goo Goo Dolls, Rolling Stones, Black Eyed Peas, Eric Clapton and many more.

Art direction for the album cover was credited to Neal Buchanan, while Greg Laurie (!) was in charge of graphics and design. Ray Westbrook took the photos and the late, great Rick Griffin designed the band’s logo.

“It was exciting seeing that album cover for the first time,” Bryan Duncan remembers. “The artwork was done by Greg Laurie, and I thought we had arrived. There was much to be learned in the following year about promoting and marketing a record. We would learn that recording the album is really just the beginning!”

Side Two begins with one of the album’s standout tracks. The bluesy Somebody Loves You is the one song from this album that Bryan Duncan says he still plays today. The track begins with Bryan’s voice and his Fender Rhodes…

Lord, it’s so good to know that somebody loves you

You know it’s so fine to know that somebody’s there

Lord, it’s so good to share your feelings with someone

Who knows how you feel and knows how to care

Somebody loves you

Somebody cares

Duncan turns in an excellent performance on electric piano and organ, reminding us of how underrated he has always been as a keyboardist. That is due mostly to the fact that his powerful voice is so dominant, one tends to simply overlook his instrumental prowess. But it’s there…and Somebody Loves You is an excellent reminder.

In his Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, author Mark Allan Powell says Somebody Loves You is the album’s best-known song (Get Ready would have something to say about that) and that it “personalizes the message of the Gospel in a straightforward way.”

The next track, His Name Is Whispered, continues this tack of sharing the Gospel in a way that is attractive…positive…compelling. This would be one of the great strengths of the Sweet Comfort Band for years to come. Consider these lyrics:

His name is whispered on a soft and gentle breeze

He can paint a thousand pictures with a word

(I want you to feel) the touch of His compassion

Sets a restless mind at ease

Then He tells me of His deepest love for you

You’ve never known Him, He loved you from afar

That’s just His way, He loves you as you are

Man of mysteries, Man of strength

Man of power, Prince of peace

Kevin Thomson

It’s just a beautiful and accurate description of God’s love and grace…of the character and attributes of the Lord. Randy Thomas handles the lead vocal on this one; Kevin Thomson’s bass playing was particularly impressive here.

It’s often been said that the Sweet Comfort Band displayed a level of musicianship that set them apart from a lot of the other bands of their day. The next track, God’s Got a Plan, was a great example of that. It also happened to be the song that drifted the farthest toward true jazz. Sounds like the guys were having a lot of fun in the studio recording this one.

No album from the Jesus Movement era would be complete without a song about the Second Coming of Jesus. Get Ready filled that bill quite nicely and ended up being the record’s most memorable track. Quick: how many studio-recorded CCM songs can you name with a drum solo during the song? One or two? I’ve got Woman, Don’t You Know by Petra and this song by Sweet Comfort. There may be more, but those are the only two I recall off the top of my head. Rick Thomson turns in a very memorable performance and Bryan Duncan sings his heart out on this one.

“We were a loud, rockin’ band, so of course I loved the up-tempo, screaming stuff,” Bryan Duncan told me. “Get Ready was already an anthem at our concerts. It was a flat-out jam session on stage that went on for ten minutes. It was sad trying to cut it down to song length for the record. One thing’s for sure, an album seldom brings the energy of a live concert. To me, it felt like a miniature version of us.”

Randy Thomas showed us his rock chops on Get Ready, and the song featured some nice acapella vocal harmonies coming out of the drum solo.

Sweet Comfort concluded with a beautiful ballad titled When I Was Alone. Blogger David Lowman called it a “worship classic long before the invention of modern worship music.” Bryan Duncan told me that it might’ve made the biggest impact of any song on the record.

It was a pure, simple expression of love and devotion to the Lord. The album ends with the guys singing in three-part harmony…

Jesus, I love You

Jesus, I love You…

CCM historian Ken Scott describes Sweet Comfort thusly: “Good guitar licks, catchy arrangements, slick layered harmonies, infectious songwriting, joyful spirited presentation.” I concur.

According to Bryan Duncan, the band had to raise most of the money needed to record the album. “It sold 10,000 copies in the first three days,” he recalls. “I never did know what the sales figures were after that. It was enough to get the attention of a bigger label! But somehow, keeping up with the numbers was considered ‘unspiritual’ and the record company kept us mostly in the dark on specifics. We had a lot to learn.”

Looking back, Duncan remembers the early Sweet Comfort days fondly. “The Jesus Movement was in full swing,” he says, “and we were riding that wave of euphoria in Southern California. Calvary Chapel was pretty good at making sure we didn’t think too highly of ourselves. That would be considered ‘ungodly.’ But we played every kind of gig you can think of – school lunchtime concerts, parks, prisons, even a few churches. We gave altar calls and people would come forward…lots of people!”

After Sweet Comfort, the long-haired quartet with an affinity for jazz-rock was on to bigger and better things. Their sophomore release was a huge step forward (something tells me we’ll be discussing it later in this countdown), and they released two albums of nearly perfect arena rock in the early 1980s. Hearts of Fire and Cutting Edge were stunning projects from start to finish. They rivaled anything heard on rock radio in that day, and are still amazingly pleasurable to listen to today.

In 1984, SCB released Perfect Timing – an album that was just a little too Elephante and not quite enough SCB. Meaning, simply, that it took on too much of the sound and personality of its producer, Dino Elephante, forsaking some of the nuanced elements that had always made SCB so special. Don’t get me wrong – it was still a great record with some very powerful and memorable songs. But by this time tensions and fissures were putting too much pressure on the band members and their families. Sadly, it was time for the Sweet Comfort Band to call it quits. If awards and industry recognition are the measuring stick, then SCB definitely didn’t get their due. But they will long be remembered as one of the most exciting, dynamic and creative bands around…in any genre of music.

When the band broke apart, Randy Thomas and Bryan Duncan both landed on their feet.

ALLIES (Randy Thomas is 2nd from right)

Thomas formed a muscular pop/rock band called Allies with another great singer, Bob Carlisle. Thomas and Carlisle also formed a successful songwriting partnership that continued to pay the bills long after Allies had folded.

Bryan Duncan

Bryan Duncan enjoyed a successful solo career that continues to this day. God gave him a unique, powerful set of pipes and he’s used them to win awards, garner tons of radio airplay and change people’s lives. He has been very transparent regarding a battle with addiction that put him in rehab, and that he eventually overcame. He now helps others to do the same and continues to travel, singing his songs to audiences ranging from church services to house concerts. Visit bryanduncan.com to learn more.

Rick Thomson built a recording studio and continued to write songs and produce albums before switching gears and plunging headlong into the construction business. He made a living as a General Contractor, running a successful construction business for three decades.

Kevin Thomson is described as carrying the weight of SCB on his shoulders throughout the life of the band. He dazzled audiences with bass solos, did the “preaching” at the end of the group’s concerts, and handled everything from booking to sound systems to transportation. Not as much is known about what Kevin Thomson did post-Sweet Comfort. But in 2006 he suffered a serious fall that resulted in quadriplegia. He passed away just four years later.

Sweet Comfort Band has reunited a few times over the years – at the Cornerstone Festival, at Kevin’s memorial service, at a “Jesus People Reunion” in Costa Mesa in 2015, among others. All of which led the group to finally record again after all those years. You can pick up a copy of that album, The Waiting Is Over, at the band’s website: officialsweetcomfortband.com. 

Sweet Comfort Band reunited for the "Jesus People Reunion" in 2015 

L-R: Rick Thomson, Bryan Duncan, Randy Thomas

I mentioned, briefly, Bryan Duncan’s bout with addiction. Going through rehab for some type of addiction or substance abuse is fairly common these days. But what about Bryan’s recovery from being that A/G preacher’s kid back in North Carolina? Where do you go to get over that? Was he ever able to make peace with those ghosts from his Pentecostal PK past?

“When I was growing up, I was handed all the answers before I had any of the questions,” Bryan said. “You know what that leads to? You don’t really know how to work the problems. I am a misfit for the Church. I always have been. But that makes me perfect for it!”

Well said.

“I think my faith is stronger than it’s ever been,” Duncan said in a 2008 interview with a Prescott, Arizona newspaper. “It’s that whole concept that the unexamined life is not worth living. Redemption is a process and I think salvation is a process. It’s not just a one-time, sign on the dotted line, and now let’s all go to church. We all have a will of our own and God respects us and loves us enough to let us choose.”

Amen, brother. Praise the Lord and pass the water balloons. 

Remembering RON SALSBURY

After a long bout with cancer, Pastor and Jesus Music pioneer Ron Salsbury has finished his race and is finally Home. A memorial service will be held on Saturday August 20, 2016 at 11 A.M. at the church that he pastored, New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach, CA, to celebrate the life and ministry of "Pastor Ron."

He went to be with the Lord on Sunday morning, July 31st, at about 5:10 am. He died peacefully surrounded by his family. The church that he pastored, New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach, CA, shared this sentiment on the church website: 

We cannot imagine the countless numbers who welcomed him into the presence of Jesus with the words, “I am here because of you!”

As the Sixties ended and the Seventies began, Ron Salsbury was the lead singer of a somewhat successful rock and roll band in Hollywood, California. But Ron had also surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and was looking for a way to share his newfound Christian faith with his generation. So he started a band called JC Power Outlet with his friend John Pantano in the fall of 1970. 

JC Power Outlet released 2 albums on Myrrh Records – a self-titled album in 1972 and the classic Forgiven in 1974 – and traveled all over the United States and Canada for a period of about seven years. They played just about anywhere they could plug in their amps: prisons, churches, colleges, coffeehouses, city parks and music festivals. 

In 1977, Ron and John joined Larry Norman’s Solid Rock Records as a duo and recorded Hit the Switch, an album that is remembered quite fondly. By the way, the choir in Heaven is gaining quite a bit of rock and roll street cred as more and more former members of the Solid Rock family graduate to Glory. Mark Heard, Larry Norman, Tom Howard, Jon Linn and now Ron Salsbury have all reunited on the other side.

Once the touring days came to an end, Ron Salsbury became an Associate Pastor and Worship Leader. Then he went back to school, graduating from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1986. For a number of years, Ron was a cancer survivor and served as Lead Pastor of New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach, CA (a Church of the Nazarene congregation). According to his website, Ron communicated the Gospel with humor and passion, demonstrating to his congregation that “God is really in love with each one of us and that there is a hope in every one of God’s promises.” Even with cancer, Ron continued to live, preach, and sometimes sing and play guitar, with as much passion for Jesus as ever. 

He even released a CD project within the past year titled Then and Now. The concept was unique: a collection of some brand new recordings along with some previously recorded songs that had been digitally “cleaned up,” and some rare concert performances from days gone by that had also been digitally enhanced with new instruments added. I received a copy in the mail from Ron himself, something that I will always cherish. [Go ahead and order your own copy of Then and Now. It’s easy enough to obtain. Just go to ronsalsbury.com. The project is also available at iTunes, amazon and cdbaby.] In our email correspondence, Pastor Ron said, "I tried my best to make contact and get permission from Word and Solid Rock, but finally just gave up and did it!  Nobody responded or seemed to care, so I copyrighted and published all the songs and will deal with any issues that may arise."

He also gave me a behind-the-scenes story about the classic song I Choose To Follow by JC Power Outlet:

"We had turned the tape machine (remember tape?) down a half step to record a guitar effect, and the engineer forgot and I recorded the lead vocal to I Choose to Follow You.  We realized what happened in the mix, but Word would not let me fix the problem (over budget) and I’ve had to live with a slight 'chipmunk' effect on the vocal for 40 years!  On Then and Now, we were able to fix it digitally (change pitch without changing tempo...amazing!) and I finally have it in its original form!  I thought you’d like this story."

It blesses me that several "Jesus Music pioneers" remained true to their calling and even ended up serving the Body of Christ as Pastors after their music was placed on the back burner. Ron Salsbury, Alwyn Wall, Malcolm Wild, Oden Fong, Richie Furay, the late Dana Key, and others. I'm sure their congregations were grateful for their ministries. And I am personally thankful for the positive influence Ron Salsbury had on my life, both musically and spiritually. I know that many of you are as well. 

In closing, it's well worth noting that singer-songwriter Bob Bennett, certainly no stranger to most of the readers of this blog, was called in to sing at Pastor Ron's bedside just hours before his homegoing. Pastor Ron was at home with hospice care, taking what Bob Bennett described as "his final walk to the edge of this earthly life." When it was announced that Ron Salsbury had passed away a few short days later, Bob Bennett had this to say: 

As our Gracious Lord welcomes this dear servant into His presence, may He also comfort Cathi and the Family as well as the thousands in the Congregation at New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach who are saddened by this loss.

He was (and, of course, still is) a good and faithful man who is now face-to-Face with Jesus our Blessed Savior.

#48 MANSION BUILDER by 2nd Chapter of Acts (1978)

MANSION BUILDER by 2nd Chapter of Acts (1978)
Sparrow - SPR-1020

It was a new chapter for the 2^nd Chapter: a new label, a new theme, and a new, more polished sound.

The rowdy rock and roll of their early studio projects and rough edges of their live albums gave way to a more mature, ‘adult contemporary’ approach. Synthesizers were there, albeit muted. Searing guitar solos were few and far between (actually, there was only one on the entire album!). Instead, these songs were built almost entirely around the acoustic piano and the siblings’ unique vocal blend (which was more exquisite than ever). It worked. And it set a new tone for the remainder of the group’s recorded output.

Conceptually, the Second Coming of Jesus and eternal life with Father God are twin themes that run through this record likes threads through a priceless tapestry. “I think it’s a continuation of what the Lord has called us to do,” Annie Herring said in an interview with Keystone Magazine in 1978, “because it seems all the songs turned out to be songs of looking up – keeping your eyes on the Lord because He is coming.” Annie’s rich poetry was also a focal point for the project.

Mansion Builder was just the group’s third studio album, but it marked a turning point for the 2^nd Chapter of Acts.

You might say that the 2^nd Chapter of Acts was born out of tragedy. Annie, Nelly, and Matthew came from a large Catholic family and lost both parents within a span of 2 years when Matthew was a pre-teen. Nelly and Matthew went to live with their older sister Annie, a newlywed, in Hollywood, California. Annie and her husband Buck, who’d been rocked to their core by their experiences with Jesus, shared their faith with the younger siblings and saw them come to the Lord as well. It wasn’t long before the Lord taught Annie to play the piano and started giving her songs that didn’t necessarily rhyme, but were obviously birthed of the Spirit of God. Nelly and Matthew gathered around the piano, began to effortlessly find and sing their harmony parts as they learned their big sister’s songs…and the rest is history. We’ll have plenty of time and space to explore the group’s beginnings in much greater detail in future posts. (I have a feeling we’ll be writing about more 2^nd Chapter albums as the countdown moves along.)

The group began their “recording career” (although they would shun the use of such industry-related terms) with some singles for MGM in an effort to get mainstream airplay. That bid never really got off the ground, so they ended up at Myrrh Records with the late, great Billy Ray Hearn. Their four Myrrh albums (two studio records and 2 multi-album live sets recorded with other artists) are all bona fide classics. But when their commitment to Myrrh was satisfied, the Herrings and Wards decided (after much prayer) that a change was in order. Billy Ray Hearn had left Myrrh to start a new label intent on ministry, and the group felt that the Lord would be pleased for them to make that move as well. In fact, Buck Herring was basically responsible for the name of the label.

Billy Ray Hearn was reportedly thinking of calling the new venture Chalice Records (can you imagine?) and called Buck to ask what he thought of the name. After thinking about it, Buck suggested “Sparrow,” saying that it denotes simplicity and humility, and because “the Bible says the Lord’s eye is on the Sparrow.” And Sparrow it was.

Their first album for Sparrow Records, as a group, would be titled Mansion Builder.

The album begins with a lilting, buoyant tune called Rod and Staff, and it’s a great example of a style that the 2^nd Chapter of Acts could legitimately lay claim to as uniquely their own, whether within CCM or in the broader music industry at large. Comparisons have been made to Christian music’s Silverwind and to ABBA from the secular world, but those comparisons fall short and ring hollow. Many 2^nd Chapter songs featured a bouncy, neo-classical tune combined with deeply poetic lyrics, piano-based instrumentation, vocal harmonies that only siblings can produce, and an undeniable anointing of the Holy Spirit. There still are no satisfactory comparisons to be made to any other group, past or present, sacred or secular. Rod and Staff was a good example of many of those elements coming together.

With lyrics like these, it’s a great song to listen to when you’re facing trials or just need a lift:

Love the skies are shining so bright today

That a miracle could happen

Just don’t let those dark clouds get into the way

And don’t let your faith get dampened

Let one of His teardrops touch your pain

And ease it away like a summer rain

The song then veers into language that only believers would understand…

Let His love flow through your harvest of grain

And let His fire burn up your chaff

Get ahold of His rod and staff

And let the praises flow like a river

…but, interestingly, concludes with an invitation to get to know the Lord:

You’ve always wanted to know Him

And now He’s asking you

Won’t you come on in?

Slightly confusing, but the song’s still a classic…and a real faith-booster.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2,3

The title track is up next, the first of several songs on this record that allude to either the return of Christ or eternity in Heaven. This mellow ballad with smooth-as-silk vocals contains one of the most beautiful reflections on the afterlife (for the Christian) ever set to music:

I've been told that there are those

Who will learn how to fly
And I've been told that there are those
Who will never die

And I've been told that there are stars
That will never lose their shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

And I've been told that there's a
Crystal lake in the sky
And every tear from my eyes
Is saved when I cry

And I've been told there'll come a time
When the sun will cease to shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

So why should I worry?
Why should I fret?
'Cause I've got a Mansion Builder
Who ain't through with me yet

It’s a standout track that has brought comfort to millions over the years. Blogger David Lowman has written that this song is a “true classic” and belongs on any list of the Top 100 songs in CCM history. 

When Benson Records created a “greatest hits” release for Matthew Ward in 1992, this next song should’ve been on it. Continuing a tradition that began with Psalm 63 on 1975’s In the Volume of the Book and Psalm 61 on 1977’s How the West Was One, Psalm 93 was a collaboration between Matthew Ward and his longtime friend (and extraordinary keyboardist) Richard Souther. Ward and Souther composed the music on this one, while the New American Standard Bible was given credit for the lyrics.

Psalm 93 begins in a similar fashion to its predecessors, with Mr. Ward singing the timeless truths of Scripture over Souther’s reverential piano. That’s where the similarities end. The tempo and intensity pick up as horns, organ and the album’s only true lead guitar solo bring the intensity level up several notches. The musicianship, supplied on this track (as well as on six others) by A Band Called David is tight and impressive, but it is Matthew Ward’s vocal performance that makes this song so memorable. The range, the runs, the control, the tone…it all defies explanation, as you know if you’re familiar with Mr. Ward’s considerable gift. My only complaint is that at 2:32, the track is simply way too short. Especially when you factor in that this was basically the album's only real nod to rock and roll.

The very Omartian-esque Gold in the Clouds is up next. With Michael Omartian on piano, it really does have the feel of something that could’ve been right at home on one of his solo albums, or one of his records with his wife Stormie. The Omartians shared a special relationship with the 2^nd Chapter of Acts; they attended the same church together (Jack Hayford’s Church On The Way), recorded a live album together (Together Live) and Omartian paid tribute to Annie Herring by writing a song about her (Annie the Poet from Adam Again in 1977). Annie’s poetry was on full display on this brief track (clocking in at just 2:18):

Even when the rainbows seem to pass right by me

I’m still finding gold in the clouds

Through all the shadows and the patterns of doubt

I’m still finding gold in the clouds

There, I said it again

Even when the Eastern sky fills up with light

I don’t see the sun ‘till You’re there

Even when the moon comes out to play at night

I don’t see the light ‘till You’re there

There, I said it again

I wonder if I were in someone else’s shoes

Would I be like them, or would I still be me?

I wonder when I’m old if I will understand everything I say?

I sure hope it’s that way

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. –I Thessalonians 4:16,17

I’ll Give My Life Away is a short ballad (2:20) that alludes to the rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus:

Look at the sky

And tell me there’s a limit

To the way I feel

I could fly away in a minute

On the wings of the dawn’s early light

To the Morning Star

The group’s splendid vocal harmonies are on display on this one.

And the short songs just keep on comin’!

The punchy, rhythmic Rainbow wraps Side One with a quirky song about God’s promise to never again destroy the earth or its inhabitants. This is another one that sounds like something Michael & Stormie could’ve done on The Builder. Sadly, listening to this song in 2016, I’m reminded of the fact that the rainbow is best known today as the symbol of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism (LGBT). Ironically, the rainbow was officially popularized as a “gay” symbol the same year that Mansion Builder was released (although none of us knew it at the time). In 1978 a San Francisco artist designed what is believed to be the first “Gay Pride” rainbow flag. When homosexual militants marched to protest the death of Harvey Milk, it’s said that they marched with rainbow flags.  

Since God designated the rainbow as a sign and a symbol that He would not destroy the earth and her people again as a result of sin, it’s ironic and more than a little disturbing to see an entire community of people adopt that symbol as a sign of pride in a particular category of sexual sin. In light of all of that, it’s very fitting that this song by Annie Herring not only presents the Biblical purpose of the rainbow but gives an invitation for sinners to make Jesus their Lord and allow Him to wash away their sin:

The rainbow is a promise

No rain will fall upon us

To destroy the life on earth again

Or the living creatures

That means you, that means me

Every bird, every tree

And He signed it with a rainbow

You can have a rainbow

Yes, a living rainbow

If you will accept the Son of God

His name is Jesus

He’ll wash away your old life

God gave His Son so you might

Know the One who made the rainbow

Rainbow featured an all-star rhythm section that included Bill Maxwell on drums, Abraham Laboriel on bass, and Michael Omartian at the piano. A “cliffhanger” ending invites the listener to turn the album over and proceed!

Mansion Builder was recorded and mixed at Buckskin Studio. Buckskin was located inside a home that the Herrings and Wards shared in Northridge, California. The house also had a swimming pool and lots of fruit trees, but Buck Herring was concerned that the recording studio would negatively affect the home’s resale value. Turns out the home was purchased by soul singer Jeffrey Osborne, so the studio ended up being a selling point!  

This album, like all others by the 2^nd Chapter of Acts, was produced and engineered by Buck Herring. String and horn arrangements were turned in by Michael Omartian. The front and back covers featured photographs of the group taken by Joanna Van Zant Wyk.

Four of the album’s songs featured the aforementioned Bill Maxwell (drums) and Michael Omartian (piano, Aarp synthesizers, and percussion) along with Abraham Laboriel (bass) and Jay Graydon (guitars).

The album’s other 7 tracks were played by A Band Called David – Richard Souther (piano, clavinet, organ, and Minimoog synthesizer), Herb Melton (bass), Gene Gunnels (drums) and Peter York (guitars).

Annie Herring also played piano on 5 of the album’s tracks. Annie had listened to her mother play the piano when she was younger and had longed to be able to play herself, but with 8 siblings, there was no money for luxuries like piano lessons. But as a newlywed, at age 23, she was given an old acoustic piano as a wedding gift from her husband, Buck. The piano was affectionately dubbed “Brother Bear.”

“There I was, five or six months old in the Lord and two months into a marriage, and my husband would go away to work, and there was this piano,” Annie remembered in an interview with Keystone Magazine. “I’d just go over and lay my fingers on it. I didn’t know what chords I was playing. I’d just think, ‘That sounds wonderful.’”

Annie was amazed as the notes, chords, and melodies began to pour forth. She later recognized that God was literally teaching her to play and gave her “the gift of music.” 

“I had such a sweet communion that first year by myself with the piano,” Annie recalls, “and that’s when the Lord really taught me how to receive a song from Him.”

One thing I have so appreciated over the years about the 2^nd Chapter of Acts is that they perceive and flow in the deeper things of the Spirit and do not hesitate to talk about those things and to share them with others using language that I understand and grew up with. There has always been a very strong ‘charismatic’ flow present in their music and ministry. This probably makes some folks uncomfortable, but it has always had the opposite effect on me. Growing up in a Pentecostal denomination (the Assemblies of God), I always felt like an outsider at school. It seemed that all the other students in my south Alabama high school attended a Southern Baptist church. I felt like I was somehow from the wrong side of the tracks, spiritually speaking. It helped that the 2^nd Chapter of Acts spoke my language. For example, Annie talks about waging spiritual warfare by playing the piano. Is that possible? Absolutely.

“I look at my hands and I know I couldn’t train them,” she says. “I know God trained them for battle – He trained my fingers for war. You know, the Scriptures talk about that in the Psalms, about how He teaches our hands. I know He’s taught my hands, and there’s so much depth behind it. We’re only scratching the surface when we say He taught me to play the piano, for beyond that, the music goes forth and fights a spiritual battle.”

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

-Revelation 19:11-16

The end-times anthem that opens Side Two of Mansion Builder would definitely be included in any boxed set of CCM classics from the 1970s. Well, Haven’t You Heard presents Jesus as revealed in the Book of Revelation. The Jesus described in this song is not a meek and mild peace guru; this Jesus is waging war and ruling in power, with eyes set ablaze and blood dripping from his clothes! Annie, Nelly, and Matthew sing this song as with one voice…with power and conviction. Omartian, Maxwell, and Laboriel make their presence known on this track as well.

I suppose I should mention the fact that the Second Coming of Christ and/or the “rapture” is a much-maligned event these days. The internet age and social media have created or at least unleashed thousands of skeptics. The conversation usually sounds something like this:

"The rapture is a discredited concept."

"What? What about Paul’s writings?"

"Dude…the Second Coming was dreamed up by some dude in the 1800s…"

"Who?"

"I don’t know…just Google it. some guy made it up to scare people."

"But what about the things that Jesus Himself had to say about…"

"Misinterpreted! And then Larry Norman wrote that song that scared everybody…and then they made those horrible movies to really scare the crap out of everybody…"

And so it goes.

Usually, in the heat of an internet argument, someone will say, “Well, I believe in the Second Coming of Christ, just not the rapture. None of that ‘flying away’ stuff. Jesus will return, but we’re not escaping the tribulation. We’ll be right here for all the gory details!”

Look, here’s my take: I’m not a scholar. I don’t pretend to know what was being foretold by Daniel or John (in Revelation). I’m not an eschatological expert. I can barely even pronounce eschatological. But I take Jesus at His word. Ditto for Paul. I also know that the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour. So my plan is to let God handle His business, to rest secure in the knowledge that He knows the end from the beginning, confident that He’s got it all under control, and just try to stay ready to go. I’ll leave it to others to argue about dates, times and tribulation periods.

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

-Matthew 24:27, 29-31

Lightning Flash is up next, and it’s another standout track from this album. Again centered on end-times events, this one took a more nuanced approach:

I sat and watched the waves
Beat yesterdays into the ground
Like through an hourglass
The hours passed without sound
Circling above me the sound of wings
The earth shakes my feet
And she starts to sing

Now time stands still in space
The cloud-like lace surrounds Him
The perfect love affair
His bride to carry is home
Longing to tell her the love He bore
Was worth His whole life
And there’s nothing worth more

Then I saw the lightning flash
Heard the thunder in the sky

Lightning Flash begins quietly with Annie Herring’s piano intro, but quickly builds in intensity. Matthew Ward turns in a memorable solo on one of the verses.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…

-Revelation 1:7

With Starlight, Starbright we get back to something approaching rock and roll. It’s almost a solo by Matthew (there can never be too many of those) and it creatively uses the old English nursery rhyme to express the Christian’s hope to one day fly through time and space to meet the Lord in the clouds. As usual, Matthew Ward’s performance is amazing. I just love listening to the guy sing. On this track, for example, he takes the word ‘time’ and gives it about 7 or 8 syllables (at the 1:01 and 2:07 marks). Unreal.

Starlight, Starbright is one of the album’s classics, but it’s followed by a cover that just never gets off the ground, for whatever reason. Melody Green’s Make My Life A Prayer To You (recorded by her husband Keith) is a perfectly fine song…but for some reason it just comes across flat on Mansion Builder. It’s presented as a solo by Nelly, and it lacks the immediacy and passion of Green’s version (recorded on his No Compromise album, released in 1978, the same year as Mansion Builder). It’s by no means a reflection on Nelly’s performance (although pretty much any cover of a Green tune is going to suffer in comparison to his version); it’s just that this version of the song has a different feel than the rest of the album, sounding a little stale or sterile. It does, however, manage to fit in with the theme of Mansion Builder due to the following lyric line:

Oh, You’re coming again
Coming to take me away

The record concludes with a lively, bouncy pop tune called Daydreamer. The last song on Mansion Builder begins just like the first – with Annie Herring’s staccato acoustic piano. And, like Rod and Staff, Daydreamer contains many of the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from 2^nd Chapter of Acts tunes: melodies and time signatures that move in surprising directions, rich poetry with deep meaning, and, of course, the trademark vocal harmonies soaring above it all.

Author and CCM historian Mark Allan Powell wrote that Mansion Builder was “an undeniable showcase of professionalism” with “beautiful songs.” He notes that it was “hailed as a quintessential example of what Christian music could be.”

Following Mansion Builder, Matthew Ward recorded a critically acclaimed solo project on Sparrow titled Toward Eternity, and the group released a concept album based on C.S. Lewis’ literary classic, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Titled The Roar of Love, it had been held up for about three years due to copyright concerns and such.

As the calendar turned from the 70s to the 80s, other 2^nd Chapter of Acts albums hit store shelves (Rejoice, Night Light, Singer Sower, Faraway Places) that seemed to more of less follow the musical direction established on Mansion Builder (or expand upon it).

Members of the group have been known to remark that they, like other “First Wave” artists such as Chuck Girard, Nancy Honeytree, Pat Terry, Terry Clark, and Keith Green, sensed a change in the Christian music “industry” as the 1970s gave way to the 1980s. And it wasn’t a positive change.

“I think it’s sad that today, Christian music has become an industry rather than a ministry,” Buck Herring lamented. “I don’t really know the answer to this. We used to fight against it continually and got ourselves into a lot of hot water.

“Radical” stands taken by the 2nd Chapter of Acts include the following:

• Would not be interviewed by music magazines and would not appear on magazine covers (to avoid self-promotion and ‘superlatives’)

• Would not play Christian music festivals (not conducive to ministry)

• For a time, would not allow promoters to sell tickets to their concerts

• Engaged in ‘spiritual warfare’ and intercessory prayer on a regular basis at concert venues

In his autobiography, My Second Chapter, Matthew Ward writes that the group didn’t care for hype and had no desire to set themselves up as celebrities.

“Now, we have so many magazines, music charts, and popularity contests, it all has the potential to put ministries in competition with each other, rather than coming alongside and working together for Jesus,” observed Buck Herring.

At the end of the day, the Herrings and the Wards believed that their concerts were vehicles whereby the audience members could be ushered into a worship experience. “We believe God had called us to be a wooer of the Body of Christ,” Annie explained, “so they could come and just be loved by Jesus and be healed.”

In the early 80s, the group followed their friend Keith Green and relocated to Lindale, Texas. Land was plentiful (and much more affordable than in California), and being centrally located would be beneficial (with touring costs in mind). Nelly was married by this time with a young family, which played into the decision as well. As it turned out, Texas became quite the hub for ministries during those years. In addition to Last Days Ministries (Keith Green’s outfit) and the 2^nd Chapter of Acts, Dallas Holm, David Wilkerson, Agape Force, YWAM, Winkie Pratney, Leonard Ravenhill and Barry McGuire all called the area home at one time or another.

Melody & Keith

The 2^nd Chapter had enjoyed being neighbors with Keith and Melody Green for just about a year when tragedy struck. Christendom was rocked to its core when Keith Green, two of his children, his pilot and another entire ministry family were killed in a plane crash in July of 1982. For the 2^nd Chapter of Acts, the loss was personal.

The group took 1983 off from touring in order to re-center and hear God’s voice in a specific way. In addition to allowing God to perform supernatural “surgery” on their hearts, they also built a recording studio and welcomed a new family member, as Matthew Ward got married.

Nelly (now Greisen) and her husband Steve used the time off to focus on family. Looking back, Nelly shares sentiments that, sadly, could even be considered politically incorrect today:

“Being a mother is a high position in God’s eyes. We are the hands of Jesus to our children. They learn about God by seeing our commitment to Him, lived out in our homes. We can be pillars of strength to our husbands as we help release the gifts God has placed in them. And we do this by being consistent and available with our love.”

Hear, hear!

Keith Green

When the group returned to touring in 1984, they were personally revived…but found that the spiritual climate within the CCM world had deteriorated even further. Buck Herring blamed this, in part, on the absence of Keith Green.

“It seemed as though once this incredibly powerful standard had been removed, the flood dikes were opened to all sorts of things,” Buck observed. “For whatever reason, Christian music began to be highly diluted from a spiritual standpoint.”

The mid-to-late 80s (marked by the albums Night Light, Singer-Sower and Faraway Places) found the group enjoying “elder statesmen” status and lots of radio airplay as Jesus Music had become a full-blown music industry known as CCM. Author Mark Allan Powell complains about this period in the group’s history, writing that they got “scrubbed and tamed” and turned into a “churchy group.” He opines that “the fire” had “gone out” and says that the group’s records from this period could no longer be accurately described as “rock albums.” I couldn’t disagree more. Any changes to the group’s music and appearance was simply organic; music is tweaked as styles change – this dynamic was noticeably present in the careers of artists such as DeGarmo & Key, Resurrection Band, Petra, and many others. As for the charge of being “churchy” and no longer worthy of the “rock” designation…I would simply encourage you to listen to the albums. Most egregious was his assertion that their “fire” had somehow “gone out.” Frankly, I know of no other group that so regularly devoted themselves to hearing God’s voice and obeying His will for their ministry. It is well documented that the group members came together at the first of each new year for the sole purpose of seeking God’s face for direction and purpose, several times taking an entire year off for this reason. The group also served on the front lines in the struggle against the killing of unborn children in America; they spoke out against the holocaust of our time and spearheaded the recording of a pro-life anthem titled Fight the Fight. Annie wrote the song and dozens of artists participated in the recording and video, which raised support for Americans Against Abortion. Does it sound like the fire had gone out? Powell’s charge is ridiculous, if not libelous.

In fact, the group’s decision to record a trio of “hymns” updates at the end of their time together was a response to three separate prophetic words. After breathing new life into those classic songs for a new generation of believers (the first Hymns album became the group’s all-time best-selling record), the group members came to the realization that the Lord was telling them that a shift, a new season, was coming. They knew that their tour that year would be their last. They sang to packed auditoriums and felt an outpouring of love and support from audiences everywhere they went.

The official final concert took place in Houston, Texas on August 12, 1988. “We finished the concert and the 7,500 people attending rose to their feet, and clapped and clapped,” Matthew Ward remembers. “Nelly and Annie were crying and I was losing it, too. I think it had finally dawned on us: This is our last concert. This is it! We weren’t tired of ministering to people. It was just God’s time for something new.”

That “something new” meant solo ministries for Annie and Matthew, and an expanded role as full-time wife and mom for Nelly, as she supported husband Steve and her sons in their video production business. Matthew Ward is also a family man (with a wife and three daughters) and a cancer survivor. His book My Second Chapter is a great read and fills in lots of details that you'll not find anywhere else.

Annie, Matthew and Nelly today

All in all, the 2^nd Chapter of Acts recorded sixteen albums and performed close to two thousand concerts. They toured the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe. They received a Dove Award for their Hymns album and were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1999. But awards and accolades mean very little to this group.

“All we ever wanted was for people to see Jesus,” said Buck Herring. “If anything made us different, it was our fervent desire to please the Lord and to be obedient to Him, regardless of the costs.”