First off, I am quite sorry it's been so long since I last shared an album with you. This is not intentional. I am sorry to report after making my last post I found out my dog, my best friend for the last ten years, has lymphoma. I will spare details of the diagnosis but his needs became a priority.
Ironically, it was lymphoma that took the life of Carroll McGruder. So knowing now that was how he died and dealing with my dog's cancer makes this all the bit more personal for me.
My introduction to Christian music was on KJLY from Blue Earth, Minnesota. Late night they played the most lush and beautiful music I ever heard. The Don Wyrtzen Singers were a particular favorite of mine.
When I decided to buy Pentecostal music, I found "The Carroll McGruder Singers" in the Pentecostal Publishing House catalog. No real description, just the title and list of songs performed. I imagined quite and beautiful music not much different from the music I heard on KJLY.
What I received was Come Fly With the McGruders. It was a live performance. It was pounding. It was throbbing. It was pulsing. It was ALIVE. It was vivacious music and drenched in the Holy Spirit. It was unlike anything I ever heard up to that time. And I loved it.
I came to learn that Rev. McGruder was quite a force not only in Pentecostal music, but music as a whole. He was the driving force behind the Harvestime concert recordings. For many decades, Rev. McGruder with his wife, Pricilla McDonald recorded several albums together. Their discography reaches back to 1985 with their first release
Good Things Are Happening.
The United Pentecostal Church split from the Assemblies of God. I will not get too deep into the split and the theology differences that caused the split. Needless to say, if you want to read up on this, there are articles online about this topic. Here is one I recommend:
http://classroom.synonym.com/difference-between-assembly-god-pentecostal-6407.htmlRev. Carroll McGruder was part of the Assemblies of God before he joined the United Pentecostal Church International. I am not sure the year he made the split. However, I know this because of the rare treasure I found to share with you today: Pioneers for Christ. This was a compilation album put out by the Assemblies of God. I am not sure of the year, but if I were to make a safe guess, I would put this around 1969-1970 based on the look of the album.
Rev. McGruder has two tracks on this album. Once as a solo artist, the second with his then wife, Linda Evanna Coffey. Rev. McGruder married Sister Coffey Christmas Day 1965. They served as pastor/wife in Windfall, Indiana. This was a church founded by Rev. McGruder's father in 1953. Information online suggests the Windfall church was a part of the United Pentecostal Church. Today there is no mention of this church on the UPCI main website.
(Sis. Coffey passed away in 1975. On June 1, 1976, he married Priscilla Elaine McDonald. She would be his partner in the McGruders on every recording they made.)
Rev. Carroll McGruder was born October 25, 1946 in Holcomb, Mo. His father was a farmer at Puxico, MO. Shortly after 1950, they moved to Michigan. His parents, Lester and Fannie McGruder, began working in the auto industry in Detroit.
While in Detroit his parents became involved in the Pentecostal Church Assemblies of God.
"Dad became a self trained preacher which was very common back in those days," Rev. Carroll McGruder said.
"From the time that I was seven years-old until I graduated from high school, which for me would be a 10 year period, I was in Indiana," he said. "After high school, I started traveling and preaching, singing and holding revivals as an evangelist." He did this until his father resigned his church in Windfall and he took over as minister.
"Between the years of 1969 and 1975, I pastored at Windfall, Ind., at the Windfall Pentecostal Church," McGruder said, later moving to Twin Falls, Idaho where he pastored a church until his move to Kennett in 1981.
During this time Rev. McGruder and Sister Coffey participated in the Pioneers for Christ project. I do not know if this is the earliest recording of Rev. McGruder's music, but it's the earliest I've found so far. He pastored in Windfall, IN at the time of this recording. My estimation of the recording being around 1969-1970 seems accurate.
If Carroll had been singing and evangelizing after high school, there likely is a recording out there that predates this one. If anybody has it and would like to share it, I would love to hear it and share it with my readers.
"All through my childhood and preaching, singing was a part of the ministry," McGruder said, adding, " From the time I was four years-old, I have no memories that don't include standing on a grocery store counter and singing for nickels and dimes." He adds that from the time he was 15 years-old, he has been writing songs and singing.
Continuing, McGruder said, "I love it. I love people."
And that's the reason McGruder's music has lasted so long. He loves the music, he loves the people he ministers to, and he loves Christ.
In 2013 in Nashville, TN, at the BMI Awards honored Rev McGruder. He received the award "Christian Writer of the Year." This was not just for Southern Gospel but Christian music as a whole. It is from that ceremony where the quotes in this article originates.
I am sure I will have more time to discuss the impact Rev. McGruder had on music in future blog posts. For now, enjoy this early and precious recording.
As for the other musicians involved:
Rev Carl Shrute pastors at the Living Way Apostolic Church. He received the Holy Ghost when he was thirteen, started preaching when he was fifteen, and was an assistant pastor in Pensacola, FL. At the time of this recording, he was a pastor in Gravetown, GA.
Finding information about Connie Farrow is a bit more difficult. I found an article written by her, however. It seems she stayed with the Assemblies of God.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AOGDialog/conversations/messages/2035As for The Wilson Brothers Quartet, they had one release as a group:
I found this information about them on Discogs.com:
Bishop Steve Wilson (b. March 7, 1947) is a Christian gospel singer from Potts Camp / Bethlehem, Marshall County, Mississippi, USA. He sang with the
Wilson Brothers Quartet in the late 1960's and early 1970's with his brothers
J. Michael Wilson,
Sam Wilson (5),
Tim Wilson (22). and
Steve Wilson (38).
Bishop Steve Wilson was born March 7, 1947, in Atlanta, Ga. to J. Frank and Lillian Wilson and was one of ten children. The family moved to Potts Camp, Ms. in 1948 where his father assumed the pastorate of the Bethlehem Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Wilson was raised in the Bethlehem community, and graduated at Potts Camp High School in 1965.
He attended Pentecostal Bible Institute in Tupelo, Mississippi from 1966 to1968, and began the
Wilson Brothers Quartet that traveled the Eastern United States and produced several recordings. The quartet was in demand in the early 1970’s at churches, camps and conventions. He became the Mississippi Youth Director of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ and later became the National Apostolic Crusaders Director and began their first National Youth Convention, which is carried on today.
He married Pat Snider of Sharon, Tennessee USA on May 15th, 1971. Bishop Wilson began full time ministry at the Bethlehem Church (Potts Camp, Mississippi) in 1968, first as Youth Pastor, then Assistant Pastor, and later, Associate Pastor. After some time he assumed the role of Pastor. In 2009 Bethlehem Church joined Bishop Wilson in celebrating his 40th year of service at this congregation. In March of 2009 Bishop Wilson retired as Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Church.
To download for free (or donations will go to charity: Wayside Waifs and Habitat for Humanity.)
https://revnormanburnspresents.bandcamp.com/album/pioneers-for-christ
