One of the first things to make an indelible impression on my mind when our family moved to Putnam County in 1947 was the music I heard at the Scott Depot Church of God. They, of course, sang many of the great hymns and gospel songs known to most Christians. We had sung those in the Methodist Church at Decota and in our community church at Wevaco.
On our first Sunday in Scott Depot, we also heard songs with which we were not familiar. The songbook we used was titled "Songs of Zion."
We heard songs which dealt with specific doctrinal themes such as "Sin Can Never Enter There", "Spirit Holy", "Thou Great and Kind Physician", "The Bond of Perfectness", "The Church's Jubilee", "The Reformation Glory" and one of my favorites, "Back to the Blessed Old Bible." They were songs that instructed us in what the church deeply believed.
From 1880 to the end of the century, those who were associated with the Church of God Reformation Movement were often referred to as "the singing saints."
The Church of God has been known for its beautiful music. Kitty and I have had the privilege of meeting many of the writers, arrangers, directors, instrumentalists and soloists of the church. B. E. Warren, believed to have written the words and/or music for more than 7,000 songs, was an elderly gentleman in the church where Kitty was a teenager. Her dad, Luke Harshbarger, was the soloist for Warren's funeral.
Other outstanding writers and performers of the church's music, known world-wide, have been Rachel Lord, Clarence Perry, Lawrence Brooks, Dale and Polly Oldham, Herb and Lola Thompson, Fred and Doris Shackleton, Vern and Martha Guttenfelder, Doug Oldham, Bob Henson, Robert Nicholson, Dale Bengtson, Ross Minkler, Ron and Carolyn Patty, Paul and Rita Yerden, Charles Stanley, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Dan McCraw, Charles Wood, Dean Schield, Imodean Lister, Larry and Che-Che Mobley, Jim Hill, Ero Moore, Sandi Patty, Russ Hollingsworth, Lloyd Larson and many others.
The Church of God is known for its superb musical talent. This weekend, Sunday, May 18, at 6 p.m. the "Celebration of Praise Choir Concert" will be presented at the Teays Valley Church of God, 4430 Teays Valley Road, Scott Depot. Worship dancers from Monteia's Academy of Performing Arts will also be participants in the concert. There is no charge for this enjoyable evening of music and the public is cordially invited.
The entire program will be under the talented leadership of the church's music director, Mandy Bohm, a voice teacher at Marshall University and other schools. She is also an outstanding musical performer who is often called to state and national conventions as a music director. The church's pastor, Melissa Pratt, who is an outstanding preacher who has her doctorate in music and worship, will also play an important role in Sunday's concert.
The quartet pictured was singing for the dedication of the present building in 1980. They were Bill Perry, Henry Hodge, Dan Fizer and the pastor, Rev. Orville Easterling. The church has many young musicians who perform as instrumentalists, soloists and choir members. The churches of Putnam County and also its schools seem to produce an ever-increasing number of well-trained musicians.
Bill Ellis is a syndicated columnist who can be reached at P.O. Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560; phone (304) 757-6089.
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