Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, August 10

The one hundred twenty-eighth session of the convention met at the Henderson Community Center in Henderson, Texas, and was called to order by John Morris leading song on page 134. The morning prayer was offered by Robert Vaughn. Leaders called were: Marion Grant 171; Emmie Morris 292; Louis Smith 217; Gaylon Powell 559; Wanda Capps 505; B. E. Matthews 298; Milton Oliver 501; Ernestine Pipkin 497; Vivian Rogan 32t; Agnes Farris 410; Tom Owen 411; Avon Miller 527; Cassie Franklin 392; Jeb Owen 522; Marie Aldridge 216; M. H. Creel 355; Myrl Jones 300.

RECESS

John Morris reassembled the class by leading song on page 467. Leaders: Velton Chafin 528b; Dale Redmon, Jr. 507b; Karen Ivey 540; Bob McLemore 58; Amanda Owen 142; Greg Economides 571; Allison Ivey 203; Lawson Smith 515; Dr. Harold Hill 381t; Julianna Jett 146; Diane Ross 235; Stuart Ivey 384; Bob Bonnell 489; Sandy Hill 324; Edith Tate 371; Thurman Nall 38; Kelly Beard 139; Edith Owen 276; Mike Hinton 541; J. W. Oliver 440; Elizabeth Rogan 148; Stanley Smith 512; Donald Ross 419; Bill Aplin 466; Pauline Childers 224; Kevin Powell 133; John Merritt 263; Sarah Coates 192; Coy Ivey 222; Flarce Creel 39.

LUNCH

John Morris called the class to order by leading song on page 378t. Leaders: Myra Palmer 414; Ryan Ross 112; Richard Ivey 137; Lisa Hardaway and Noah 572; Joan Aldridge 189; Michelle Rogan 427; Brenda Chafin Merritt 450; Reed Coates 49t; Olivia Blevins 274; Josh Rogan 215; Joe Nelson 98; Eloise Avery 478; Beverly Coates 543t; Christopher Blevins 47t; Aubrey Barfield 524; Robert Vaughn 50t; John Kanode 573; Curtis Owen 442.

RECESS

John Morris called the class to order leading song on page 331t. Leaders: Leon Ballinger 508; Ann Jett 503; A. A. Smith, Jr. 53; Cindy Franklin 393t; David Ivey 205; Bruce Coates 553b; Elder Marshall Avery 85; Al Rogers 45t; Ray Barnett 229; Leola Smith 70t; Bill Farris 401; Horace Batchelor 279; Gary Rogan 54t; Nancy Powell 500; Stanley Smith 336. The class was dismissed with prayer led by Elder Marshall Avery.

Sunday, August 11

John Morris called the class to order leading song on page 377t. The opening prayer was led by Bruce Coates. Leaders: Hershell King 535; Buddy Ballinger 36b; Mary Bachman 225t; Sam Craig 145; Barbara Moore and Opal Miller 268t; Monnie Ross 108b; Jennifer Rogan 299; David Mosley 63; Glen Davis 518; Katie Mosley 142; Joseph Stang 58; Terry Kilpatrick 449; Wendy Laubach 40; Mary Ruth Stiefel 365; Michael Mosley 508; Abbie Morris 572; Nancy Powell 505; Louie Smith 215; Horace Batchelor 367; Bill Farris 87.

RECESS

John Morris reassembled the class by leading song on page 278b. Leaders: Wanda Capps 144; James Mosley 101t; Mary Oruc 383; Leola Smith 185; B. E. Matthews 473; Elder Marshall Avery 74b; Mona Short 511b; David Ivey 304; Agnes Farris 418; Cindy Franklin 559; Tom Owen 179; Cassie Franklin 39; Marie Aldridge 414; Jeb Owen 189; Ann Jett 54t; M. H. Creel 395b; John Kanode 571; Aubrey Barfield 140; Dale Redmon, Jr. 514; Eloise Avery 515; Karen Ivey 563; Amanda Owen 168; Edith Tate 404. The memorial service was held at this time. Devotional by Mary Craig: “Eye hath not seen; Ear hath not hear”; the glories that await us there. We commemorate today certain saints who have shared our faith walk, and now enjoy these glories, their faith having become sight. One beloved hymn reminds: “One day the silver cord will break, and I no more on earth shall roam...”. The chorus says: “And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story ‘Saved By Grace’.” We are told in the scriptures that, while we are made a little lower than the Angels, we who have been saved by the blood of Jesus, will sing a new song, one that the Angels cannot sing. “I have been redeemed,” yes redemption’s song! Nature offers a good analogy to our departure: The Redwood tree, so strong, so majestic, lives a long time. When a tree dies, the cause of death is often catastrophic. Great trauma occurs when the tree falls to earth. The trauma, the impact, causes her to release her energies into the soil and surrounding atmosphere. Additionally, she releases burls that contain her means of continuity—her seeds. (You can buy these burls in gift or souvenir shops in the great Northwest. Some, coated with shellac, can be used as decorative items. Natural ones placed in a little moisture will grow, for you, a little redwood tree. How exciting to watch it emerge.) The mother tree never really dies, for she lives on in them. We, in dying, lose all our energies. Our bodies will decay. Our spirits will return to the One who gave them. But, just as the redwood provides for a circle of sister trees, we leave a circle of influence. We need to inquire of ourselves as to the quality of this influence. A song, page 208, “Little Songs and Little Ways” by Minnie Floyd, provides by closing prayer: “O give us Lord a little drop of heavenly love and union, O may we never, never stop short of a full communion.” Joan Smith led song on page 61, and Cindy Franklin led page 29b in memory of those who passed away in the past year: Anna Lou Ballinger Wylie, Rusk County, Texas; Monroe Grant, Texarkana, Texas; Agnes Hocutt, Jasper, Alabama; Kevin Aplin, Southeast Alabama; Dewie Wilks, Southeast Alabama; Dewey Williams, Southeast Alabama; Tommy Creel, Jefferson County, Alabama; Uncle Irvin Creel, March 8, 1996, Jefferson County, Alabama; Lucille Brothers, buried in Michigan; Andrew Stiefel, Fyffe, Alabama; Floyd Stiefel, Fyffe, Alabama; Suzy Schwinkendorf, Ft. Worth, Texas, July 1996; Virginia Kirby, Santa Barbara, California; Edna Faulkner Wilson, Henderson, Texas; Lonnie Cato, Sulpher Springs, Texas; Oma Porter, Conroe, Texas; and Estell Terry, Brownwood, Texas, December 24, 1995. Gaylon Powell led song on page 430 for the sick and shut-ins.

LUNCH

John Morris called the class together leading song on page 207. Leaders: Thurman Nall 198; Allison Ivey 182; Julianna Jett 108t; Zac Rogan 348; Miki Lynn Thompson 324; Leon Ballinger 405; Stuart Ivey 300; Sandy Hill 99; Diane Ross 434; Mike Hinton 146; Edith Owen 293t; J. W. Oliver 270; Elizabeth Rogan 280; Stanley Smith 196; Donald Ross 395t; Pauline Childers 212; Sarah Coates 306; Coy Ivey and Richard Ivey 282; Flarce Creel 222; Ryan Ross 406; Michelle Rogan 128; Ernestine Pipkin 110; Reed Coates 47b; Lawson Smith 220; Beverly Coates 336b; Curtis Owen 558b; A. A. Smith, Jr. 67; Bruce Coates 45t.

RECESS

Josh Rogan called the class to order leading song on page 137. Leaders: Gary Rogan 230; Lisa Hardaway 288; Gaylon Powell 218; Vivian Rogan 100. Kelly Beard led song on page 377 for the closing song, and the class was dismissed with prayer by Judge Donald Ross.

Co-Chairpersons—John Morris and Emmie Morris; Vice Chairman—Sam Craig; Secretary/Treasurer—Marion Grant.