The Dixie Echoes have a new tenor, and he grew up listening to the very group he now calls home.
Jonathan Rigdon, 23, from Brandon, Mississippi, has been named the quartet’s new tenor vocalist. For Rigdon, this is more than a new job, it is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream built on a deep love of classic Southern gospel music.
“Growing up, I loved hearing groups like The Dixie Echoes, The Inspirations, The Hinsons, The Florida Boys and The Cathedrals,” said Rigdon. “I’m so honoured to now be a part of this legendary quartet.”
Those words speak to something important. Rigdon does not simply know the sound of the Dixie Echoes, he was shaped by it. That kind of foundation is exactly what the group says drew them to him.
Scoot Shelnut, speaking on behalf of the quartet, made clear the feeling is mutual. “We’re excited to have this great young man come aboard, and with his love of classic quartet singing, he’s going to fit right in with us,” he said.
At just 23 years old, Rigdon brings youth to a group with decades of history behind them. But it is his respect for that history and for the traditional quartet style that seems to matter most to those who know the Dixie Echoes best.
The group is already looking ahead. The Dixie Echoes are working on new music and hope to have a new recording ready by the Memphis Quartet Show.
PLAINFIELD, Ind. — A 21-year-old Indiana man who told investigators he targeted the Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield because of his involvement in Satanic groups has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for vandalizing a Baptist church sign, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Steven James Perkinson, of Plainfield, Indiana, pleaded guilty to intentional damage to religious property and making a false statement to a United States agency. Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana imposed the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following Perkinson’s prison term.
Investigators say a forensic review of Perkinson’s cell phone revealed searches for local churches, including “Maple Grove Baptist Church Plainfield,” “Churches near me,” and “Plainfield Bible Church photos.” His phone also contained searches for occult-related terms, including “Noctulian Blood Covenant” and “Nexion 435,” as well as searches for the “address of largest Jewish church in America,” the press release said.
Agents also found online messages in which Perkinson claimed to have access to firearms and encouraged mass violence, along with photographs of him posing with recently deceased animals and evidence that he had set fire to a dumpster, according to the press release.
Perkinson told investigators he was motivated by involvement in various Satanic groups and that he targeted the sign specifically because it belonged to a Christian church.
On Nov. 18, 2024, Perkinson spray-painted a pitchfork and the numbers “666” over the display on the sign in front of Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield, and painted an “X” over the sign’s cross symbol, the press release said.
When agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation first questioned him, Perkinson denied any knowledge of involvement in the vandalism. He admitted to the act only after agents executed a search warrant on his cell phone.
The FBI had first become aware of Perkinson in 2023 following an Instagram post referencing school shootings, according to the press release.
Perkinson had no prior criminal record. The case was investigated by the FBI.
For as long as I can remember, people have been drawn to stories about demons and dramatic rituals meant to drive them out. Movies, television programs, and even some religious groups have added to this interest. Yet when we look closely at what Scripture teaches, we find a very different picture of spiritual power and how believers are called to face evil.
Jesus confronts a possessed man. IRS Images, 2025.
The New Testament describes a moment when Jesus confronted a man under the influence of a demon. The account shows that demons are real beings. They have intelligence, emotion, and the ability to choose. This demon recognized who Jesus was, feared His authority, and obeyed His command to leave. Jesus did not use long rituals, special objects, or dramatic displays. He spoke a direct command, and the demon submitted. This picture shows the true nature of spiritual authority: it rests in Christ alone.
Jesus also gave His twelve apostles the ability to drive out demons, along with other signs that confirmed their message in a time when believers did not yet have the New Testament. These signs helped people know that the apostles spoke truthfully about Jesus and salvation. But the Bible does not say that this same authority was given to all believers or passed down through history. It was a specific gift for a specific group with a specific purpose.
Some passages that appear to describe these abilities for all believers. But the verses list several gifts together, such as healing or raising the dead, that not every believer has. Because of this, I believe scripture never teaches that all followers of Jesus are given the gift of driving out demons.
When we read the letters written to the early churches, we see long lists of spiritual gifts, but none of them include exorcism. We also find detailed teaching on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6. This chapter gives clear instructions about truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and God’s Word. This is presented as the full equipment every believer needs. There is no mention of rituals to remove demons or special techniques for confronting them.
Another important point is the limit of rituals that claim to free someone from demonic influence. Even if a person temporarily breaks free, Jesus explained that the problem can return if nothing changes within the person’s life. The human will plays a key role. Influence from evil does not come out of nowhere; it often begins with choices that open the door. Likewise, freedom requires a choice to turn toward God and to yield every part of life to His authority.
This helps explain why the early church eventually stopped emphasizing dramatic signs. As Scripture became available, believers no longer needed miracles to confirm the message. What they needed, and what we still need, is obedience to the truth God has given. The real battle is not won through a gifted person performing a ritual. It is won when an individual believer stands in the strength that God provides.
Every follower of Jesus has the Holy Spirit and the guidance of Scripture. These are the resources God has given for resisting evil and walking in freedom. No special ceremony is required. Each believer is responsible to take up the armor God has provided and to choose daily to live under His authority.
Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Welcome to the Texas Gospel Canada Top 30 Songs of March 2026! This list is meticulously compiled based on the actual number of plays each song received in the previous month. The Texas Gospel Top 30 is proudly submitted to top Southern Gospel publications including The Singing News and SGNScoops.
This chart is generated by AI using a scan of our actual airplay numbers for each song and verified by one of our human volunteers.
This Month
Last Month
Song Title
Artist
Label
1
6
That Somebody Was Me
Guardians
Daywind/New Day
2
3
The Only Way He Knew How
Jeff & Sheri Easter
Gaither Music/Capitol Christian
3
16
When My Feet Touch The Streets Of Gold
LeFevre Quartet
Daywind/New Day
4
1
Joy Is Gonna Come
Erwins
StowTown/Provident-Sony
5
9
The Church
Joseph Habedank
Daywind/New Day
6
4
Every Promise Made Is A Promise Kept
Anthem Edition
Sonlite/Crossroads
7
5
I Will Glory In The Cross
Jim & Melissa Brady
Daywind/New Day
8
20
Let The Church Be An Ocean
Mercy’s Well
Independent
9
10
One More
Williamsons
REAL Southern Gospel Records
10
11
I Got Saved
TrueSong
Daywind/New Day
11
7
I Know It’s You
Scotty Inman
Daywind/New Day
12
13
Seed In The Ground
Sound Street
Sonlite/Crossroads
13
12
Cleft Of The Rock
Kramers
StowTown/Provident-Sony
14
14
The Day
Heart 2 Heart
ARS/New Day
15
23
Say Something
Tim Menzies (with Ben Isaacs and Sonya Isaacs Yeary)
Life in community often reveals how easily people disagree, even about small matters. Many conflicts come from personal habits, background, or old convictions that feel important but are not matters of right and wrong. When people hold tightly to these non-essential issues, frustration and criticism grow. Yet unity depends on how we treat one another when we see things differently.
Ephesians 4:2-3 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. IRS Images, 2025
A person’s past shapes how they see certain choices. Some people feel strong freedom in areas that others find uncomfortable. One person may feel free to enjoy certain foods or activities, while another avoids them because of past experiences or a sensitive conscience. Neither person is better than the other. Both are learning and growing, and both belong to God.
Grace reminds us that none of us came to God because we were good. We were welcomed through mercy. If God can accept imperfect people, then we can accept one another. No one matures overnight. Some struggles last years. God keeps working on each person, leading them at the right pace. Because of this, no believer has the right to treat another as inferior or to act as if they are the judge of someone else’s progress.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.
We also remember that every believer answers to God, not to us. Each person lives before the Lord, and the Lord is the one who helps them stand firm. God is the master, not other people. He sees the whole story, the wounds, the habits, the fears, and the victories. When we try to control someone else’s growth, we forget that God is already doing the work.
Everything a believer does, whether eating certain foods, following certain traditions, or avoiding them, is acceptable when it is done with a clear conscience and a desire to honour Christ. What makes an action meaningful is not the thing itself, but whether it is offered to the Lord. This keeps us from policing each other. Instead of asking, “Are they doing it the way I prefer?” we ask, “Does this help them honour Christ in their own walk?”
We belong to God because Christ died and rose again. He is Lord over every believer, whether young in faith or mature. He leads both the strong and the weak. Remembering this changes how we see disagreements. When Christ’s glory is our focus, small arguments fade. His cross and resurrection make our personal preferences seem small and temporary.
Sometimes loving others means limiting our own freedoms. A mature believer may choose not to do something harmless to them personally if it would discourage someone who is still healing or learning. That kind of love sends a powerful message. It shows that people matter more than preferences.
Families, churches, and communities all include people who need extra patience. God often surrounds us with those who stretch us, not by accident, but for our growth. Unity is not built through winning arguments. It is built through humility, patience, and a willingness to care more about people than about being right in non-essential matters.
When we focus on what is central, Christ’s grace, his death, his resurrection, and his work in people’s lives, then we stop majoring in the minors. We choose peace over pride. We choose to let others grow at God’s pace. And we choose to treat each other the way God has treated us: with kindness, patience, and room to grow.
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us, for the glory of God.
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