Tag: Faith

The Kingsmen Quartet: Navigating Change with Faith and Gratitude

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JEFF TURNER

For nearly seven decades, The Kingsmen Quartet has been a staple in Southern gospel. As the group approaches its 70th anniversary, they find themselves in a season marked by both sorrow and celebration.

The past few weeks have brought significant moments. In a heartfelt message to fans, the group shared, “Some significant prayer needs and praise reports have been transpiring within our music ministry over the last few weeks, and the time has come to provide an update to our many fans and friends.” The Kingsmen delayed sharing their news out of respect for the recent passings of two beloved friends and alumni, Charles Abee and Squire Parsons.

Amid these losses, the group announced the departure of their tenor vocalist, Thomas Nalley. “It is bittersweet that the Kingsmen announce the departure of our friend and tenor vocalist, Thomas Nalley,” the post reads. Nalley, who joined the quartet nearly three years ago, quickly became a fan favorite and the voice behind such impactful songs as “Unstoppable God” and “Praying for the Prodigal.” His final concert with The Kingsmen took place on April 27.

The group expressed deep gratitude for Nalley’s contributions: “We sincerely thank him for his work, dedication, music, and genuine heart for ministry.” Nalley now turns his focus to his thriving business, Highnote Customs, which offers shirts, hats, 3D printing, and woodwork. “We pray with great expectation for the continued success of this multi-talented gentleman and friend,” the group added.

Even as they grieve and transition, The Kingsmen have reasons to rejoice. The group shared uplifting news about their office secretary, Wendi Gregg: “We are overjoyed to report that the recent major cancer surgery of our office secretary Wendi Gregg was a success. Praise God!” This praise report is a bright spot, reminding fans of the power of prayer and the resilience of the Kingsmen community.

Change is nothing new for The Kingsmen, whose lineup has evolved many times since their founding in 1956. As they search for their next tenor vocalist, the group remains anchored in faith: “As we approach our 70th anniversary and this time of transition with both prayer and anticipation, we are once again reminded of how God has never failed us. He has always been faithful.”

The Kingsmen are grateful for the friends and familiar faces who have stepped in to help during this period. “We greatly appreciate several friends and familiar faces who have been and will be filling in for us while we prayerfully seek our next tenor vocalist,” they wrote, assuring fans that “God already has the right man to help us continue our concert ministry forward to the next generation.”

Mark Bishop tells the story of Lazarus with inspired songwriting

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SPECIAL CROSSROADS MUSIC

Southern Gospel music favorite Mark Bishop is so widely acclaimed for his singing that it’s easy to overlook the depth of his songwriting. Yet as his new Sonlite Records single, “Now Lazarus Can Sing” shows, he’s a conscientious and inspired craftsman whose unique way of looking at things has led to powerful affirmations of faith and salvation.

“I was watching the news as someone was being ushered through a bunch of shouting reporters, trying to get information from him,” Bishop recalls. “His people led him to a waiting car where he jumped in, and they took off. My songwriter brain kicked in, and for some reason I began to wonder about the story of Lazarus and the questions people would have lined up for hours to ask him.

“He had seen it. And he was standing right here in front of them. How could you not ask him what it was like? I’m sure what he saw was beyond description.”

Mark Bishop shares the story behind how he wrote “Now Lazarus Can Sing.”
With these thoughts in mind, Bishop has created a compelling vehicle that, in a profoundly Biblical way, embodies — by illuminating through down-to-earth dialogue rather than proclaiming in grand turns of speech — the miraculous story of Lazarus:

Have you seen Lazarus since that day?
Something about him has changed.
You know the day that I’m talking ’bout.
The day Jesus called out his name.

I spoke to him just the other day.
At the market I pulled him aside.
Can you remember the things you saw?
He put his hand on my shoulder and cried.

So I talked to his sister Martha.
“Martha, what’s he said to you?”
She said “he looks out of the window and smiles,
That his worrying days are all through.”

And even as the music swells and subsides, Bishop’s distinctive voice keeps the listener focused on the essentials, framed in a way that only he could have created.

“Just as important as what he saw… what about how he felt? He was a recipient of perfect love. He lost all of his worry… his doubt… his regrets… everything negative.

“He was no doubt the most changed man in the history of the world.

“And maybe,” the singer-songwriter concludes, “… just maybe… he brought back some other traits… a little bit of residue from heaven. That’s what this song is about; how heaven rubbed off on Lazarus.”

Caleb Banks of Phillips & Banks Shares His Health Journey

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CAROLYN TURNER

Caleb Banks, a member of Phillips & Banks, has recently opened up about his ongoing health challenges. Banks, who grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, has always had a strong connection to music and ministry, performing with his family’s group, the Banks Family, from a young age.

Banks has faced health issues throughout his life. He has lived with diabetes for many years. However, in recent times, his health problems have become more serious. Banks shared, “If you follow our ministry page, you can see that I’ve been going through a lot of health problems in the last couple of years. I’ve been a diabetic my whole life, but just recently I’ve been diagnosed with stage four kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy and things with blood pressure and the list goes on.”

These new diagnoses have brought many difficulties. Banks has also struggled with mental health during this time, “You know, through it all, I’ve had bouts of depression and anxiety and things that I’ve never experienced before…”

Despite these struggles, Banks says he has found comfort in his faith. He said, “…but let me tell you this, that I’ve also experienced the grace of God and the faithfulness of God like I never had before. It’s funny when we walk through these trials and things, we have to trust the Lord with things that we’ve never had to before. And not once has he ever left me and once has he ever forsaken me. And I don’t believe that he ever will. I know the Lord is good and that he’s working all things for my good. And I want to encourage you, he’s doing the same thing for you today.”

Banks asks for continued prayers and remains hopeful for the future.

Understanding Identity in Christ Through Obedience

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AMY TURNER

When we hear God’s word but do not follow it, we lose sight of who we really are. James 1:23 compares this to someone who looks in a mirror and then quickly forgets their own face. It sounds strange, because most people remember what they look like after looking in a mirror. But James is making a deeper point—not about how we look, but about our spiritual life.

This verse warns us that simply listening to the Bible is not enough. If we do not act on what we learn, we become spiritually confused. Just like a mirror shows us our physical appearance, God’s word shows us who we truly are. But only when we live out what the Bible teaches do we stay rooted in that truth.

Obeying scripture helps us understand our identity in Christ. Without obedience, our faith becomes weak, and we forget our purpose.

Jesus said in John 14:23, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” Living by God’s word keeps us strong in faith and clear about who we are.

“That’s What Faith Looks Like”: Karen Peck Gooch Reflects on Belief Through Song

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DAVID INGRAM


In the landscape of Gospel music, faith is often not only the subject of the songs—it is the driving force behind their creation. This includes Karen Peck and New River’s song “That’s What Faith Looks Like.” You may remember it from Southbound, but it’s been re-imagined by Karen Peck and New River. Through its lyrics and the testimony of Karen Peck Gooch, the song paints a picture of what it means to live by faith amid life’s uncertainty.

At its core, “That’s What Faith Looks Like” brings us through a series of human interactions that illustrate belief in action: a mother praying for her child’s safety, a mourner offering praise at a graveside, a believer clinging to divine promises during private struggles. The song does not attempt to define faith in theological terms; rather, it shows how faith is lived out in quiet, often painful, moments.

The lyrics begin by acknowledging the difficulty of articulating faith to someone who has never experienced it.

“If you’ve ever tried to tell an unbeliever what it means to put your faith in a God you have never seen… They still wonder how your heart can be so sure.”

From there, the song transitions to more grounded examples, suggesting that the evidence of faith is not found in abstract ideas but in real-life choices—trusting, surrendering, and praising in the face of adversity.

Karen Peck Gooch, longtime member of Karen Peck and New River, offers insight into the message through her personal life.

“I’m gonna live what I believe. You know, the thing is, I believe that Jesus is Lord. I believe that I am not alone. I believe that God placed me on this earth for a reason and that’s to serve him and to glorify him.”

Her sentiment is found in the final lines of the song.

“I’m going to live what I believe. Trust what I can’t change. Follow where He leads. Unafraid and unashamed.”

This is the intersection of personal conviction and lyrical content for a gospel sinner.

“There are circumstances beyond my control. And I am not gonna understand everything that happens in my life. And you know what—I’m not supposed to. Because if I understood everything that happened in my life, there would be no reason to live by faith.”

The lyrics give us familiar examples—grief, prayer, and perseverance—”That’s What Faith Looks Like” connects with listeners who find themselves navigating similar paths. Rather than offering explanations, it offers identification. The refrain,

“I can’t explain it any other way, except to say that’s what faith looks like,”

Listen for That’s What Faith Looks Like throughout the day on Texas Gospel Canada!