Boston police seek man on video seen vandalizing Catholic churches

DAVID INGRAM

Boston police are looking for a man who’s wanted in connection with two incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in Dorchester and South Boston.

Around 6:30 a.m. Monday an unknown substance was found on several doors at St. Teresa of Calcutta Church and St. John Paul II Catholic Academy in Dorchester. Two hours later officers were called to St. Augustine Church in South Boston where a similar substance was found on doors and a statue was toppled.

The Boston Police Department continues to review the facts and circumstances surrounding these incidents.

Texas Gospel Canada publishes reported acts of aggression against congregations in North America. An on-air weekly report is broadcast every Monday on our Southern Gospel stream.

2021 Singing News Fan Awards top 10 nominees

SPECIAL DAYWIND RECORDS

First first round of voting in the 2021 Singing News Fan Awards is complete, and it has yielded the top 10 nominees in each category:

Favorite Artist
1. 11th Hour
2. Booth Brothers
3. Collingsworth Family
4. Jason Crabb
5. Brian Free & Assurance
6. Isaacs
7. Kingdom Heirs
8. Karen Peck & New River
9. The Sound
10. Triumphant Qt

Favorite Soloist
1. Mark Bishop
2. Michael Combs
3. Jason Crabb
4. Joseph Habedank
5. Mark Lowry
6. Gordon Mote
7. Ivan Parker
8. Guy Penrod
9. David Phelps
10. Lauren Talley

Favorite Quartet
1. Ball Brothers
2. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
3. Gold City
4. Kingdom Heirs
5. Kingsmen
6. Legacy Five
7. The Old Paths
8. Mark Trammell Qt
9. Tribute Qt
10. Triumphant Qt

Favorite Duet
1. Blake & Jenna Bolerjack
2. Jim & Melissa Brady
3. Chronicle
4. Aaron & Amanda Crabb
5. Fosters
6. Josh & Ashley Franks
7. Zane & Donna King
8. Peyton Sisters
9. Runnels
10. Wilburn & Wilburn

Favorite Mixed Group
1. Collingsworth Family
2. Endless Highway
3. Erwins
4. Hoppers
5. Isaacs
6. Jordan Family Band
7. Mylon Hayes Family
8. Nelons
9. Karen Peck & New River
10. Perrys

Favorite Young Artist
1. Hope Bowling (Bowling Family)
2. Autumn Nelon Clark (Nelons)
3. Trevor Conkle (Mark Trammell Qt)
4. Katie Erwin (Erwins)
5. Kennedy Hayes (Mylon Hayes Family)
6. Alex Jordan (Jordan Family Band)
7. Levi Mills (The Sound)
8. Logan Smith (11th Hour)
9. Josh Townsend (Legacy Five)
10. Ethan Whisnant (Whisnants)

Favorite Trio
1. 11th Hour
2. Booth Brothers
3. Jeff & Sheri Easter
4. Brian Free & Assurance
5. Greater Vision
6. Martins
7. Debra Perry & Jaidyn’s Call
8. The Sound
9. Talleys
10. Whisnants

Favorite Tenor
1. Chris Allman (Greater Vision)
2. Michael Booth (Booth Brothers)
3. Brian Free (Brian Free & Assurance)
4. Ernie Haase (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
5. Chris Jenkins (Kingsmen)
6. Steve Ladd (The Old Paths)
7. Jerry Martin (Kingdom Heirs)
8. Jay Parrack (LeFevre Qt)
9. David Sutton (Triumphant Qt)
10. Archie Watkins (Inspirations)

Favorite Lead
1. Ronnie Booth (Booth Brothers)
2. Keith Erwin (Erwins)
3. Scott Fowler (Legacy Five)
4. Grant Gibson (Karen Peck & New River)
5. Rodney Griffin (Greater Vision)
6. Dean Hopper (Hoppers)
7. Clayton Inman (Triumphant Qt)
8. Arthur Rice (Kingdom Heirs)
9. Bill Shivers (Brian Free & Assurance)
10. Logan Smith (11th Hour)

Favorite Band
1. Jason Crabb
2. Jeff & Sheri Easter
3. Endless Highway
4. Gaither Vocal Band
5. Inspirations
6. Isaacs
7. Jordan Family Band
8. Kingdom Heirs
9. Primitives
10. The Sound

Favorite Baritone
1. Dustin Doyle (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
2. Jon Epley (Greater Vision)
3. Loren Harris (Kingdom Heirs)
4. Scotty Inman (Triumphant Qt)
5. Paul Lancaster (Booth Brothers)
6. Mike LeFevre (LeFevre Qt)
7. Daniel Riley (Gold City)
8. Mike Rogers (Brian Free & Assurance)
9. Josh Singletary (Tribute Qt)
10. Mark Trammell (Mark Trammell Qt)

Favorite Songwriter
1. Lee Black
2. Becky Isaacs Bowman
3. Gerald Crabb
4. Bill Gaither
5. Karen Peck Gooch
6. Rodney Griffin
7. Joseph Habedank
8. Scotty Inman
9. Dianne Wilkinson
10. Sonya Isaacs Yeary

Favorite Bass
1. Daniel Ashmore (The Old Paths)
2. Zac Barham (Down East Boys)
3. Pat Barker (Guardians)
4. Eric Bennett (Triumphant Qt)
5. Jeff Chapman (Kingdom Heirs)
6. Kody Erwin (Erwins)
7. Matt Fouch (Legacy Five)
8. Paul Harkey (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
9. Ray Dean Reese (Kingsmen)
10. Chris West (Gold City)

Favorite Album
1. Worship From Home (Collingsworth Family)
2. Faithful Still (Down East Boys)
3. The Journey (Greater Vision)
4. Brotherhood (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound/Booth Brothers)
5. Songs For The Times (Isaacs)
6. 40th Anniversary Reunion LIVE (Kingsmen)
7. Hope (LeFevre Qt)
8. Live Like No Other (McKameys)
9. What Love Does (The Old Paths)
10. Bigger Than Sunday (Triumphant Qt)

Favorite Soprano
1. Brooklyn Blair (Collingsworth Family)
2. Kelly Bowling (Bowling Family)
3. Melissa Brady (Jim & Melissa Brady)
4. Morgan Easter Smith (Jeff & Sheri Easter)
5. Katie Erwin (Erwins)
6. Karen Peck Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)
7. TaRanda Greene (Cana’s Voice)
8. Kim Hopper (Hoppers)
9. Amber Eppinette Saunders (11th Hour)
10. Lauren Talley (Talleys)

Favorite Song
1. Amazing Amounts Of Amazing Grace (Down East Boys)
2. You Are Loved (Jeff & Sheri Easter)
3. This Grace (Joseph Habedank)
4. Between The Prayer And The Answer (LeFevre Qt)
5. I Believe The Book (Legacy Five)
6. The God I Serve (Karen Peck & New River)
7. Never A Time (Perrys)
8. Can I Get A Witness (The Sound)
9. God Has Provided Himself A Lamb (Mark Trammell Qt)
10. Eye Of The Storm (Triumphant Qt)

Favorite Alto
1. Kelly Nelon Clark (Nelons)
2. Sheri Easter (Jeff & Sheri Easter)
3. Kari Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)
4. Wendy Hayes (Mylon Hayes Family)
5. Susan Peck Jackson (Karen Peck & New River)
6. Jaquita Lindsey (11th Hour)
7. Courtney Metz (Collingsworth Family)
8. Libbi Stuffle (Perrys)
9. Debra Talley (Talleys)
10. Susan Whisnant (Whisnants)

Favorite New Artist
1. Avenue
2. Bowling Sisters
3. Endless Highway
4. Vernon Greeson
5. Heart 2 Heart
6. Jordan Family Band
7. Soul’s Harbor
8. The Sound
9. Sunday Drive
10. Westward Road

Favorite Musician
1. Becky Isaacs Bowman (Isaacs)
2. Kim Collingsworth (Collingsworth Family)
3. Jared Easter (Jeff & Sheri Easter)
4. Matthew Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)
5. Jacob Mills (The Sound)
6. Gordon Mote (Soloist)
7. Josh Singletary (Tribute Qt)
8. Josh Townsend (Legacy Five)
9. Gerald Wolfe (Greater Vision)
10. Sonya Isaacs Yeary (Isaacs)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!  The second round of voting takes place with the ballot in the May issue of the magazine.  The final vote, later this year will set the winners, and the results will be announced at The National Quartet Convention in September.

New addition for The Collingsworth Family!

SPECIAL DAYWIND RECORDS

For Michael and Courtney Metz of The Collingsworth Family, it has been quite a journey to adopt their son. Michael and Courtney were overseas for nearly a month as the process was completed.

Theo is at home now and is said to be adjusting to life in his new home well. Our prayers for Michael, Courtney and Theo!

Theo is grandchild number 4 for Phil and Kim Collingsworth. I know they are excited! Here’s the latest single from The Collingsworth Family….”It Runs In The Family!”

US investigators suspect arson in Texas church fire

JEFF TURNER

An arson inspector in the US said one person is in custody following a fire that heavily a church building Friday evening.

A news release from the Amarillo Fire Department says the fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. at the Community of Christ Church.  The building was heavily involved with fire when the first crew arrived and they called for seven additional fire units. Firefighters were unable to enter the building because of the severity of the fire.

All nearby homes and structures were spared.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Ernesto Pena, 24, of Amarillo. A motive has not been announced.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Texas media outlets report the temperature in Amarillo at the time of the fire was 18°F/-7°C.  It is not uncommon for homeless people to start fires in buildings in an attempt to stay warm. We mention this because it is likely the motive is not anti-Christian bigotry. 

Gospel music trailblazer Carman dies at 65

Gospel artist Carman has died after battling an illness.

A statement from his representative says, “GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame member, CARMAN, passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital, after fighting a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia.”

Carman received the House of Hope of Humanitarian Award for his positive influence in the lives of American youth in 2006, other noted recipients of this award include Ronald & Nancy Reagan and Billy Graham.

The Gospel Music Association honored Carman with induction into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018. Billboard named Carman “Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year” in 1992 and 1995, and in 1993, his album, Addicted to Jesus, earned the distinction of Contemporary Christian Album of the Year. Carman was Grammy-nominated multiple times as the Best Pop Contemporary Gospel Artist. His recording, “A Long Time Ago in a Land Called Bethlehem” was nominated for “Album of the Year” by the Recording Academy in 1986.

In 1985, the release of his first #1 song, “The Champion,” solidified his place in music history and defined his soul-winning career as one of endurance, grit, dedication, and pure talent. Anyone who knew Carman knows that he counted only this as his greatest lifetime achievement – winning millions of souls to Christ.

Carman Dominic Licciardello was 65.