Carroll Roberson, who has more than 40 Gospel albums and has written more than 300 Southern Gospel Songs, has a side of which many Southern Gospel listeners may not be aware. He’s also a minister.
Below are links to his YouTube channel and a recently-uploaded series on Christmas. We hope you enjoy his message.
(These are links to YouTube videos that are not hosted on our website. The videos are not the property of Texas Gospel Canada.)
Officials in the US are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person (or persons) who burned a church building.
A press release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation says the arson attack happened Sept. 17, 2020 at St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco.
“This act of violence was not just an attack on a building, but on a congregation. This was an attack on a community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair. “We are counting on assistance from members of the community to keep our city safe. Every lead will be thoroughly investigated. Regardless of how insignificant you think your information might be, we strongly encourage you to come forward and we welcome your information and assistance.”
The FBI has jurisdiction to investigate fires set at houses of worship under the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for those who wish to donate to the church.
William Desjardins – Music Reporter
Some of your favorite Southern Gospel artists preparing for a new year have music debuting tonight on Texas Gospel Canada. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the new songs have a message for people facing challenges.
Zane and Donna King have a song that wraps up 2020 in two words: Hard Times. The song is bright and up-tempo despite what you might expect from the title. Ernie Haase of StowTown Records says the lyrics are a needed encouragement to persevere through today’s troubles.
The Wisecarvers have released Potter’s Wheel. It’s found on the Silhouette project. This is another song perfect for a year like 2020. It speaks of the inner struggle we all face at times.
We asked Dustin Wisecarver to tell us about the lyrics. Here’s his response:
“Oftentimes not only do we go through bad things, but they can seem to come back to back to back and so on. Through our travels we have heard stories where some folks feel their whole life has been a valley. We’ve met those who have grown up in abusive situations or where it seems like life dealt them the worse possible hand. We ourselves have gone through things where it seemed once you crossed one hurdle, you’re facing another! Bitterness, heartache, and just plain anger take such a toll it can put you in a state of numbness. But I thought one day about how we are made from dust. Dust particles are so very tiny and only God knows how many it takes to make a human. People talk about their hearts being broken into a million pieces. If man can be formed from millions of tiny dust particles, why can’t our master Potter take all of those pieces and put our hearts back together! Step up on the wheel, He can fix anything!”
Dustin Wisecarver
The Talleys have a somber message about helping those in need. Can people see Jesus in you by your actions? The Talleys’ new song Looks like Jesus to Me is now in rotation.
Listen for these songs along with some of your long-time favorites this week on Texas Gospel Canada.
The Tribute Quartet is losing its bass Singer. Anthony Davis, who has been with the group since January 2011, is stepping down.
“Family is family but, sometimes things change. We love our brother and we pray a blessing over him, in the name of Jesus,” says a post on the quartet’s Facebook page.
Anthony said, “To everything in life there is a season, but this – one of the most treasured seasons of my life – has drawn to a close. My heart will always be in music ministry and performance, and it has been nothing short of an honor to serve the Kingdom this way over the past decade.”
The group has not yet announced Anthony’s last day or future plans for the Quartet. We will post an update once that information is available.
Tribute Quartet’s latest release “Fear Not,” is still doing well and still holds a place on the latest Singing News chart.
Jeff Turner – Music Reporter
Southern Gospel artists are not immune to imposters who set up Facebook pages. It recently happened to the Hoppers who said in a post (on their real Facebook page) that they have been receiving messages from fans reporting the phony pages.
It’s important to know the real addresses of your favorite group’s social media sites so you don’t fall prey to hucksters who hijack someone else’s good name for nefarious use. Some imposters ask for cash. Some ask personal questions to get information they can use for identity fraud. There are many reasons why you should be on guard against scammers who stoop to this.
Look to see if a page is verified. A blue checkmark should appear next to the name of the individual (or Gospel group) if Facebook has confirmed they are who they say they are. Look at the screen shot of the real Hoppers Facebook page at the top of this article. Notice the blue check? Examine the name of any Facebook page closely; it’s not uncommon for a fake profile to have a wrong spelling or a name that is close but not exactly that of the page they are impersonating. Lastly, and probably most importantly, there’s nothing wrong with asking your kids or grandkids if they can tell if the page is legitimate. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security reports seniors are often targeted. The younger generations live on the internet and can often spot the hucksters faster than we. There’s no shame in asking your son or daughter to look at a page especially if you are planning on buying a CD or make a donation.
It’s important to know that an artist or Gospel Group is a victim too when their name is used by a scammer who is trying to dupe you. The Gospel Group probably isn’t even aware the fraud is happening in their name. Do some googling and find an artist’s website if you suspect a fake Facebook has set up in their name. Most websites have links to their actual social media pages where you can check for the blue verification checkmark. If a Facebook page turns out to be fake, let the real artist know so they can take appropriate action. Facebook also has instructions on how to report a fake page. Here is the link.
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