Pensacola Homecoming-J.G. Whitfield Memorial Sing

Make your plans now to attend the first ever J.G. Whitfield Memorial Sing!! This concert is a must see for the whole family, featuring two of America's Favorite Gospel Quartets; The Dixie Echoes and The Florida Boys!! Both of these groups were founded by J.G. Whitfield and have grown to be two of the most successful groups in gospel music history. From my understanding it has been years since there was a homecoming concert in Pensacola. With the passing of J.G., "Whit" as he's better known, we decided to revive the Pensacola Homecoming and also pay tribute to one of the greatest concert promoters in Southern Gospel Music history. Along with founding both of these wonderful quartets, Whit is also responsible for starting the Singing News magazine which has become the flagship magazine for our genre and is known as, "The Voice of Southern Gospel Music". I have also recieved word that Whit's widow, Hazel Whitfield will be in attendance. This evening promises to be a wonderful night of classic quartet music, we would love to see all of you there!!

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE & AT ALL LOCATIONS BELOW ON MAY 21, 2007
TICKET INFORMATION:

• $13.00 in advance• $15.00 at the doorchildren under 12 Free.

IN PENSACOLA, FL at:Marcus Pointe Baptist Church 850-479-8337Gospel Lighthouse Bible Book Center 800-32-JESUS
Tickets are available at all 10 Gospel Lighthouse Locations:Pensacola (2 Locations); Milton, FL; Ft. Walton Beach, FL; Crestview, FL;Foley, AL; Bay Minette, AL; Mobile, AL; Atmore, AL; Pascagoula, MS

CLICK HERE FOR GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE MAPS & INFO

To Order online, Click below:

*There will be no shipping charge for online ticket orders even though it adds it in shopping cart. We will not charge Shipping!*

Order Tickets Online

Stewart Varnado Remembers Roger Bennett...In Photos

Each of us have in our lives someone we consider our "hero". Professionally many of us have someone who captured out attention, someone we wanted to be, to emulate. For Stewart Varnado, that person was Roger Bennett. Stewart has captured his friendship with Roger in words and pictures as he remembers his hero in his own personal way. Click here to see Stewart's, "Remembering Roger Bennett".

"Saturday Nights in Lakeland" Now Online!!

Thanks to the folks at Lake Gibson Church of the Nazarene in Lakeland, Florida you can now catch their popular concert series online! As many of you know Lake Gibson hosts a concert every Saturday night throughout the year!! "Saturday Nights in Lakeland" has become an annual stopping point for almost every major group on the road today. The Dixie Echoes are no exception, this is one concert we look forward to with great anticipation every year.

Recently the media department at Lake Gibson has begun posting partial concerts from their "Saturday Nights in Lakeland" concert series. So far they have excerpts of concerts by Triumphant, Mercy's Mark, Gold City, and The Dixie Echoes, as well as their regular services. Be sure and visit their site and check out your favorite group. If you live in central Florida or are planning a vacation in that area be sure and visit Lake Gibson Church of the Nazarene and enjoy a presentation of "Saturday Nights in Lakeland". Special thanks to Senior Pastor Charles Kirby, Minister of Music, Darrel Gash, and Media Director Andrew Gash for making all of this possible and for making all the groups feel right at home at each visit.

CLICK HERE to see "Saturday Nights in Lakeland" video archive

Gay Rights Activists Target Mid-America Nazarene University(MNU); University Respectfully Responds By Sharing It's Message

Taken from NCNNews.com

Olathe, Kansas
Friday, March 23, 2007

During a day and a half of meetings with a group of gay-rights activists traveling the country to battle discrimination on college campuses, MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) accomplished its goal of communicating the love of Christ to its visitors without approving of the lifestyle they have chosen.

Soulforce, a national gay-rights organization, initiated a program last spring called Equality Ride in which young adults travel by bus to Christian campuses to confront administrators, faculty, and students with policies and practices that Soulforce considers to be discriminatory against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students.

Soulforce Equality Ride was not invited to the campuses, but did give prior notice that they were coming. This year MNU and Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) are among the Christian universities targeted by the organization. The Ride is scheduled to visit NNU on April 13.

Many targeted colleges ban the activists from campus, and in most cases, the Riders have been arrested for trespassing on campus property. Before arriving at MNU on March 15, the Riders were arrested at the University of Notre Dame and Wisconsin Lutheran University.

In contrast, MidAmerica chose to welcome the activists, hosting them for a dinner with student leaders on Thursday night and six classroom presentations on Friday.

“We viewed this as an opportunity to listen to where they’re coming from and share the love of God with them,” said April Hansen, MNU's director of public information and on-site coordinator for the visit. “We disagree, but there’s no reason to be afraid to talk to each other, to dialogue, and express Christ's love, even in our disagreement.”

At an exit meeting, several Equality Riders expressed their appreciation for the kindness and openness with which they had been received by members of the university. One Rider tearfully expressed her thanks.

“When you told us you were offering Christ’s love to us and that you wanted to listen to us, we kept waiting for you to say, ‘but….’ and then share your condemnation," the Rider said. "You didn't do that. Thank you.”

For some of the Riders, it was their first experience with Christians being willing to love and listen to them.

"[The Riders] expressed how life-changing this has been," Hansen said. "Those comments were very affirming and meaningful to all of us who helped plan the university's approach to the visit."

MNU President Ed Robinson said the visit and the campus' preparations actually strengthened MNU's commitment to its policy on homosexuality.

"Our position on the prohibition of homosexual behaviors from biblical and theological foundations was strengthened in the hearts and minds of the administration and, more importantly, students," Robinson said in an e-mail report to MNU's Board of Trustees. "You would be very proud of their spiritual discernment. The preparation we invested in students was beneficial and yielded the outcomes we intended."

One of the Equality Riders wrote in his blog after the visit, “I know many, if not most, of the students differ with us in their views on homosexuality, but we were able to share fellowship. They truly modeled a Christlike response.”

MNU wishes to express its gratitude for the prayers offered around the world by churches and constituents during the visit. Most of all, thanks be to God!
--MNU

Roger Bennett

I like everyone else was saddened Saturday morning to hear of the passing of Roger Bennett. Having just returned home this morning this is my first opportunity to write about it. Although Roger was not a close friend of mine, I have had the opportunity to meet him and visit with him on several occasions. Roger was always wonderful to visit with. I don't have much else to say about Roger beyond what has already been said. He was a wonderful gentleman and he gave his life to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music. He was certainly one of the classiest performers, on and off stage. Roger was a friend of the Dixie Echoes. Randy Shelnut and Roger have been best friends since Roger started with the Cathedrals and stayed in touch on a regular basis. Randy "Scoot" Shelnut, Jr. and Roger were both diagnosed with cancer within a year of each other and developed a unique relationship through their common circumstance, and Stewart Varnado and Roger had become best friends over the last 9 years that Stewart has been in SG music. Naturally we finished our concerts this weekend with very heavy hearts. But the same God that has completed His promise with Roger, also filled our hearts with joy and comforted us. It is great to know that Roger's battle is over and that he is resting in the arms of Jesus now. Just before Roger was placed in ICU Randy had the opportunity to speak with him by phone. Although Roger's voice was weak and hard to understand he told Randy, "I'm a winner either way!" Many of the videos and pictures below you may have seen on other sites but I'm adding them to my post mainly for me. If you've already seen them, then enjoy them again!

Remembering Roger Bennett


Roger Bennett and Anthony Burger, NQC 1995

Roger Bennett - Heros of the Faith


Roger Bennett - Testimony

Members of the Dixie Echoes visiting with Roger during Legacy Five's Celebration 2006

Stewart Varnado, Roger Bennett, and Randy Shelnut visiting at Legacy Five's Celebration! 2006

"Scoot" Shelnut and Roger visiting after a concert in Augusta, Georgia

Stewart Varnado and Roger during "Roger Bennetts Parade of Pianos" at NQC 2005

Urgent Prayer Requested For Roger Bennett

Long time Dixie Echoes friend Roger Bennett was moved to ICU early this morning at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His wife Debbie is requesting urgent prayer for Roger. Here's what Debbie posted earlier today on their blog:

As of about 5 am this morning, Roger has been in the ICU here at MD Anderson. This will be a short update, just asking for prayer. We are not sure of what is causing the problems, but he is in respiratory distress, along with several other life-threatening issues. He is not conscious right now because of heavy sedation, and he will be intubated later today, so we can't talk with him. We do talk to him and tell him how much we love him, though.

Needless to say, it is a very hard day for us. Doug, his dad, is on his way down as well. Just pray for comfort for Roger, and grace for the rest of us. We know that God has everything under His control and

In His Grip,

Debbie

Stewart Varnado, Roger Bennett, and Randy Shelnut at Legacy Five's Memorial Day Celebration in Nashville, May 2006