My Story #105 -- Records And Albums

 

My Story #105

Records And Albums

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

After the Bluegrass Boys Trio had been traveling for a while, it was determined that we should make a record of some of our songs.

We recorded first at Sun-Ray Records where some very prominent recording artists have recorded. The owner was Jimmy Price. His studio was in his garage.

We remember well having to put handkerchiefs over our microphones to keep the recording from popping every time a word that started with a P was sung.

In one recording session we told Jimmy Price the name of the next song to be recorded, but he did not hear it, so he asked what the next song was, and Dema Brubacher opened the door to the small enclosed area where we were singing and shouted "Sorry, I Never Knew You." Then he closed the door. Jimmy Price first looked at us with surprise, but then he realized that was the name of our next song.

We took donations for the records as we traveled around to different churches and gave the money to Lexington Baptist College as we did the donations from churches where we went to sing.

Later we made some long-play albums, and God blessed. We realized that we had "arrived" when people said they bought our albums at a yard sale.

Those were joyful and yet stressful and tiring days, but we were determined to do this for the Lord and for LBC. We loved the Lord most, and we loved LBC.

Bob Jones drove us around in a Volks Wagon Bug, and we wore out two of them. Those were the days, as they say. May God receive honor and glory for our efforts.

We saw many trust the Lord as Savior and some young men submit to God's call to preach the word of God.

-->To be continued<--

My Story #104 -- Dr. Rosco Brong

 

My Story #104

Dr. Rosco Brong

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

As I sit here and think of what to write this week, I cannot help but think of another of one of my teachers at Lexington Baptist College (LBC).

Dr. Rosco Brong was a unique and sometimes mysterious man. I had the privilege of sitting in classes with him as my teacher. There are so many stories that I could tell about class experiences.

For example:

Once in class Bro. Brong was teaching, I believe, on Redemption. He made a point and for some reason (I cannot remember why), he fell backward in his chair and fell onto the floor. All of US students bit our tongues to try not to laugh, out of our respect for him. When he got up and sat back down in his chair, he said, "Well, you might as well go ahead and laugh." Then, we all burst out laughing. He never even had a smile through that whole episode.

Another time, he was teaching a class on Speech. He was having each student to give a short speech, and we all had to critique each speech and tell what we thought was right or wrong with each speech. He had brought a tape recorder to record our speeches. While he was talking, I, being in the front row, reached up and turned the recorded on and recorded his talk. When he was changing subjects, I said, "Bro. Brong, listen to this." To his surprise, he heard himself speaking, and he said, "I don't know how you stand it!" We had another healthy laugh out of that.

I also had the privilege with working with Bro. Brong at LBC. His office was at the front of the school building, Bro. Larry Robbins' office was next in line, then my office was next. The three of us would have discussions about theology and Bible things. Once a subject came up of which I had never heard. I said, "I've never heard of that before." Bro. Brong walked away from us into the library and returned with a book in his hand turned to a particular page opened and said, "Here; read this." In just an instant he knew exactly where to find an article on that subject.

One other time I was working in my office, and it was lunch time. We both were leaving to go downstairs where lunches were prepared for the students and teachers. As we left the office, Bro. Brong said, "Leave the door ajar." Well, my being a country boy, I had never heard the word ajar before in my entire life, so I did not know what to do; so I just closed the door, which locked. He said, "Don't you know what the word ajar means?" I said, "No, sir, I do not." He did not tell me the meaning but simply went back and put the door in the "ajar" position. I will never forget that word.

One more mention of Bro. Brong in my experience. We were in Chapel one morning, and the student who was to speak that day was absent; so Bro. Brong said (as was his wont), "Does anyone want to start anything?" I raised my hand, and he recognized me. I read a passage of Scripture and said, "Bro. Brong, what does that mean?" Bro. Brong cleared his throat (also a wont) and said, "Bro. Wolfe, it means what it says." Then he told us for the next 20 minutes what that verse meant. Don't ask me what the verse was, because I was too startled to remember.

I do not know as much as some about Bro. Brong, but I do appreciate the sacrifices he made in order to preach and teach us at LBC. We all loved Bro. Brong.

-->To be continued<--

My Story #103 -- A Teacher And Friend

 

My Story #103

A Teacher And Friend
Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

This week I would like to turn our attention to a pastor and teacher in Lexington, Kentucky. He was a teacher at Lexington Baptist College and had an influence on many students who took classes under him, and others. His name is Johnny Thompson. All the preachers will remember. He was quite a unique fellow.

In class he was very unorganized but taught us plenty from his vast knowledge of the Old Testament and of Bible places studied from the Old Testament. He drew maps on the blackboard and gave illustrations from his personal life that brought his classes to life. Once, when illustrating the Old Testament of killing by stabbing under "the fifth rib," he picked up my crutch and used it as a sword and had his enemy to stop and be still while he counted to the fifth rib before he slew him with the sword--that one I shall never forget.

Bro. Thompson loved planes and was a pilot. Some of the male students would try many times to get him on the subject of airplanes so he would forget that we were supposed to have a test that day. By the time he finished with his plane illustration, it was too late to give the test; it had to wait for the next class session.

Bro. Thompson taught in a two-room school, and I found that out from a lady who was once a member of our church here. I asked her how she knew Bro. Thompson, and she said that they both taught in the same two-room school in Irvine, Kentucky--small world.

Bro. Thompson became pastor of Devondale Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, and he pastored there for several years. At one time I was a member of Devondale while he was pastor.

Eventually, this man, who was so knowledgeable on the holy land and so good at teaching, contacted Alzheimer's. When I heard of it, he was in a nursing home in Kentucky. I decided I wanted to visit him there, so I took my grandson, Eric, and we traveled to the nursing home to visit him.

When we arrived, I asked him if he remembered me, and he said he did, although he never mentioned my name. He said, "Who is this you have with you today?" I said, "This is my grandson, Eric." We visited for a while, and he kept asking me over and over who this boy was whom I brought with me today. I kept telling him it was my grandson.

While we were there, Bro. Thompson's wife came in. She told me that she visited him yesterday, and he was in his room with his Bible open to the first chapter of Genesis. She asked him what he was doing, and he answered "I am trying to figure out what this says."

Bro. Thompson is gone to heaven now, but many of us will long remember his fun-loving attitude and his helpful teaching. We are so thankful for the teachers we had at LBC.

-->To be continued<--

My Story #102 -- On Our Way

 

My Story #102

On Our Way
Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

Now it is time for the quartet to begin their travels to sing and preach at different churches and represent Lexington Baptist College (LBC). Bob Jones was the "speaker" for the quartet, and the others in the quartet just sang what he told us to sing. We had practiced quite a few songs, so we were pretty much ready to sing a few songs before a message was preached. We always enjoyed meeting new people and fellowshiping with people we had known for a while.

We got on our way in a Volks Wagon Bug squeezed in like sardines. The boys involved in this first quartet were Bob Jones, Deman Brubacker, Bob Carpenter, and Ronnie Wolfe. We followed a previous quartet who sang for one year including Larry Robbins, Ed Kittle, Bob Jones, and Warren Hartman. They could really sing well, but three graduated from LBC and broke up as a quartet.

One of the first churches that we visited was Winton Place Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Kelly Campbell was pastor. Bro. Campbell was a good pastor and preacher. We had good friendship with him for several years before his death. Cincinnati and surrounding areas became places of often visits by our quartet, then called The Bluegrass Boys Quartet.

Addyston Baptist Church is another church near Cincinnati that we visited many times, first while Bro. Melvin Gecks was pastor and then while Bro. Rex Hensley was pastor, then while Bro. Greg McDaniel was pastor and now Bro. David Pitman is pastor. Our visits there began yearly for a number of years, and we always received a blessing by visiting there.

This group of men who made up The Bluegrass Boys traveled together for approximately five years; then Demas Brubacher and Bob Carpenter graduated from college at LBC and went on for further education.

Now, what shall we do? What is the next step for The Bluegrass Boys? We shall see in the next installment. 

 -->To be continued<--

My Story #101 -- Playing Piano In Lexington

 

My Story #101

Playing Piano In Lexington

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

The Ashland Avenue Baptist Church building doors were never locked. Anyone could go in and out at will. Several days in the week I would walk to the church building and go inside. I would practice piano on the piano in the main auditorium. This was enjoyable and, I thought, a great privilege.

 One time while practicing in “Judge Adam’s Room” Bro. Bob Jones entered the room and heard me playing. He asked me if I would play for a new group he was getting together, and I told him that I did not play that kind of music. He asked if I would at least practice with them; and I said I would. We practiced every week for about an hour, and eventually we felt we were practiced enough to begin singing in church. This is the beginning of my playing for the Bluegrass Boys. At that time the group was called the Lexington Baptist College Trio, because I did not sing with them. We were called that name, because we eventually began to travel to promote Lexington Baptist College.

 I remember that room where I practiced and that old, upright white piano. Once, I believe in 1967, a photographer came and took our picture standing around that piano. That memory is still fresh in my mind, and I will always be grateful and thankful for the Lord’s leadership in my life, giving me the opportunity to represent the school and serve the Lord traveling with this singing group.

-->To be continued<--