The final five musical pioneers elected to the South Carolina Gospel Music Hall of Fame by members of the South Carolina Gospel Music Association last month are Marshall Pack, Hovie Lister, Allen Lovelace, Carl Whitman and Joe Brown.

Marshall Pack owned and operated WCKI, a Christian radio station in Greer, South Carolina, for many years until his death. WCKI was the station that provided listeners in the Upstate with the latest in Southern Gospel music. Rev. Pack also pastored a local church and was a talented poet and songwriter. He was known for his ability to write poetry and have it set to music and in many cases appeared with groups to sing and recite some of his work.

Supreme Court to decide fate of Veterans' Cross in Mojave Desert

WASHINGTON, Christian Newswire -- The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Salazar vs. Buono, better known as the Mojave Desert Cross case.  World War I veterans erected a cross 75 years ago on land that was open range to honor those who had died serving America in the war.  In 1994, the Clinton Administration federalized the land.  The ACLU sued to remove the cross, which is literally in a desert and difficult to find, on behalf of a former National Park Service worker who lives in Oregon.

Three of the 12 artists added to the Hall of Fame by the South Carolina Gospel Music Association for 2009 were reported last week. They were Ken Turner, Sandy Knight and Bobbie Jean White.

Another recipient, Burl Strevel, came to Upstate, South Carolina from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he had a reputation of a “smooth” bass singer. He sang with the Popular Blue Ridge Quartet based in Spartanburg in the 1950s and left to sing with the Sunshine Boys when the legendary J. D. Sumner left that group and joined the Blackwoods.

The second South Carolina Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held September 19th at Washington Baptist Church. Twelve individuals who brought honor to the Palmetto State through use of their God given musical talents in the field of Southern Gospel Music were honored. Inductees were nominated and elected by members of the Association.

Keith Crowe, president of the Association and author of the weekly Southern Gospel Music Corner column that appears in The Times Examiner, was Master of Ceremonies and made the presentations. Special music was presented by The Travelers and Account of Grace.

Event at Hyatt “One of Best”

Charlie Waller brought the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion back to Greenville this past week after moving to Knoxville for a few years following a long stretch of reunions in Greenville held at Memorial Auditorium until it was torn down. The reunion then moved to the Peace Center for a couple of years and finally to Furman’s Auditorium for the last two years before moving out of the state.

The Grand Ole Gospel Reunion brings hundreds of people from all over the nation to Greenville for almost a week. The influx of Southern Gospel Music fans and performers provides a significant boost to the local economy, especially hotels and restaurants.

Farron Hancox: A Living Example of Transformed Lives Through “Wisdom In Living Life”

A few years ago, The Times Examiner published the miraculous story of Winn Freeman, Founder and President of Wisdom in Living Life Ministry. The title of the article was “Man on a Mission.” For almost two decades, Freeman has been showing others the way to real freedom from addiction. Farron Hancox is one of many who sought and found real freedom from addiction with the help of Winn Freeman and Wisdom in Living Life Ministry.