Hello again and thanks for dropping by our web site. We enjoy sharing our news and happenings with a growing number of folks who check up on us from time to time.

Since my last post we have only taken a couple of trips, but they were good ones. ON Nov. 25th we were privileded to make our first visit to the First Baptist Church of Ft Madison, IA. Our brother in Christ Mr Jim Jenkins and all the folks there were a fine group to sing to and worship with. They even led the bus in and out of town, through the fog. Thanks Jim, we really appreciated your thoughtfulness. The next day we traveled to the “big city” of Osco, Il, to visit with our good friends at the Osco Community Church. For those of you who are not familiar with that area, Osco is a small village at a crossroads in the middle of a lot of corn fields. However, what they lack in size is offset by quality. I know for a fact that the Lord is doing some powerful work in the lives of the folks who flock to the Osco Community Church from miles and miles around. We love you folks and pray God will continue to bless you and your efforts on His behalf.

This last weekend we spent attending the “Eddie Crook Christmas” weekend celebration in Gatlinburg TN. Between the good singing, visiting with old friends, shopping and sight seeing, a good time was certainly had by all!

For those of you who are wondering, Jerry is feeling better but has several more tests undergo. He is singing and working but still has the symptoms that sidelined him for a while though not quite as accute. Please join with us in prayer that the Lord will heal his body and fill his soul with joy this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas everybody.

The Patriot Quartet has truly been blessed, especially over the past month or so since my last post. We began that period about as low in spirit as you can imagine. We had been looking forward to our trip to Louisiana for some time. However, the week prior to our leaving, while frantically working to get the bus ready to use after it being down nearly all summer, we got some even worse news. Jerry was sick, possibly very sick, and could not make the trip! It seemed the old devil was working overtime to stop us. After much prayer, we decided that if Satan wanted us to stay home so badly, something good was about to happen and we needed to do everything we could to get there. We contacted every backup tenor we could and no one was available. Then the Lord stepped in! He reminded me that my nephew (by marriage) Cal Adams, pastor of the Cherry Ridge Baptist Church in Bastrop, La, could sing tenor. I called and he agreed to try. Folks, with one and a half days to prepare that man sang all weekend with us like a pro! Thank you Lord and thank you Cal for giving your talent and labor to the Lord once again, and for helping us fulfill our obligations so well. We had a great time all weekend. Saturday night we visited with Bro. Jack McKeithen and the nice folks at Clarks Baptist church. After the concert we met Mr. George Grubbs of KGGM radio in Monroe, La, for whose support and assistance we are truly grateful. He informed us, and all those attending, that the concert scheduled for the Riverside Baptist Church on Sunday evening was cancelled due to a death in the Pastors family. However, the Green Acres Baptist church had agreed to host us instead. On Sunday, we sang both morning and afternoon at the Cherry Ridge Baptist church. Cal sang so well those folks were afraid we would try to steal him. We enjoyed delicious lunch and the fellowship and I of course especially enjoyed visiting with my beautiful neice (Cal’s wife) and daughter. That evening we traveled just down the road to the Green Acres Baptist church and had a wonderful time, even with such short notice.

Since that weekend we have been very busy. We’re so grateful Jerry has been able to be back with us. Though he’s not out of the woods by any means, we are encouraged by early tests. Please join us in praying for his return to health. The first weekend in November we spent in North eastern Ky. We had a wonderful time singing for and making friends with Bro. Homer Norman and the folks the Germantown Methodist Church on Saturday night and then visiting once again with our friends at the Tolesboro Methodist Church on Sunday morning. On Veterans day we traveled to Roxana Il, to sing at the Nazarene Community center. The next day we were scheduled to sing at the Abundant Life Assembly of God in Marion, Il. Unfortunely, we had to cancel due to prep for tests Jerry was to take on monday. We very much appreciate those folks for understanding.

This last weekend we were back in Northern Kentucky. We had a wonderful time for our first visit at the Melbourne Methodist Church Sunday morning. It was good to have our good friend and Joe’s cousin Rusty Freis to sit in at piano on a couple of tunes and to make new friends. Sunday night we sang for, and later ate yummy homemade ice cream with our friend Dan Fehler and the folks at the St. Paul Church of Christ. We had a great time with the enthusiastic crowd and made many new friends. We are truly blessed.

We just want to give thanks to God for his faithfulness as we depend on Him. We have truly felt “..the touch of His hand” this month. Our cup runneth ofer!
Thank you Lord!

Until next time…….

Darrell “Goose” Gabhart

The concerts we enjoyed this past Friday and Saturday (20th and 21st) were indeed a great homecoming for the Patriot Quartet. We truly felt like we were among close family and friends, both performers and listeners. We want to thank our friends the Northmen from Ft. Wayne, In; The Kirklands from Douglas, Georgia; the Sons Family from Means, Kentucky, and; New Dawn of Frankfort Kentucky for traveling to Lawrencburg and helping to make the Patriot Homecoming 2006 a great time in the Lord. Of course, we also want to thank all those who attended, some traveling large distances to be with us. We love you all and have become especially close to those of you who have been so faithful to help support our ministry and uplift us in your prayers. We want to also say a special thanks to Rusty Fries for the use of his very moving multi-media presentation saluting the men and women of our uniformed services who give so much to keep us safe, and especially those who worked so heroically after the 9/11 attack. The presentation was followed by a recognition and salute of all present veterans, policemen, firemen, EMS and any other sersice people. We are indebted to the folks at the Lawrenceburg United Methodist Church for making their wonderful facilities available to us. It’s a great venue for our annual homecoming concert and we hope to continue there in future years.

Sunday morning we had a chance to worship with our friends at the Waddy Christian Church over in neighboring Shelby County, Kentucky. Those nice people treated us great and fed us a wonderful meal even though we may not have been quite “up to snuff” because of our ailing leader. You see, the only down side to the whole weekend was that Joe had the “epizoodic”! Even so, with the help of the Lord and some from his friends, we made the weekend miserable for the devil anyway. Hallalujah!

Until next time, may you be blessed!

Darrell

Hey friends, neighbors and fellow gospel music lovers! I’m finally getting around to updating some of the Patriot Quartet’s activities and upcoming events. I don’t know where all this “retirement leisure time” goes. It seems the older I get the faster the world turns and the less time I have to do “stuff”. Ever feel that way?

Read the rest of this entry »

This past week the Patriot Quartet, including all spouses, enjoyed a great time of fellowship with other groups and gospel music fans from all over the country and even the world. The National Quartet Convention, the Grandaddy of all Southern Gospel events, is held each fall in Louisville Kentucky’s Freedom Hall. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome back, Jerry! The Patriots are so glad to have Jerry Shepherd back as tenor. After some health issues and adjusting to a new job caused Jerry to have to turn in his microphone at the first of the year, things have smoothed out for him and he’s back. Paul Stearman who had joined the group in January felt called to go in a different direction and rejoin a group he had previously sung with, Jubilation. Paul did a great job singing with our quartet and the project we recorded while he was with the Patriots, Quartet Classics, is being very well received. It has some of everybody’s favorite songs on it. We wish Paul every success in the world and enjoyed our time singing together.

But it’s great how the Lord works things out. Jerry was ready to sing again just as the door was opening for him to come back and sing with the group. We’re looking forward to doing a lot of singing this fall. Be sure to check out our schedule to see when we might be in your area. And of course, we’ll be at the National Quartet Convention where we’ll be part of the “Artist Spotlight Showcase” on Monday afternoon from 12:30 to 4 p.m. in the South Wing Conference Center and another showcase at the Executive Inn Wednesday morning. Please come visit us at our booth and check out our music. We’d love to talk to you.
We’ll also have the just published book Angels at the Crossroads, on our table. That’s Jerry Shepherd’s amazing testimony and life story written by Darrell’s wife, Ann H. Gabhart, author of the novel The Scent of Lilacs. Jerry had long wanted to write his story down to try to encourage others not to go down some of the wrong roads he went down as a young man, and Ann has long been a writer. So it just seemed meant to be when on a long trip to Florida, Jerry started telling some of his stories and Ann started listening and thinking about writing down this inspirational story of one man’s journey toward redemption and love. With the Lord’s help Angels at the Crossroads is now a book, and many readers are saying it’s one of the most inspiring stories they’ve ever read. Jerry and Ann have been going to churches to present the story of Angels at the Crossroads and will be at Bruner’s Chapel in Mercer County, Kentucky on September 3, 2006. The quartet is taking Labor Day weekend off, but we’ll be back singing the next week, and we hope to see you somewhere down the road.

The Patriot Quartet is scheduled to perform in the NQC’s “Artist Splotlight Showcase” September 11, 2006. The showcase will run from 12:30PM - 4:00PM. The event will be held in the South Wing Conference Center.

December 2005 was a difficult month for “The Patriot Quartet.” Due to some health reasons, their tenor, Jerry Shepard, felt the need to leave the road and he resigned his position. I stepped in and took over in January 2006 and we have traveled a lot of miles together since that time.

When I joined the group, my biggest fear was all the travel that this group puts in week after week. I was afraid that it would be too much for my liking. Even though I love to sing, I also love spending time with my wife, playing golf, and attending my home church.

Joe, David and Darrell have been very cooperative in trying to maintain a schedule that would fit my needs but this was not fair to a group that has worked so hard to build up its schedule.

So after much prayer and consideration, I decided that it was time for me to leave and my last appointment with the group will be August 13, 2006.

At first the group worried about starting over and having to find another tenor and missing appointments until the group is ready to go again. But now we all see that God was in control!

You see since leaving the group, Jerry has been battling the decision that led him to resign. He was performing at least once a month with the group (just to give me a break) and with each singing, he was feeling the desire to return and regretting his decision to leave.

He missed being with the guys, as well he should, because this is his group. He was there in the beginning and I hope he gets to stay until the end. His health problems have improved and I very proud to announce that he has rejoined “The Patriot Quartet” and he is back where he belongs!

I want to say “Goodbye” and thank everyone for their support during my short tenure and I want to say that I am proud of my time with this group. I also want everyone to join me in saying, “Welcome Back Jerry!”

Continue to pray for Joe, David, Darrell and Jerry as they continue to spread the word of God through song and testimony.

God Bless!

Paul Stearman