More About New Jerusalem Singers
More About New Jerusalem Singers
We love to sing and share about Jesus. When we started back in 1988 we sang at churches, gospel sings and many nursing homes every month. We were honored to sing at the Gospel Music Weekend at Rockome Gardens in Arcola, IL for 4 years until the death of the owner, Mr. Yoder. The successors decided not to continue with the Southern Gospel Weekend. We were also blessed to sing in many churches throughout Illinois and a few in Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Kentucky. We sang as the featured group and along with other singing groups at many gospel sings in these same states. We have been on radio and television (station out of Quincy IL).
Our ministry is to everyone but we sing the old gospel songs from traditional gospel songs, hymns, southern gospel, country gospel and songs we have written. Many have said they enjoy hearing the older songs because they don't hear them much anymore in the churches. We have done praise and worship in some of the churches but these also would be the older choruses if we do them today.
Our motto is Encourage, Exhort and Edify.
We do believe It's All About Jesus.
I like the song Rodney Griffin wrote: "If Just One More Soul". (He sings with Greater Vision). This is so true. This is what we need to look at. If just one more soul comes to know the Lord because of the message - it is worth every struggle or mile. We can plant the seed, but someone needs to water it or it will die. We need to let the whole world know that Jesus is alive and well.
It doesn't matter the name over the door of the church or the ministry. We will go just about anywhere invited. All is takes is an invitation to come
As we get older many things change from time to time. Same thing goes for our ministry. We will not be hosting our music festivals, cowboy church or gospel sings. We just continue to minister where we are invited.
Through The Years
Through the years we have seen many group members come and go. We started off as a quartet with Paul and Marybeth Summers in 1988. Robin Rider came along and was with us a few months. We gained Evan Cain who also played a guitar and sang. (Evan passed away in Oct 2019). In 1996 we went off the road (but sang occasionally) in order to pastor a church in Auburn, Browning and Jacksonville, IL. Then after we finished pastoring in 2002 we had to take a couple years off for medical reasons.
In 2005 things were looking better physically so we decided that going back on the road was the thing we were supposed to do. We had a new desire and a zeal for Jesus.
Ken Anders played guitar and sang. He joined us for about a year until he got married to Sharon Mouser and then left the group to help with the church he was attending. . (He was killed in a truck accident in Jan. 2013).
In 2008 we started pastoring a church in Atterberry, IL- north of Petersburg and sang occasionally once again. We asked Ed Sinclair to join our group in 2008. He also played sang and played guitar.
Bob Moore didn't sing but he played lead guitar and came into the church and we asked him to join us in 2009. His wife Sharon took care of our product table when we went out. Denny Garren came to the church around 2011 and played drums so we asked him to join us. First time we had 5 members in our group. He stayed for a short time until they moved away.
In 2013 we left the pastorate and went back to singing at more churches on Sundays. We had to let Ed go because he was an officer in the church and one of the musicians. (They had no piano player when we left). We ended up back in Atterberry to pastor again from 2016 to March of 2019. Bob continued to be with us until Sharon's health declined in 2017 and then passed away in 2018. He never returned to the group after her death.
In 2018 we expanded this ministry once again to go back to our original beginnings of ministry to minister to those who want to hear the old songs and to go into the senior communities to minister to them through song. We did this on occasion and sang at a few churches and gospel sings as time off from the pastorate allowed.
In 2019 new changes took place. Bob, our lead guitar player, left the group. Ray retired from pastoral ministry at the end of March. We moved to Auburn, IL in March. We started singing in many more senior communities and events on a full-time basis. Churches and gospel sings opened up more since we had Sundays open now.
Ray has started a new podcast and will continue to blog. He will also be adding a Vlog broadcast. These can be found on his website rayspellbrink.com
Our ministry (New Jerusalem Ministries) will continue to expand. We can also be used as pulpit fills if the need would arise, which could include singing as well as ministering the Word.
We continue to serve the Lord and look forward to seeing where He takes us in the future.
Contact us to come to your event or church.
This was our first singing at Nichols Park on July 4, 1989 in Jacksonville, IL
Ray, Cindy (Matthew on the drums at age 7), Mary Beth and Paul
The sign is attached to my keyboard.
Ray, Ed, Cindy, Ken
NJS 25th Anniversary - Ray, Cindy, Paul, Robin, Bob, Ed, Evan
NJS - 2011 - Bob, Ed, Denny, Ray, Cindy
Ed, Bob, Ray, Cindy
Places We Have Been To Sing:
Places We Have Been To Sing:
ILLINOIS:
Alhambra Alton Arthur Arcola Ashmore Astoria Athens Atterberry Auburn Aurora Bath Belleville Bethalto Bismarck Bloomfield Bloomington Boody Brighton Browning Carlinville Carlyle Carrollton Carthage Champaign Chapin Chatham Coffeen Cuba Danville Decatur DeKalb DeLand Divernon Easton Edinburg Farmer City Fidelity Fishhook Flanagan Freeport Galesburg Gillespie Girard Godfrey Grafton Greenview Greenville Hardin Havana Hillsboro Jacksonville Jerseyville Kilbourne Kincaid Kinderhook Lagrange Lena Lewistown Lexington Liberty Lincoln Litchfield Loami Lodge Lovington Lowder Manchester Manito Mason City Meredosia Middletown Mt. Carroll Mt. Sterling Mt. Zion Nebo New Delhi Normal Nortonville Oreana Otterville Palmyra Pana Patterson Pawnee Pekin Peoria Petersburg Pittsfield Pleasant Plains Quincy Riverton Rochester Roodhouse Salisbury Savoy Scottville Shelbyville Sheldon Sherman Shipman Snicarte South Jacksonville Springfield Staunton Sullivan Taylorville Tiskilwa Tuscola Urbana Virden Walkerville Watseka Westville White Hall Winchester Woodson
MISSOURI:
East Prairie Excelsior Springs Grain Valley Hannibal Liberty Monroe City Pleasant Valley
INDIANA:
Gary Veedersburg
IOWA:
Farmington
KENTUCKY:
Fredonia Suwanee Wickliffe