GODLY WOMAN
FOCUSED WAVES OF FAITH By KristeNicole
16
I recently visited the legendary Grand Ole Opry with singer songwriter and producer, Cooter Daniel where I learned of his performance on The Grand Ole Gospel Time. I hadn’t heard of this show before but let’s take a stroll through some rich music history. It’s a Friday night in February of 1972. You have gathered with your family and friends around the radio. You hear the announcer say, “Welcome to Grand Ole Gospel Time, coming to you live from the stage of the historic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.” Suddenly you hear evangelic melodies that once filled the Ryman Auditorium, a place of worship 80 years prior. Rev. Jimmy Snow, son of the late Hank Snow, was a pastor at Nashville’s Evangel Temple. Rev. Snow chose the Opry House for this gospel showcase because of its rich tradition and technical facilities. Rev. Snow planned a well-paced show which included a brief sermon and an abundance of gospel music. There were performances by the Evangel Temple Choir as well as famous artists like Johnny Cash, Connie Smith, Barbara Fairchild, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Blackwood Brothers, Pat Boone, Dobie Gray, Kris Kristofferson, Larry Gatlin, Hank Snow and many more. This radio program followed the Friday Night’s Grand Ole Opry and was initially simulcasted on WSM Radio and was heard live in forty-one states. It was also featured on Christian Networks like TBN, CBN, and PTL. There were 1,194 programs and it is reported that roughly 1,860,000 people made decisions to follow Jesus, exceeding all expectations. The Grand Ole Opry and the Grand Ole Gospel Times moved to the Opry house in 1974 because it needed a permanent home. Ryman Auditorium was site of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. For this radio show, or any ministry, to be successful, there had to be a focus of intent – a focus on the Heavenly Father. As Christ followers, we must constantly keep our focus on the things the Heavenly Father has for us, not the things this world has to offer us.
