Our group resigned from this Association that we have donated our time to for the last three years (the one that Rick and Julie also belong to) as a result of this “drama”. The Association has asked us to re-consider, but we felt it best to just go in peace. We have no quarrel with this fine organization or its leaders. The actions of a few individuals should not reflect adversely on this Association.

Our focus needs to be on our most important goals in the days ahead.

If I saw you guys right now I would still hug your necks and tell you I love you.

About you just finding out who we were????

We didn’t try and hide it….What other Rick and Julie do you know????

Again….that shows how little I know about this site. Didn’t know people actually spend time looking at this thing… HA!

For those of you that do pay attention to this site…..

I love Cliff Cerce as a brother….
I love his huge heart and his kindness toward people. I have been in error about the way I have approached this indifference. My sincere apologies.
I asked your forgiveness.

I said, “In re-reading my original post, my trying to make a parallel to Karen and Chris as both being nice people that should both be respected is not as clear as it could have been. I would have made that clearer if I didn’t type it at 4 am perhaps. But as a friend of mine often says, “Do not automatically attribute to malice that which could be attributed to plain stupidity.” I would hope that those who know me would not jump to conclusions as to my motives.”

Meaning simply this - please do not jump to conclusions regarding my motives. Don’t attribute my words to malice, when it could just be plain stupidity on my part - by not making myself clear.

I have just discovered that you guys are the Rick and Julie that we sing with each month. The ones that hug our necks every month. The ones that have been some of our closest and dearest friends.

The ones that have our phone number and have used it in the past. What possible motives could friends have in trying to publicly embarrass a group like ours in a a Major Gospel Music forum such as this? Anita and I are speechless.

We came to Chris Barnes’ defense and attacked or flamed no one. Why would you not call me on the phone if you were concerned about something, rather than try to hurt us publicly?

Anita, my wife, says Rick hugged her neck at least 4 times this past Friday and Saturday.

Julie has thanked me repeatedly for the CVM article I wrote in praise of this organization we all sing at that they love so well. These exchanges should not reflect adversely on that organization in any way and, so that they don’t, we are resigning from it in the next few days, after these past years of participation. I will do anything for peace and unity in the future.

Besides, Anita has told me she will not go back.

Happy Labor Day or as my friends in Canada said, the last time I was on a national tour with a group that tours 3-4 days a week average and nobody ever complained about my time keeping so I must be a Buddy Rich level percussionist, Happy Labour Day !!!

Wonder what Harry & Fonda Peters are BBQing this weekend!??!?!??

“I was with Chris Barnes tonight.

Four weeks ago tomorrow, we helped him out of his wheel chair at the front of the Shively Baptist Church in Louisville, and he leaned on me on one side and his Dad on the other, as we helped him up the several stairs to the stage. He insisted on speaking to the crowd from up on the stage (as did Larry Ferguson), and he shakily made his way with great difficulty. This was at the fundraiser for he and Larry on August 2nd.

Tonight, he came to our concert in Branson, Missouri. He drove the 450 plus miles to Branson on his own. He was walking all around the building on his own, with barely a limp.

I feel like I witnessed a miracle.We were shocked.”

OK - I am considered to be a pretty good communicator by some. I was asked to join a national magazine as a staff writer and my editor does not seem to misunderstand my writing. I edited Dan Betzer’s sermons on the Revivaltime broadcast for 8 years (aired weekly on 600 US stations and in 85 countries), and they never came to me and said that way his words were edited made no sense and were not clear.

And, to my recollection, I do not recall any issues being raised by any of the readers of this site to any of my numerous posts - as to whether I was communicating clearly in any of them. I am just surprised that there is so much controversy in what I was trying to say.

OK - look at the quote. Here was what I was trying to say:

1. He was in a wheel chair 4 weeks ago.

2. His father and I had to help him walk to the stage and up the stairs. We both advised him to stay below in his wheel chair, because he was not steady on his feet.

3. I said he came to “our” concert in Branson. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

4. My point in saying that he drove 450 MILES ON HIS OWN was not to suggest the had driven to see us (I think just about everyone reading this understands this), but to point out that this young man who could not walk a month ago - drove 450 miles on his own.

5. Then, I remarked about how he was walking all around the building and how we feel we have witnessed a miracle and were shocked.

This is what I was trying to convey and, if I said it poorly, I am truly sorry. But, I have read and re-read the above quote - and it still seems clear to me. I doubt Obama’s and McCain’s words are being analyzed much more than my mine have been.

As for “our” concert, I have been singing in groups on and off again since 1964 when I was a teenager, and this has been the vernacular that has always been used. Concerts generally have multiple groups involved, and groups have always talked about “our ” or “their” concert for over 40 years. If George Younce would say, “A man came up to me after one of our concerts and told me this story….”, he would not add that The Hoppers, McKameys, and Kingsmen were also singing that night.

It has been common vernacular to refer to a concert one is involved in as “our” concert for many years, and I didn’t give it a second thought when I typed it or considered that it could be ambiguous. I just noticed that I again referred to it as “our” concert in post # 47 without realizing it. No harm or misleading intended - that’s just how things have been described for many years.

I did know Karen Peck was supposed to come to the concert, but not that she was receiving an award that night. She didn’t know it either. It was a surprise to both of us. Her husband arranged for her to drop by, working with Sherrie Brewster. We missed the last months’ concert, as we were on our way to Alabama for a funeral when it was held - so we were out of the loop on some of the details.

Karen Peck and her group is on the cover of the September Christian Voice Magazine, and our box of them was delivered to us 2 days before the concert. Karen was on the road, and had no way to get a copy. Again, we received our box on the Wednesday before the Friday concert. When I told my editor that she was expected to be at one of our concerts (oops - sorry - at a concert we were going to sing 2 songs at with The Bryants, The Revelators, Randy Plummer, Jaimee Brewster, The Persers, The GPG Trio, Julie Renee, Rick Pifer, Marlene Pelt, Carol Howe, Bill Brooks, The Lakins and others), he asked me to be sure she got a copy of the magazine. Karen was there a total of 10-15 minutes. She and her group walkd in as we were finishing the first verse of a song. When we finished the song, she was brought to the stage and given the award which again, I didn’t know about. After thanking the folks, she started to leave. I went to her with the magazine, and she was delighted, as she had not gotten a copy yet. (Not to be misleading, I guess I am required to also mention I handed her our latest project too, as a gift). When Anita, my wife, saw me talking with her, she joined me. She had 4 heroes in her earlier adult life - Dottie Rambo, Karen Peck, Janet Paschal and Kelly Nelon - and she wanted to thank Karen for beiong so wonderful.

Perhaps some misunderstood why I went to talk with Karen, but if they had picked up the phone and asked me, they would have learned that I had spoken to Sherrie Brewster by phone earlier that week and told her that I would try to get a copy of the magazine to Karen, as this would be her first opportunity to receive one - and she is the cover story. And, she was leaving - so I went to her.

In re-reading my original post, my trying to make a parallel to Karen and Chris as both being nice people that should both be respected is not as clear as it could have been. I would have made that clearer if I didn’t type it at 4 am perhaps. But as a friend of mine often says, “Do not automatically attribute to malice that which could be attributed to plain stupidity.” I would hope that those who know me would not jump to conclusions as to my motives.

Well, I accomplished my objetive. I wanted people to stop bashing Chris - and now they’re bashing me. If I can serve as a lightning rod for my friend, then I am honored.