Summer ministry/choir stories.

[Dennis M. Scott]

There must be thousands of stories from people who have travelled either on a summer ministry team, quartet, trio, or college choir. In fact, I doubt if anyone who has ever represented one of our schools like that doesn't have tales to tell. Naznet would be a great place for such episodes to be recounted. These things will never publish, but the Church of the Nazarene is founded on these very truths!

Steve Nease was travelling with an ENC men's quartet through Maine. They arrived late to the church of the day to find people beginning to gather, and that the church was so small it had no place for them to change clothes. They quickly left the church and drove out several miles down a backroad gravel quarry where there would be some privacy. They jumped out of the car and began to change out of their travel clothes into their church clothes. The local policeman had followed them and pulled into the gravel pit just as they had all undressed to their shorts. A carload of men standing in their boxers down a back country road was a little difficult to explain, and their story about singing down at the little Nazarene church wasn't a whole lot more credible. The policeman followed them all the way back to the church, but he didn't come in for the service.

[Jim Franklin]

I was told by one of the members of NNCs Crusader Choir that those who wore glasses conspired to each one take one of the bows off of one ear so that when the walked into a restaurant they all looked goofy.

Another was that a Christian Workers Band arrived in a nearby Oregon town and to the best of their ability tried to follow directions to the Nazarene Church, pulled up to a church a bit late, walked down the center aisle and sat on the front seat waiting to be called to the platform. The one of the members picked up a hymnal and found a stamp inside indicating that it was some other denomination so they waited until prayer was offered and sneaked out.

That was before NNC offered any course in Geography.

[Dennis M. Scott]

Summer of 1969, Mount Vernon men's quartet. We were touring Carter Caves National Park. The tourguide was touting the virtues of stalagmites and stalactites, and in our group of about thirty, someone asked what a particular stalagmite weighed. "That one is about three hundred pounds, and if you think you can carry it, you can have it." That probably wasn't a good thing to say to college sophomores. Half an hour later, as were completing the tour, the guide saw that two of us were carrying the calcium deposit with us. "Hey, you can't take that!", he said. The rest of the group said, "Oh yes they can. You said if they'd carry it, they could have it."

Without further implicating anyone, let me just say that it might be that such a "rock" made its way back to Mount Vernon, where for months it was the object of pranks and tricksters. It showed up next to the podium in chapel, in the dining hall, and in several dorm rooms. It made its way to the driver's seat in the president's car, and in the office seat of the college business manager. From there it say in front of the student union, and as far as I know, it is still buried about four feet down under the sidewalk at the northwest corner of that building. There are precious few pictures of it, and early college administrators were a little hesitant to publish/document its presence, but it's there.

In that quartet were J. Michael Crabtree - now of SNU, John Poling - now pastoring on the Pittsburgh District and a frequent naznet lurker, Dan Jackson, Harry McNamara, and yours truly. The task of keeping those guys in line was more than I could do. hehehe

[Jim Franklin]

J. Michael Crabtree was one of my students at BNC as was his wife Cheryl Wallace.

[Jim Franklin]

Another college prank was that a car load of guys drove to a residential intersection under a street light, got out and started a noisy ruckus to attract attention until they saw the blinds open in nearby houses, used a track starters pistol to shoot a dummy, dumped it in the car trunk with one arm hanging out and drove off. As far as I know that murder is still a cold case for the Nampa Police Department.

[Russell Metcalfe]

Today, January 15, is Steve Nease's birthday. I know a few SWN stories-- actually my first summer travelling for ENC was also Steve's first- and we left ENC in the school DeSoto--it was 1951- SWN was only 20-somthing but we were college kids so he was "old" . . . those were the days, my friend, I thought they'd never end . . . la la la
What a guy!

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

If you want to hear some more outrageous pranks, just talk with Fred Huff or Tom Cook.

[Vivian Cornwell]

I have some choir tour stories but I didn't go to a Nazarene college so I guess they don't qualify or wouldn't be of interest to Nazarenes.

[Dennis M. Scott]

I have some choir tour stories but I didn't go to a Nazarene college so I guess they don't qualify or wouldn't be of interest to Nazarenes.


Oh yeah?! PLEASE let us in on them. We desperately need some new blood! Nazarene stories get passed to all the schools, and we think we're so smart. Let us in on a broader perspective.

[Dennis M. Scott]

Hey Russ, were you a part of the quartet where the voluptuous gal in the front row of church who while the quartet was singing decided it was time to nurse her youngest? I wasn't there, but what I heard was that wide eyed male quartet members have trouble remembering the words. When Steve got up to preach, the quartet guys seemed a little distracted.

[Dennis M. Scott]

J. Michael Crabtree was one of my students at BNC as was his wife Cheryl Wallace.

Mike had/has an affinity for medical conditions. He also is an intense pianist. One time the blood vessels in his wrists burst while he was playing the piano. His room was affectionately known as the infirmary. One night someone knocked on his door, and when he answered, he was wrapped from head to toe in those tan ace bandages.

Just a few years ago, Loren Gresham said of Mike, "He's always sick, but right now he's throwing kidney stones. How do you fake that?!"

Cheryl is one of the kindest persons in the world. Mike's another one of us that married up.

[Cindi Hammons]

Okay Dennis...cough it up! What building was the "student union?" The Cougar Den? I know the school has changed quite a lot from the days of you "Pioneers", but I'd surely like to know where this stalagtite is buried! We didn't have a building called the "student union," so needless to say, I'm a little curious.

FYI, I was voted class co-prankster my senior year...the stories I could tell. BTW, my co-prankster is now a professor at Asbury.

[Dennis M. Scott]

What has now been relabled the Hyson Campus Center has been around since that first year. It has consistently housed student services, and that first year almost anything else that needed a roof over it.

[Cindi Hammons]

Near the steps going down to the North entry? Okay, now I'm laughing pretty hard! My roommate and I had our pictures taken with our mothers near that very spot the night of the Mother-Daughter Banquet. Little did I know that I was standing over the very spot where a crime was being concealed! :) Good one, Dennis.

You know, the sad thing is that I have forgotten more pranks I was involved in than I remember. I should had kept a written record of the stuff we did. No...it's probably best that I didn't. :)

[Dennis M. Scott]

We kinda see it as the college keeping safe a national treasury, rather than a concealed crime.

[Teresa Baker]

FYI, I was voted class co-prankster my senior year...the stories I could tell. BTW, my co-prankster is now a professor at Asbury.[/QUOTE]

Please Cindi, tell me who it was! I have a pretty good idea. A prof at ATS or Asbury College? I know an MVNC alum prof at both.

[Cindi Hammons]

Oh no! You mean I need to tell? Let me just say that he teaches and writes a lot about youth pastoring and has recently taken up running marathons. I don't think I'll say anything else. But if you do talk to him, tell him Cindi said "Hi" and ask him how his car got on the stage of the MPB/chapel.:)

[Teresa Baker]

Okay I figured it out, mostly based on your age. I will most likely have a class with him in the next year or so. And I will see him at the my next ministerial credentials interview. Maybe I should bring up his car in my interview to lighten the mood:basic03

[Robin Hatcher]

Oh no! You mean I need to tell? Let me just say that he teaches and writes a lot about youth pastoring and has recently taken up running marathons. I don't think I'll say anything else. But if you do talk to him, tell him Cindi said "Hi" and ask him how his car got on the stage of the MPB/chapel.:)

I think I remember that "event" my Freshman year in the good ole MPB before the days of the chapel. I never heard who was behind that :) or if I did I forgot :laughing

[Robin Hatcher]

I have some choir tour stories but I didn't go to a Nazarene college so I guess they don't qualify or wouldn't be of interest to Nazarenes.

I think they would still be interesting - its always fun to hear what mischief people have been up to and to know what they are capable of in case there is a chance meeting :laughing

[Cindi Hammons]

Robin, even after 20 years, my lips are sealed! :)

[Vivian Cornwell]

Oh yeah?! PLEASE let us in on them. We desperately need some new blood! Nazarene stories get passed to all the schools, and we think we're so smart. Let us in on a broader perspective.

My stories are far less exciting than yours. Here is one. We were out in Iowa on choir tour. My friend and I stayed overnight in a two story farm house out in the country. Two male friends from the choir were also staying on a farm near by. After the choir concert we went to our host homes. The boys hosts loaned the boys their car. They arranged with us to pick us up at 1 AM. We had snacks with our host family and then bid them goodnight. Our bedroom was on the front of the house. We watched out the window. Soon a car quietly came up the lane. We carefully sneaked down the creaky wooden steps one at a time and out the door.

Now can you imagine this if you were a host to young college students? To top it off, my roommate was the daughter of the pastor of the largest church in the denomination and the church had a radio program that these people listened to all of the time. I was the sister-in-law of the college choir director. Our hosts knew who we were.

Back to the story. The boy's hosts told the boys there was a fishing pond on the farm with fishing equipment near the pond. We were going to go fishing. Also, there was a tractor near the road. We drove to where the tractor was and walked/rode to where the pond was located. The fishing equipment was old and rusty. We really didn't do much fishing. A cow came along checking us out. I don't know why it wasn't in the barn. These boys weren't our boyfriends so we were just out for a fun time. We sat looking at the pond. The one boy put his arm around me and tried to give me a kiss but I resisted. When he signed my yearbook later that year he said, "Good luck to a dumb fisherman." I had dated his college roommate earlier (not the choir roommate) and I doubt he really had any romantic interest in me. He became a minister. I believe the other guy is also a minister. I haven't kept very good track since I changed denominations to Nazarene. My roommate was very successful in life also and a good Christian.

Anyhow after our adventure we carefully crept up the steps and into bed for the rest of the night. Not a word was said about our adventure at the breakfast table so as far as we know, our hosts had no idea we left the house in the middle of the night. Now, after we were gone, I wonder if the boys hosts mentioned to the other hosts that they loaned their car to the boys to go pick up some girls from the choir in the middle of the night???

By the way, my brother-in-law was not on that choir tour and had no idea about this little adventure until about 3 years ago when I told him the story. The reason he was not on the tour was because of appendicitis. We were all on the bus early in the morning ready to leave on the tour and he was not there yet. Soon a car drove up. It was my sister telling the choir that my brother-in-law had gone to the hospital in the middle of the night and was having surgery. One of the other music professors came with us on the tour. We practiced music on the bus the whole day so that he could become familiar with the music. Then we practiced when we got to the church. We were an acappella choir so didn't need piano or music tracks like groups today need.

How would you feel if you were hosting girl college students in your home and they sneaked out of the house with boys during the night? It wasn't a very smart thing to do but it was all innocent fun. We all turned into responsible Christian adults also.

[Cindi Hammons]

Sure you were "fishing." So that's what they called it back then! Ha!

[Mike Schutz]

I spent 20 years traveling to camps and churches representing one of our colleges, so I have several stories. For 16 years I directed the summer ministry program, so I also received letters and phone calls from frustrated and disappointed members of the constituency.
I have several that involve the great sin of "mixed bathing:"
• The lady that invited the travel group (3 males, 2 females) to her home after the service to use her swimming pool. A week later I received a letter from her (pictures included) decrying the immorality of the young people for swimming together.
•The camp caretaker who explained at the beginning of every teen camp that the reason why males and females could not swim together was because the pool was too small, who then called the D.S. and reported the college group (2 males, 3 females) for using the pool together on the day between camps, when no one else was on the camp ground.

Or the time I sat at a table in the dining hall at a district family camp, and was asked the question: "Mike, do you think it is okay for pastors to wear shorts in public?" I responded in the affirmative. When I returned to campus the college president showed me a letter from the D.S., accusing me of publicly challenging his authority. Turns out he had just sent out a letter to pastors, warning them of the dangers of immodesty, including wearing shorts in public.

Or the phone call i received from a D.S., concerned that the group we sent to his teen camp included a young man with a tattoo on his leg and a young lady with a piercing. I reminded him that both were from his district and they had the tattoo and piercing when they arrived as students at the college. His response, "Well, I'm just concerned that piercings open up our young people to the Enemy." Not able to control myself, I said, "Wow! I always wondered how Satan got in. It's through a nose ring!" Of course, the next day I was in the president's office, being reminded to show respect to district superintendents.

Or the time I preached at a district teen camp. At the conclusion of the week, I was asked by one of the pastors to have lunch with him in the dining hall in 30 minutes. As I entered the room, I found a group of 6 pastors who were waiting to talk with me. They challenged me on my theology. The core of their challenge: I spent too much time talking about grace and love.

I sure miss those days.

[Judy Hamilton]

I sure miss those days.

I bet you do...not miss those days

Judy

[Russell Metcalfe]

In the summer of 1952 the Crusader Quartet from ENC spent some time on the banks of the Ohio River visiting churches where the sun doesn't shine until 9 am because the hills are so steep. One very small chuch, which by the way had "Chew Mail Pouch" painted on its side toward the road--painted over but clearly visible--opened its front door right on the sidewalk, and Tom Starnes and I went out for a breath of air while Rev. Claude Schlosser, bless his memory, gave the final pull for pledges.
A very small frog hopped by at the moment we stuck our heads out the door and Tom clapped his hand over the frog and it was deposited in a pledge envelope.
When we returned immediately to gather the few pledges that night and carry them to the pulpit, the frog was among the first for Claude Schlosser to open-- and out jumped a greenback.
As I recall he was not amused, which tempered our reactions. Just remembering . . .
Anyone know what church that was with the tobacco sign?

Russ

[John Kennedy]

Don't know whether you've ever heard the story of Albert J. Lown's visit to Bethany in the late 50's. Lown was a Nazarene pastor in Northern Ireland who was on some kind of speaking tour in the US. He visited BNC and spoke to several classes. One was Dr. W.N. King's 'babble and laugh' (oops, I mean Bible and Life) class. After a few brief remarks he opened the time to questions by the students. There were a number of questions about differences in the Naz church between the US and Great Britain ("why did many Nazarene pastors there wear clerical collars, etc?) finally someone asked if the British Isles church allowed 'mixed bathing'. Lown quickly replied, "Oh my no! But we've no objection to mixed swimming." That pretty well ended business-as-usual for the day.
'Those were the days, my friend......"

[Mike Schutz]

I bet you do...not miss those days

Judy

Honestly, I do. I LOVED working with some of the greatest young people in the world as they gave their time and energy to ministry. In fact, I had lunch with several of them during my visit to Nazarene Theological Seminary over the last two weeks.

As for the stories I shared above, and many others, you just learn to laugh.

[John Kennedy]

Wanted to say thanks, but for some reason, the 'Thanks' button seem's to have disappeared.

[Gary Swartzlander]

Wanted to say thanks, but for some reason, the 'Thanks' button seem's to have disappeared.

Give it a "Thumbs Up" and it says Thanks.