Trust Quartet Is In Celebration Mode!

The Original Trust Quartet 1994

It was during a Wednesday night prayer meeting in March of 1994 in an Okeechobee church that the name Trust was confirmed for a new quartet. The pastor of the church was speaking from Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding..." There have been many who have passed through the 'Halls of Trust Quartet' since then, but through it all Buzz and Beverly Beasley have remained focused and committed to spreading the Gospel through music.

That was 20 years ago! Back then, the average cost of a new house was just over $119,000 and the average annual income was $37,000. A loaf of bread was $1.59 and a dozen eggs were 86 cents. A gallon of gas was ~ wait for it ~ $1.09! Bill Clinton was President of the U.S, and in the hot news / political arena: NAFTA and the Whitewater scandal investigations began. It was 1994 when America watched the pursuit of the white bronco being driven by O. J. Simpson in Los Angeles. What movies did you see? You might have watched The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, or The Lion King on the big screen.

In the world of Southern Gospel music, odds are, you listened to the Cathedrals Quartet. They were voted America's favorites then. In fact, not only were they voted the Singing News Favorite Artist, all five members of that group won the Singing News Fan Award for their respective parts: Ernie Haas, tenor; Glen Payne, lead; Scott Fowler, baritone; George Younce, bass; and Roger Bennett, pianist. Gold City did take the favorite album (Pillars of Faith) that year and the McKameys came away with the favorite song (Arise).

We all know what Buzz and Beverly were doing in 1994. They were busy trying to get this quartet off the ground. I asked Spence and Rhonda what they remember doing in 1994. During the early part of the year, Spence, his wife, Karen, and their daughter Elaine and her husband, Bobby were on the evangelistic field full time. They were traveling across the country singing and preaching to anyone who would listen. It was later that year they decided to get back into local church ministry and Spence began work in New Smyrna Beach, FL as Associate Pastor of a Assembly of God church.

Rhonda tells me she was waiting tables at a local Okeechobee restaurant while chasing three kids under 10 years old.

As for me, I was involved in my first pastorate just outside Nashville, Tennessee. My youngest daughter, Abby, joined our family in 1994, so we were making lots of transitions.

Trust Quartet gathering for our Going Home photo shoot

But today, we are all together ~ and in Celebration Mode! Saturday night, we'll celebrate Twenty Years of Trust Quartet! I hope you're making plans to be with us at the Okeechobee Church of God on 4th Street behind McDonald's. We'll start the celebration at 6:00 PM. Come early for a good parking place and a seat!