APB - TWO CHARACTERS!

It was a typical RT Sunday evening. We all road the bus from CBC down to the HQ chapel to practice and record our radio broadcast. You remember the routine. We would rehearse, pray and then Brother Beam would start the clock and off we’d go with “All Hail the Power”. When the proper time came Brother Beam would cue C. M. Ward and he would move to the pulpit and wait for the sign to start preaching.

Seems like we produced a live broadcast and then a recorded broadcast. Everything seemed so normal that night… to us. Oh, there was the added benefit of some folks visiting from my home church in Des Moines. Witnesses! Ugh!

Something happened that dreadful Sunday night that really surprised us and haunts us to this very day.

After the radio broadcast, the choir all filed down as usual, into the audience to hear some final words from Brother Ward - remember? ... that’s when he would take a seed offering for the broadcast.

That unusual night, Jim Ayers (now pastor in Salt Lake City, Utah and Assistant Superintendent of the Rocky Mountain District) happened to be standing by me in the loft and then sat down by me on the edge of the middle isle in the chapel.

We both were watching, as Brother Ward got very excited and baptized a lady on the front row with some holy saliva. (He was well known for his ability to sprinkle the front row when he preached.)

Even after the baptism, the lady did not budge. She sat motionless, frozen in place, until Brother Ward moved over to another section. Then she quickly got her hanky out of her purse and rubbed her hanky all over her face, drying off as best she could. Jim and I chuckled at the lady. It really was funny. Most of the audience saw it too and laughed with us.

I confess ... It still sounds funny!

Well, at that very moment Brother Ward turned and looked in our direction and said,
“YOU TWO CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN MESSING AROUND ALL NIGHT!”
Jim and I, in sync turned around to look who was behind us, causing Brother Ward to get so upset. Looking behind us, was not what Brother Ward expected, he moved even closer and was then looking right at us. That’s when he turned up the heat. We had no choice but to take his tongue lashing. It was a very embarrassing moment for both of us. At the end of that broadcast time, Brother Mac picked up his violin and headed out of the chapel very quickly.

FYI: On that particular night, we had not been up to anything out of the ordinary, really! I know that most of you would agree that on other occasions, C.M. could have been right on target. But on that night, with people from home and others looking on, we took the heat for somebody. Jim got so scorched, he was ready to resign from the tenor section.

We really don’t know what really took place.

CSI – we could really use your help!

I do remember that Donny Morphis, Dwight Westover and Ernie White were up on those risers too. Maybe C.M. just misplaced his madness that night?

No one ever “fessed up” (I learned that phrase living down south) to being the real culprits.

Now Dwight Westover has gone on to heaven, only Donny or Ernie or____? knows the truth.

This is The Moment of Truth!
Is there anyone out there who will tell the truth?

Consider this an APB (All Points Bulletin) for Two Characters last seen in 1971 during an RT Broadcast.

If you know their identity and their whereabouts please turn them in ASAP.
Anonymous testimony will be accepted.

T&J