In 1999, after I had left North Shore Community Church, Anne-Marie
and I were part of Calvary Chapel South, a small church-plant on the south
side of St. Petersburg. Calvary Chapel had a huge church on the north side.
We were a small group pastored by Mark Copple. His wife, Loretta, was a
gifted singer-songwriter with a solo album recorded in Russia while they were missionaries there. We initially met at Boyd Hill Park, which was almost like having church outside (it was marvelous), later did some time at a hotel, a
longer time in a funeral home, then a Taekwondo dojo, and, finally, (for us
anyway), an elementary school auditorium near the beach. From the get-go,
we had an abundance of fine musicians, and an especially gifted worship
leader in the person of Dave Dodge, who later became a pastor at the big
Calvary Chapel in north St. Pete. He was constantly writing new songs.
And we all marveled.
Even before this, Dave Dodge and Don Morris had a Christian band
called Barnabas that I became unofficially part of. I mean, I never got a hat
with the band's name on it, but I did get to add some Americana color to the
mix with my dobro and mandolin. Barnabas was described as a folk–rock
group, comprised of the musicians from church, except that Barnabas included Don & Wendy Morris, who had stayed on at Calvary Chapel North. So I got to
be the guitarist at church, and play my minor instruments in Barnabas. My first
gig with them was at a bar in Ybor City. We did many a concert at Florida state prisons, none of which were all that close to us. By that time, Anne-Marie was singing with us too, so it's a blur to me if these outreaches were under the moniker Barnabas or Calvary Chapel South St. Pete Worship Band.
Don played and sang, and his wife, Wendy, sang and played accordion.
Her instrument was superlative in the mix with guitars and mandolin. As for her
singing, she can break your heart with her voice. Marcia is Dave's wife, and
Lynn their daughter. Lynn married the drummer, Ben Schantz, who passed away recently from cancer. Lynn also has a voice we really love. There were several
bass players over time, including myself. I also played some piano on a record-
ing we did. Oh, and a wedding!
I don't know if this
photo is Barnabas or Calvary Chapel South because I'm playing guitar, and Don and Wendy Morris aren't there. I know by the
tent that this was at
an art show on the
south side. I remember the sound guys playing a Keith Urban CD during break, the first time I'd ever heard of him.
Is this a clue for
determining a date?
Sometime during these
years, Marcia Dodge hired
me to create a CD from
a stack of cassette tapes
she gave me. They were
recordings from Sunday
worship services as they
came through the mixing
board, so there was no
fancy studio stuff going on.
I did my best to clean
them up with the primitive
tools I had. Maybe you had
to be there, but I still listen
to these from time to time
and I'm always ministered to.
1. Be Being Filled
2. By Grace I Am Saved
4. Come, Let Us Sing For Joy
7. A Holy Thing
8. I Will Glorify You
9. House On The Rock
11. You Are God, You Are King
15. The King Is Mighty
16. Could My Eyes Stay Dry
17. O Lord, Our Lord
All songs written by Dave Dodge
and posted with permission