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Southwest Division’s Sonoran Brass visits Kayenta Bible Church.
by Ralph Pearce –
Divisional Music Director Ralph Pearce and Dale Taggart outside the Kayenta Bible Church in |
The Southwest Division’s Sonoran Brass commemorated Veterans Day by visiting the Kayenta Bible Church in Kayenta, Arizona.
Earlier this year, New Frontier reported on the ministry connection between the Southwest Division’s music department and the Kayenta Bible Church—a mission to the Navajos (New Frontier, Vol. 24 No. 4, March 4, 2006).
Kayenta, located in the area known as the “Gateway to Monument Valley,” is the site of the Code Talkers Museum, and thus was an appropriate location for a Veterans Day concert. The Navajo Code Talkers were World War II soldiers who used the Native American language to fool enemy troops, primarily in the Pacific Theater. The music reflected the military nature of the Army ministry and included the cornet trio “The Veterans,” “The Roll Call,” “Deeds of Valor,” and “Great and Glorious,” as well as a tuba solo performed by Warren Andreasen and a euphonium solo performed by Art Wycoff—both veterans of the US military.
The concert included a time of tribute to veterans past and present.
The Reverend Harold Taggart and his wife, Dale, established the Kayenta Bible Church many years ago. Since the death of Reverend Harold, Mrs. Taggart has attended the church. Prior to the band’s playing of Kenneth Downie’s “The Father’s Blessing,” Mrs. Taggart shared her testimony, revealing that nearly 70 years ago, as a young girl on a farm in western Pennsylvania, she would travel by horse and cart to the nearby town of Washington, Penn. It was there that she first encountered the gospel through the playing of The Salvation Army band of the local corps.
Doubtless those soldiers of long ago couldn’t have had any idea of the long-term effect of their ministry in that open air service. Mrs. Taggart’s Christian witness is well known in this part of northern Arizona. It was certainly a challenge to the present-day Salvationists there to be faithful in our ministry—and perhaps, as Major Harry Lacey (Phoenix Citadel) challenged us in the Sunday morning address, to stand up and be counted and confront the world that is seeking to keep us on the fringes of society, comfortable in our citadels and churches.