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Local church to host musical workshop

 The Grambling Gospel Music Workshop will sponsor its fifth music workshop   on May 31- June 3.  This workshop will benefit pastors, musicians, choirs and others. The host church will be Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Grambling, Louisiana, Rev. Anthony C. Slack, pastor. 

The workshop is designed to bring churches together to strengthen their music ministry for effective worship and to educate the youth and young adults on the importance of keeping gospel music alive.   

Prentiss Lewis

Prentiss Lewis

Presenters will be Pastor Calvin B. Rhone, Ricky B. Davis, and Reverend Prentiss E. Lewis. The workshop will culminate with a concert at the church on Friday, June 3 at 7 p.m., featuring “The Grambling Gospel Music Workshop Choir.” 

Registration and other forms may be downloaded from the website gramblinggmw.wix.com. Registration fees are: adults- $25, youth and young adults (ages 6-17)-$10. Church groups: 2-15 participants-$100, 16-30 participants -$150, 31-50 participants -$200, and 51 or more participants -$250.       

Registration deadline: May 16 and late registration begins May 17. Individual, youth and young adults, church groups adults – $30, no late fee and additional persons $5.

Rev. Prentiss E. Lewis, founder of Grambling Gospel Music Worksop  is a native of Grambling, Louisiana and the son of the late L.C. and Peccolia Lewis. As a young man, he was inspired musically by his father, who was a popular gospel quartet singer. His father saw his musical potential and began developing and grooming Prentiss to sing gospel music. 

Pastor Lewis began singing publicly at the age of five. He attended Grambling High School and at the age of 15, he competed in the Tri-State High School Vocal Competition winning “Tri-State Vocalist of the Year.” His father dubbed him “The Songster”: A singer sings. A Songster interprets the songs and makes it his own. Prentiss was called by God to Preach the Gospel and he accepted the calling. In 1991, he was called to pastor the Greater Starlight Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. In 2000, Lewis released his first album, “A Mellow Christmas”, under his independent ministry label, Treasures of Grace, Inc. Pastor Lewis’ debut Gospel Album, “Songs in the Key of Salvation”, was released in 2005. In December 2010, he released the Christmas single, “He’s the King of Kings” (which he wrote and produced). Two of his most recent songs, Ordinary Man and Lord, You Are Evermore Faithful were introduced as part of his live recording in Grambling  June 2012. Because He Loves Me, one of the most loved songs from “Songs in the Key of Salvation”, was also penned by Lewis. In 2006, he was awarded the “Gospel Entertainer of the Year Award” by the City of Carson Chamber of Commerce. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity Degrees from St. Thomas and St. Stephens Bible Colleges in recognition of his many years of outstanding service and leadership in the areas of Christian education and evangelistic ministry. 

Ricky Davis

Ricky Davis

       Brother Ricky Bruce Davis, the elder of two sons, was born in Arcadia, Louisiana to Mr. and Mrs. Elson and Georgia Mae Davis.  Both parents are now deceased.

He is the father of one son, Marcus Trevino Davis. Ricky was reared in a “Christian” home.  He was trained as a child in the way he should go by his parents, grandparents, extended family and the community. The influence of his early training has remained center stage in his life. 

His college education included Louisiana Tech and Grambling State Universities and further study attending additional classes and workshops. He sang with Revis Archie and the Gospel Voices; joined the original Gospellettes in 1965; played for the Goree Gospel Singers in 1968; played for the Pilgrim Rest and New Friendship Baptist Churches in 1965; served as music director for 13 years for the Louisiana Leadership Training School and Monroe District of the CME Church; organized the Arcadia Community Choir in 1980 along with Mrs. Faye Millican; also organized the first Black Gospel Choir at Louisiana Tech University in 1971; organized the first City and Area Wide Choir in 1974 and has worked with it for 37 years; worked with the Gumsprings Association Mass Choir for 31 years; worked with the Springhill Baptist Church Choir for 40 years and the Zion Traveler Baptist Church for 45 years and currently works with the Second Chance Church which is an outreach prison ministry sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Arcadia.

Some of his accomplishments and honors include:  listed in Outstanding Young Men of America in 1986; received certification in Shape Note Music from Bi-State Singing Convention of Louisiana and Arkansas, Grambling State University Martin Luther King Drum Major Award for Community Service in 2001; and the Golden Globe Award in Minister of Music for Outstanding Contributions to Lincoln Parish in 2005.  

Ricky is employed by the Pine Belt Head Start as Itinerant Music and Drama Teacher in Red River, Winn, Jackson and Bienville Parishes. He is known as the “Traveling Musician and Storytelling Teacher.” 

 Pastor Calvin B. Rhone is a native of Los Angeles, California. He has traveled in and out of the country for more than 30 years, singing, preaching, playing piano, and conducting Gospel Music Workshops. London, England and Japan have received him well and requested him to return. As a songwriter, he has blessed the nation with many songs recorded by the late Rev. James Cleveland, Tramaine Hawkins, Daryl Coley, Albertina Walker, Esther Smith, The Mass Choir of the GMWA, the Los Angeles Gospel Messengers, and many others. He was introduced as a solo artist on CGI records in 1992. Dr. Bobby Jones dubbed him, “Mr. Live in Me Jesus,” “Allelujah, Praise Jehovah,” “It’s In The Praise,” “Jerusalem,” “I Really Love You,” and many other compositions.   

Calvin Rhone

Calvin Rhone

 Many choirs, gospel groups, soloists, and even congregations sing his music all over the country. Most importantly, Calvin B. Rhone is the organizing Pastor-Teacher of Hope of Glory Christian Center of Los Angeles. His motto is Jeremiah 3:15 “…I will give you pastors according to my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding…” 

His revelation is “…Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Col. 1:27). Pastor Calvin Rhone says, “The more people are learning and living the Mind of Christ, the more Christ will be present in the community.” That’s what he strives after, teaching and developing folk in the Mind of Christ. “I strive to stamp out biblical illiteracy and spiritual ignorance. We are developing people to exhibit the glory of Christ in daily living, through knowledge. 

If you have any concerns, please contact Sandra Hudson @318-394-7080/318-247-6723 or Patsy Williams @ 318-548-0205/318-255-2380. Send emails to sandrahudson5542@yahoo.com or pwilliams2380@bellsouth.net.