Claiborne deputies minister their faith through gospel music

By GINA STAFFORD

794 words

6 February 1998

10:19 AM

Associated Press Newswires

APRS

English

(c) 1998. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

TAZEWELL, Tenn. (AP) - The Holy Bible says the peacemakers shall be called the children of God.

As a member of a gospel-singing group of law enforcement officers, Kelly Anders also liked "The Peacemakers" as a name for the band.

Not to mention the moniker is a lot snappier than the group's former name: the Claiborne County Sheriff's Department deputy sheriffs' quartet.

Chief Deputy Anders is one of four Claiborne Sheriff's officers who form the group's core. A common interest in ministering to others through "old Southern bluegrass gospel" is its unpaid purpose.

Today, they star in their own weekly live radio show on Tazewell's WCTU-FM 94.1. They also sing at fund-raisers, church services and special events.

"We started this a year and nine months ago," Anders said. "We'd done two or three programs on Saturday nights at Turner Music down in New Tazewell calling ourselves by that other kind of long-winded name, when a lady came up to suggest we call ourselves `The Peacemakers.' "

When a man approached Anders with the same suggestion at church the next morning, the name became official.

"And besides, it's a better name than the one I thought up: `Guns for God,' " joked Sgt. David Honeycutt, the group's bass singer and lead guitarist.

"Because he can't harmonize," the others concur with a laugh, Anders pretty much sings lead or not at all, and he plays rhythm guitar. Deputy Vic Graves plays dobro, lead guitar and sings baritone. Sgt. Sonny Brock plays mandolin and sings tenor. Between them, they have some 25 years' experience in law enforcement.

Since the radio show's inception, it's been on every Sunday from 5 to 6 p.m. And according to Anders, lining up original sponsors was as easy going on patrol.

"A couple of us were just out in the cruiser one day and as we stopped in some businesses, we mentioned the idea and found 11 sponsors within 21/2 hours. We got three more the same way the next day," he said.

Since then, sponsorship has stayed steady and - based on the number of song requests called in - the audience has grown, Anders said. On the air, the group thanks listeners by name and invites prayer for the ill. But even when the music stops, the mission goes on.

The group considers themselves extensions of a Christian ministry started two years ago for the jail by Pastor Mark Roberts of Tazewell Baptist Church. The officers credit the effort - which includes helping inmates obtain high school equivalency diplomas - with putting a stop to jail breaks, fights and "making moonshine out of fruit cocktail."

On the job, they say, faith is as important as the badge.

"We may have to take somebody to jail when we arrest them, but we're also going to be praying for them," Graves said.

Eight inmates have become Christians through Sunday, when the most recent was baptized at Duncan Chapel Baptist. Honeycutt attends the church and said inmate Rick Davis wasn't the first inmate invited to Sunday services and won't be the last.

"I've never had one run off from me in a church house yet," Honeycutt said.

Davis, 43, of Middlesboro, Ky., has been jailed since November on fifth-offense DUI and fourth-offense driving on a revoked license. He has four months remaining on his sentence.

"It bothers me some that I'm going from jail to be baptized then back to jail," Davis said. "But it's taken me 43 years to get saved, and I wouldn't want to wait 43 more to get baptized."

A cool breeze blew through the woods outside the white clapboard building while inside, The Peacemakers - dressed in their deputy uniforms - filled the chapel with crisp bluegrass harmonies. An emotional Davis waited to take his plunge as a packed house of more than 100 celebrated.

Plucking away at her stand-up bass, Brock's wife, Karen, added a toe-tapping rhythm to the music. The group's rendition of "Glorified Body" sent tears streaming down the face of Loy Davis, who'd requested the song.

Another request, for "Go Rest High On That Mountain," prompted Anders' explanation that The Peacemakers' version was modified in memory of his late mother. Today is the anniversary of her death.

Following almost an hour of music, a slightly nervous-looking Davis was eased under water by Pastor Steve Moyers. Looking on were Davis' mother, Justine, and brother, Quinton Davis.

"I always believed he'd take the right step one day," Justine Davis said, "and I wouldn't have missed this for anything."

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