Posted by TAY on 12/15/2001, 8:46 pm

Posted by Tom Ashley Young on 10/19/2001, 5:39 am , in reply to "and in speaking candidly with George Bowker when he had to remove all but Linda Hamill tapes" I was hired as Audio/Video Supervisor at CCBTC in October of 1987. Shortly after, you may recall Sandy Willis and George Bowker started giving presentations in the sanctuary regarding music. In the early stages, Don interjected a closing comment while George was giving his portion of a presentation (I think it was session 3 or 4). In short, this ended the Bowker/Willis music presentations. I was asked by George Bowker the next day to come into his office. Mine was next to the tape library (still in the same location to this day), and George's was next to (adjacent to) the Recording Studio. He sat me down and, without saying a word, presented me a list of songs/tapes to pull from the six key areas around the campus - it was an axeing of over 1/2 of all CCBTC songs! I looked up at him and said, "When?" He simply stated, "Now." I basically had a massive cassette tape dumpster toting that day, but due to the numbing of my emotions that was going on (I wasn't sure how to pinpoint what I was sensing and feeling), I just did as I was told. ---------- I Am Still Confused Here Posted by Richard E. on 10/19/2001, 5:46 am , in reply to "Re: and in speaking candidly with George Bowker when he had to remove all but Linda Hamill tapes" I understand that George told you to remove all these tapes but why? Were they too wordly, too intimate or what? Was it because Don wanted them removed and, if so, why? Were these music tapes that were sold or some of the "black market" tapes that were passed around and copied? I really do not ever remember a mass removal of worship tapes, especially the ones that were sold at the store or at the counters outside the sanctuary. ---------- Posted by Tom Ashley Young on 10/19/2001, 10:00 am , in reply to "I Am Still Confused Here" Sorry you are still confused Richard (and anyone else reading this). Let me first say this: When on staff at CCBTC, you got to see a lot of things that the congregation did not, or was not even aware of. George Bowker basically was ordered by Don Barnett to remove many of the tapes. He also 'did as he was told' (reluctantly written on his face.' In fact, to this day, I remember the day after he left CCBTC, going into his office, and finding only one item in the top pull-out desk drawer - a cassette sermon copy of "Worship, by Don Barnett." I left it there, but one might wonder what George was trying to say in leaving that tape there. No, the tapes removed were not the black market tapes, although I had access to plenty of them. They were the ones that had previously been approved by the CCBTC General Management (whatever that means) for us to be 'ok to listen to' (remember: Genesis Bookstore was one example of an anathema place for us to visit). Many of these tapes were also being sold as "loop tapes" in the CCBTC bookstore up until the great removal. But if you were to ask me what the specific titles were, I would have to defer to someone like (eg) Lanny, as I simply do not recall. Hope this unconfuses things a bit. If not, post again, and I'll try again. ---------- Thanks Tom! Posted by Richard E. on 10/20/2001, 7:32 am , in reply to "Re: I Am Still Confused Here" for the clarification. ---------- Posted by Keith on 10/19/2001, 9:11 pm , in reply to "Re: and in speaking candidly with George Bowker when he had to remove all but Linda Hamill tapes" I knew George at the time and I don't remember the specifics as Tom described but I do remember certain music being banned. One time at church I remember George speaking from the pulpit listing a bunch of songs that Don didn't think were appropriate. If I remember right George was playing excerpts and on one song Don said that one is o.k. (Or something like that) and George got a little mad (from the pulpit) and said something like that's not what you said. It seemed to be a very subjective standard that only Don could understand. It was at a time George felt that God had spoke to him concerning music in a way that broadened what was o.k. (drums etc). I remember he had written a letter to Don explaining his position and was really concerned about bringing it in just the right way. Don didn't accept what he brought. Just a few thoughts from my memory. ---------- Posted by Chris W on 10/20/2001, 4:16 am , in reply to "Re: and in speaking candidly with George Bowker when he had to remove all but Linda Hamill tapes" George was clearly going by the directive Don gave him that Sunday morning, and George did NOT agree with Don (that only the songs on that "list" were anointed and all the others weren't and therefore needed to be pulled). Unfortunately, George was between a rock and a hard place and decided to submit rather than stand up and fight a losing battle. (And I’m assuming there was too much at stake in George’s mind because by that time, Don and the elders were having their secret meetings about Don's sexual sins.) I believe I remember George saying something to David Hunt and me (we all worked together in the studio) prior to this Sunday that he was going to let the congregation know (although he'd have to be subtle) that he was speaking FOR Don, not for himself. That's why he made such a brazen comment from the pulpit and let his dismay be shown (in Keith’s post). Now that I think back on that particular chain of events, it's sick how that one man had us all acting like a bunch of puppets. George was clearly qualified to do a fine job of leading music ministry but Don had to stick his fingers in the pot and mess things up. He had to have music that lifted him emotionally, because spiritually, he was full of sin and pride and couldn't get there that way (through the spirit). It's sick, and it's still sick after all these years. This week I went to the Christian bookstore to pick up some sheet music. I've really been soaking it up -- all the wonderful music that's out there for worship -- and I'm incorporating a lot of it into the praise and worship I lead at my church. I was struck by how wonderful it must be for these musicians to have their songs everywhere -- both on CD and in written form -- to share with others! I thanked the Lord that these people had the support they needed to get their music out to the masses. What a shame Community Chapel didn't do the same. Now I realize that we were ahead of our time as far as leading worship. (I didn’t see this until Dave Kenady mentioned it not too long ago on another thread.) We were doing it while a lot of these current musicians were in diapers! Here I am leading worship – something that seems to be in vogue these days in the church – but yet I was equipped to do it 20-some years ago at Community Chapel! What a shame that we couldn’t be where I now believe God wanted us to be!