Joy Messengers
Formed by lifelong musicians and soulmates John O. Senior and Nancy Kimmons, the group traces its origins to late summer 2005 after its predecessor (the “Chronicles of Grace” band whose eponymous album was released in 2004) was disbanded following the departure from St. John’s of principal members Dave and Betsy (Capers) Exeley, as well as Mike Glaser, Michael Baughman, and Andrew Urbina, who moved from the area and on to the next chapters of their lives.
The Chronicles of Grace band formed in 2002 as the idea of including alternative* music in the traditional service gradually became accepted, and growing support subsequently led to the idea of holding a second “New Worship” service (with an alternative* format) following the traditional service on Sunday mornings. The experiment was a success and found solid support in a surprisingly wide cross section of the congregation while it continued, but some concerns gradually emerged about unintentionally creating a minor division within the church family by having two separate services.
In consultation with pastor Victor Wilson during the summer of 2005, it was decided that the second service approach had run its course, and that alternative* musical expressions should be included on a regular basis in the primary 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship service. Nancy and John worked on putting together a new group, initially recruiting the Moorhead family (Coralie and her daughter Greta on vocals, and Scott on rhythm guitar), and starting to perform in November 2005.
After the new group had been playing for a while, organist and music director Jane Wilson asked what name should be used to identify the group when it performed, and John suggested that “Joy Messengers” would be a particularly apt name for a group whose primary purpose was sharing the joy of music.
In the following years, the Joy Messengers welcomed singers Lauren Feldman, Lisa Howell and her late husband Mike Ruhl, and subsequently, singers Linda Duncan and Pam Shafer. Most recently, Troy Fisher (ukulele, rhythm guitar, and vocals) has become a regular member of the group.
Along the way, a number of talented younger musicians have performed with the group on an occasional basis, including Charlie Dalrymple, Brendan Bird, Kat Duncan, Evelyn Marvin, and others.
The group has provided a supportive and inclusive context for an expanding set of people who love music and enjoy performing with and for others to grow together as they share the special experience of being bandmates.
Starting with the Strawberry Festival in June 2008, the Joy Messengers were invited to perform at selected special events, typically held outdoors, and the idea of enlarging the group with more musicians, and expanding the repertoire to include a variety of popular music favorites with positive themes, led to the Joy Messengers Big Band. This expanded version of the band has maintained the enduring tradition of staging an annual concert in September at what was known for years as the “Burger Corn Roast” and since 2016 has been called the “Fall Festival” — joined by an impressive array of very talented guest musicians and performing a remarkably diverse assortment of engaging joyful songs.
* The term ”alternative” in this context refers to musical styles that depart from the familiar hymns sung with organ or piano accompaniment typically found in traditional worship services. More contemporary songs featuring guitars, keyboards, accordions, percussion, and other instruments are an example.