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We are really excited to announce that Ray Deaton and The Deaton Agency have come on board to help book the band. Ray and his staff will be booking the bluegrass venues for the group and will be concentrating on expanding The Churchmen's presence at Bluegrass festivals and other Bluegrass venues. We have a lot of great shows already lined up for 2008 and we are really excited about all of the prospects that Ray brings to the band. Ray has a wealth of experience and knowledge and is one of the best known figures in Bluegrass music today. Please contact the Deaton Agency at 1-706-276-3176 or on the web at www.deatonagency.com. The e-mail address is deatonagency@yahoo.com.

We are looking forward to showcasing the new band at the SPBGMA convention early next year. We are scheduled to perform on Friday evening February 1rst 2008. Also we want to thank the fans and friends for again nominating The Churchmen for Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year / Traditional.

Tim Smith has agreed to become the newest member of The Churchmen! Tim is a legendary fiddler player and his reputation certainly precedes him. Tim's style is unique in that he can play everything from old time fiddle tunes to the most complex classical pieces. His versatility allows him to play all styles - beautiful double stops to hard driving fast fiddling! The band welcomes Tim and we are looking forward to a long relationship. We are certainly excited about the new sound of the band and all that Tim brings to the group.

Tim lived in Essex, MD until age 13. During those years he learned to love and play the fiddle from his Grandfather, Kilby Reeves, and two uncles, Tom and Bert Reeves. Tim played classical music and was a first chair violinist during his school years. In the late '60's Tim moved with his family back to his Mother and Father's hometown of Sparta, NC. Tim soon began performing at local functions and became a well known fiddler in the local community.

In 1977 Tim won 1st place fiddle prize at the well known "Galax Fiddlers Convention" in Galax, VA, and in 1978 he won the world championship fiddle prize at the famed "Union Grove Fiddlers Convention" at Union Grove, NC. Tim then worked with the legendary Bluegrass Cardinals and performed as a Bluegrass Boy with Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys. Tim has performed or recorded with a virtual "who's who" of bluegrass music including Lester Flatt and The Nashville Grass, Jim and Jesse and The Virginia Boys, Jim Eanes, Roy Acuff, Mac Wiseman, Charlie Waller and The Country Gentlemen, The Johnson Mountain Boys, Del McCoury, Vassar Clements, Chubby Wise, Jerry Douglas, Bill Emerson, Bobby Hicks, Kenny Baker, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Shenandoah Cut-ups, Tony Rice, The Blue River Boys, John Starling, The Lost and Found, Craig Smith, George and John Shuffler, Blue Ridge, Lou Reid, Larry Stephenson, Ronnie Simpkins, Ricky Simpkins, Terry Baucum, Wayne Benson, Clay Jones, Wes Golding, Hershel Sizemore and numerous others.

Tim married his beautiful wife, Anita in 1982. They have two wonderful children, Melissa 22 and Andrew 15, and reside in Kernersville, NC. He was employed by a major airline for 23 years and recently accepted early retirement. He has his own record label, "TRS Records, Inc.", and a publishing company "Big Baby Boy Music-BMI". He has recorded and released his most recent CD's "Plain and Simple" and "The Lonesome Blueridge" on his label. Tim devotes his time to playing and teaching music, church, and his family. Tim is very passionate about all of this and says "I thank God for giving me the opportunity to do something I enjoy. I am a family man, I love spending time with my family and the love and support I receive from them is simply wonderful"

The Churchmen consists of David Guthrie - guitar and vocals, Freddy Rakes - banjo and vocals, Gerald Harbour - mandolin and vocals, Keith Clark - Bass Fiddle and vocals, and Tim Smith on Fiddle and vocals. We feel really fortunate that God continues to meet our needs and send talented people with great personalities to be in our band. We are really excited about the current configuration of the band and feel that this is the best ever for The Churchmen.

Please read more about Tim in the bio section of our website

Congratulations David and Angela!

Congratulations are in order for David and his lovely wife Angela on the birth of their baby boy! David Andrew Guthrie, Jr. arrived on May 22, 2007 at 10:30 PM. He weighed 9 pounds and was 22 inches long. We are so proud of all of the Guthrie family, and David is certainly a proud Dad.

Congratulations to our dear friends, The Lewis Family, for winning the Dove award for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year at the annual Gospel Music Association awards show on April 25, 2007 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. The Churchmen received their second Dove Award nomination in the same category for their song "Bedside Prayer". It is featured on the group’s latest Pinecastle records release "Traveling Through", and was written by former band member Steven Martin.

The Dove Awards have long been considered to be the most prestigious awards in the Gospel Music Industry and are voted on by the 4500 member Gospel Music Association. Keith Clark of the band says, "It was certainly humbling and exciting to be nominated along side of some of the best of the best in the Bluegrass and Gospel Music field. We are grateful to the folks who voted for us, and we were just thrilled". Other nominees in the category were The Grascals, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Dave Moody, and The Del McCoury Band.

The Churchmen were previously nominated in the category of Bluegrass Album of the Year for their debut Pinecastle Records release, "On The Journey Home", in 2004.

We want to take this opportunity to introduce to you, David Guthrie who came on board in February. David is singing lead and harmony vocals along with handling the guitar duties. David learned The Churchmen material quickly, and his high lead and great tenor voice, along with his hard driving rock solid guitar is a great addition to The Churchmen sound. David has the rare ability to sing with great feeling along with having amazing vocal range. God continues to bless our group with great talent along with great people. David is a great guy, and certainly is no exception.

David amazingly has been playing music only about five years. Three of these spent with Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road. His musical influences are The Louvin Brothers. (mainly Ira Louvin), and Bill Monroe. He lives in Parkton N.C. with his lovely wife Angela, and daughters Briana and Alayna. They are also expecting a baby boy this May. David says "I feel led to this band at this exact point in my life. How the Lord has opened up doors, I know it isn't without a real purpose. I am really excited to become a Churchmen member".

We would also like to again say thanks to Ricky Keen who joined the band in June of 2005. Ricky plays the Resonator Guitar commonly known as a "Dobro". This is the first time that The Churchmen have had a Dobro player on stage even though our recorded projects have included this great instrument in the past. Rick played with other bands during the fall of 2006 but we are thrilled that he has decided to continue making The Churchmen his home. Rick is a very exciting musician and people really love him everywhere that we play. He is fine young man and certainly has been, and will continue to be, another great asset to the band.

We want to say thanks to Charlie Oakley who was with the band during the 2006 season. Charlie joined the band last year and was a great blessing to our group. People love Charlie and we really regret that his work schedule will no longer allow him to be a full time member of the band. Don’t worry though, Charlie will still be friends with the band and has already agreed to play some selected dates when needed to fill in, or just to have fun.

We also want to thank God for his blessings on the band. Keith, Freddy, and Gerald have been together since the group began, and it is truly a blessing to travel with such great people. We believe that we get along better and are closer than any other group on the road and it is really great to be able to say this. We have been really fortunate to have had only a few band member changes in our 17 year history but change is inevitable and we have really been blessed by all the new opportunities that The Lord gives us. God is certainly great and worthy of our praise!

We are really excited about getting into the studio and recording with the new band configuration. We are looking forward to releasing a CD featuring David’s lead vocals mixed with the rest of the guys’ singing and playing. Pinecastle Records has continued our contract for a third project and it is scheduled to be released in the Spring of ’08. As with the last 2 projects we will be recording at Lakeside Studios, and are looking forward to again working with our pal Dale Perry. We are scheduled to be in the studio in August and the plan is to release a single cut to radio later this year. This will be a pre-release to the album to get folks acquainted with the new Churchmen sound. We are currently looking at material and are excited about the prospects of making what will hopefully be our best CD ever.

We are still excited about our last project - "Traveling Through"! Out of the 12 songs - 10 of them are original tunes including songs by Steven Martin, Paul Williams, and Tom T. and Dixie Hall. We feel that we selected songs with great messages and we are pleased with the way they turned out. We think that you will be excited when you hear the new songs and we would like to say thanks again to Dale Perry, our great producer and engineer, Col. Tom Riggs, and all of the great folks down at Pinecastle for the great job supporting our music. Please listen for – and request some of the Churchmen songs on your local station.

We had a great review of the CD in The Singing News , Southern Gospel’s #1 magazine in June. Please e-mail us if you would like a copy of the magazine or if you would like to subscribe.

Also thanks to a couple of DJ’s for picking Churchmen songs as DJ Hot Picks in Bluegrass Now magazine. Thanks to Larry Brooks, Sunday in the South Bluegrass Style, WEJT Syndicated radio for picking "Lord It's a Hard Road Home" and thanks to David Bissell, Powergrass, Syndicated radio in Clarksburg, West Virginia for picking "Bedside Prayer".

Several Churchmen songs from our album have been in the PowerGrass Top Ten Bluegrass Gospel Chart. Thanks again to David Bissell.

"With recent successes, such as chart songs and a Dove award nomination, the Churchmen have really started to hit their stride. Every time they have recorded a new project the group has kept getting closer to perfection. With their new release, Traveling Through, I can say without hesitation they have arrived!

This release has everything you could want in a great bluegrass Gospel CD. They have put together every vocal arrangement possible, including solos, duets, trios and above-average quartet singing. Their vocal blend is simply top notch, and instrumentally they can hold their own with most of the bluegrass big boys." Les Butler, Singing News Magazine

"There is a certain feeling that one expects from a bluegrass gospel recording, and The Churchmen deliver. The lilting melodies and bracing rhythmic drive provide the foundation for the tender heartfelt sentiments of their largely original material. The entertaining and professional Churchmen continue to praise the Lord and sing unto Him a new song. They know that there is no better message than the word of Jesus Christ, they thank God for His guidance, and they hope that their musical mission will lead others to Him." Joe Ross Staff writer, Bluegrass Now

"...I had the pleasure of previewing the new Churchmen CD, and to use a baseball analogy, they hit this one out of the park! Fantastic recording!" - Steve Shaw, WYSO

"As long as there has been bluegrass, there has been bluegrass gospel, and while most groups include a few gospel songs in every set, there are plenty of other acts who perform nothing but gospel, bluegrass style. The Churchmen have been doing just that for a while now, and this new album showcases them as an original band with healthy respect for tradition. Ten of the 12 new songs are original to the band, from contemporary writers like Paul Williams and Tom T. and Dixie Hall, which immediately sets them apart from traditionalists who draw from the rich but limited history of congregational hymns and classic gospel tunes. The musicianship is superb, and the group's vocal harmonies are up to the challenge even of the faster songs like the appropriately jubilant, "Glorious City," making this a disc to enjoy both inside and outside of the church walls" - Kevin Oliver

We would like to take time thank all of you who request our songs each week, and say thanks the DJ's for playing the songs. We are thrilled that our song "Get Onboard" from our previous project "On The Journey Home" has just ended an incredible run on the Bluegrass Now Gospel Truths chart in Bluegrass Now Magazine. It first appeared in the top 20 chart in August 2003 and stayed in the top 20 through April of 2007 making more than 3 ½ years. Amazing! The song also was at #1 in the March 2004 issue. We are very appreciative of such a great achievement and in awe of the blessings of a great God. Again your continued support for us is greatly appreciated!

We have been in touch with the Marketing department at Pinecastle Records quite a bit lately and we are really pleased with some of the recent new touches. New marketing director Ethan Burkhart is doing a great job and we are enjoying working with him. Matt Hood is Radio Promotions director and Ashley Collier-Medley is now handling the tour support duties. Col. Riggs has assembled a great team and they are really working hard to support the Tours of all of the Pinecastle artists. We will be working on a promotional CD and they are sending out new posters to advertise events that we are involved in. They are also setting up a lot of nice promotional avenues for us to get the word out about The Churchmen, and about our personal appearances. Please contact them at www.pinecastle.com. Great job folks!

Well it's been about four years since we got our new coach and we want to thank God for the worry free travel that we have had with it! The bus has a great history as it was custom built for The Statler Brothers and it served them the last few years of their stellar career. This is the third bus that The Churchmen have owned and it's the first Eagle. We have always heard about that famous Eagle ride but now we have experienced it for ourselves, and it's true an Eagle does make it easier to sleep. It was a good time to upgrade our travel means since the years since we purchased it have been the busiest ever. As you know if you have been keeping up with the website for a while, that we have certainly covered a lot of ground. We have been able to see a lot of the country including Niagara Falls, the upper Mississippi River basin in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Florida Everglades, the beautiful forests of Alabama and about everything in between, and we couldn't have made it without good transportation. We would also like to thank Easter's Coach Sales in Bassett, VA for helping us get our new bus. We have purchased all three coaches from Bobby and Karen and Junior Roberts and thank them for their help.

Thanks also to Freddy and Glen Clark (Keith’s dad) for all of the great maintenance work that they do. They do a great job in keeping the coach maintained and on the road. Recently they installed a new radiator to keep the engine cool and running great! Thanks again guys and great work!

What people are saying.......

"The Churchmen are a fine group of entertainers, whose talents are indeed unique, whether in performance in ensemble or solo. It is always a pleasure to work with them."
The Lewis Family

"The Churchmen are a very talented group who play and sing with the kind of harmony that keeps you listening for more. I have known them since they started their group and I highly recommend them to anyone who loves good bluegrass gospel music."
Russell Easter, Sr.

"We have had the pleasure of performing with the Churchmen on several occasions, and it is always enjoyable. They have a fine group and are fine people."
Doyle Lawson

"The Churchmen are one of the fastest growing, hottest new sounds in Bluegrass Gospel Music today. We have worked with these guys a lot, and they really live what they sing. We highly recommend them to any- one for concerts."
Jeff and Sheri Easter

The Churchmen have been recognized with several honors over the years
• Multiple nominations for "Gospel Group of the Year" by The Society of Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) spanning 15 years!
• Performance at the Ryman Theater for the Bluegrass Now Fan's Choice Awards
• Performance at multiple International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) show cases, and the IBMA Bluegrass Fan Fest
• Nominated for 2 Dove Awards, Gospel Music's most prestigious award, for Bluegrass Gospel album of the Year (2005) and Bluegrass Gospel Song of the Year (2007).
• Churchmen song "Get Onboard" was #1 on Bluegrass Now Magazine's Gospel Truths chart and remained on the chart for 3 ½ years.

About the Churchmen.......

KEITH CLARK, was born in Martinsville, Virginia and was raised in Fieldale. His father taught him how to play guitar. "I can still picture how I used to sit on his knee and strum while he made the chords." Keith started playing the bass at age twelve and played the drums during high school, and he still enjoys playing. After working in some family bands, Keith gave his heart to the Lord when he was 17. Keith played with The Mill Creek Trio before being able to get back to his real love, bluegrass music, when they started their present band. "It's a real blessing to be able to adapt the kind of music that you love to share the gospel. I love how bluegrass can be so different. I love hard driving songs with a lot of banjo, and I love slow ballads with a lot of fiddle and Dobro. Bluegrass is so simple in some ways, but it can be played with so much complexity. I love acoustic music because it's so down to earth, and it's the way that music should be." Keith now resides in Collinsville, VA his personal goals revolve around his family and church.. "I have daughter and a wife who I love more than anything. I also love to fish and I am and very active in my church. My personal goal is to see my daughter graduate from high school and help get her through college. She is a 4.0 student, and I am going to do everything in my power to help and encourage her." Click Here to Email Keith
FREDDY RAKES, was born in Martinsville, Virginia and raised in rural Henry County, near Bassett, Virginia. He was also first exposed to gospel and bluegrass as a child. His father, mother and three sisters all sang and played. They traveled as a family band from 1968 to 1988, and Freddy then worked with the Easter Brothers in the mid 80s, playing pedal steel guitar, bass or banjo. Freddy has also done a fair amount of session work with southern gospel groups. "Bluegrass music is honest music," says Rakes, "I mean it's about everyday experiences, the ups and downs of life. It's all-acoustic, so it's clean music, also energetic. I play a Gibson Mastertone banjo, and I guess I like it so well because its sole purpose in life is to enhance the sound of bluegrass music." Freddy met his wife, Donna, while performing at her church, and Freddy says that she is a faithful supporter of their music. Click Here to Email Freddy
GERALD HARBOUR was born in Stuart and raised in Woolwine, Virginia. He began showing interest in music at an early age and made his first public performance at age 5. He often would perform with his Dad throughout his childhood. In later years he would make guest appearances with his life long friends The Lewis Family. Gerald credits his parents and Little Roy Lewis for being his inspiration to pursue his musical interests. Gerald joined the Churchmen in 1989 just a few months after the formation of the group. Gerald said, "I was looking for some guys who would take the music seriously and try to constantly take it to another level". Gerald found that in Freddy and Keith and several who have passed through the band in it's existence. "It's been fun to experience the ways that the Lord has blessed us and the doors that have been opened for us along the way". Gerald currently resides with his wife Lisa and their five children in Martinsville, VA. Click Here to Email Gerald
TIM SMITH Tim Smith lived in Essex, MD until age 13. During those years he learned to love and play the fiddle from his Grandfather, Kilby Reeves, and two uncles, Tom and Bert Reeves. Tim played classical music and was a first chair violinist during his school years. In the late '60's Tim moved with his family back to his Mother and Father's hometown of Sparta, NC. Tim soon began performing at local functions and became a well known fiddler in the local community. In 1977 Tim won 1st place fiddle prize at the well known "Galax Fiddlers Convention" in Galax, VA, and in 1978 he won the world championship fiddle prize at the famed "Union Grove Fiddlers Convention" at Union Grove, NC. Tim then worked with the legendary Bluegrass Cardinals and performed as a Bluegrass Boy with Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys. Tim has performed or recorded with a virtual "who's who" of bluegrass music including Lester Flatt and The Nashville Grass, Jim and Jesse and The Virginia Boys, Jim Eanes, Roy Acuff, Mac Wiseman, Charlie Waller and The Country Gentlemen, The Johnson Mountain Boys, Del McCoury, Vassar Clements, Chubby Wise, Jerry Douglas, Bill Emerson, Bobby Hicks, Kenny Baker, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Shenandoah Cut-ups, Tony Rice, The Blue River Boys, John Starling, The Lost and Found, Craig Smith, George and John Shuffler, Blue Ridge, Lou Reid, Larry Stephenson, Ronnie Simpkins, Ricky Simpkins, Terry Baucum, Wayne Benson, Clay Jones, Wes Golding, Hershel Sizemore and numerous others. Tim married his beautiful wife, Anita in 1982. They have two wonderful children, Melissa 22 and Andrew 15, and reside in Kernersville, NC. He was employed by a major airline for 23 years and recently accepted early retirement. He has his own record label, "TRS Records, Inc.", and a publishing company "Big Baby Boy Music-BMI". He has recorded and released his most recent CD's "Plain and Simple" and "The Lonesome Blueridge" on his label. Tim devotes his time to playing and teaching music, church, and his family. Tim is very passionate about all of this and says "I thank God for giving me the opportunity to do something I enjoy. I am a family man, I love spending time with my family and the love and support I receive from them is simply wonderful"
DAVID GUTHRIE is the new guy on the block and rounds out the band singing lead and harmony vocals along with handling the guitar duties. David has learned The Churchmen material quickly, and his high lead and great tenor voice, along with his hard driving rock solid guitar is another great addition to The Churchmen sound. David has the rare ability to sing with great feeling along with having amazing vocal range. God continues to bless our group with great talent along with great people. David is a great guy, and certainly is no exception. David amazingly has been playing music only about five years, but he is no stranger to Bluegrass fans across the country. Three of these years were spent with Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road. He has also garnered 2 SPBGMA "Male Vocalist of the Year" nominations. His musical influences are The Louvin Brothers. (mainly Ira Louvin), and Bill Monroe. He lives in Parkton N.C. with his lovely wife Angela, and daughters Briana and Alayna. They are also expecting a baby boy this May. David says "I feel led to this band at this exact point in my life. How the Lord has opened up doors, I know it isn't without a real purpose. I am really excited to become a Churchmen member".