Dan Roth

(This deserves better editing and will get it one day. However, to honor Sue, I wanted to get it up now. I promised her several weeks ago that I would post it. Unfortunately the loss of red coloring makes some of her edits unclear.)

The Servant Story

[please note, this is far from complete. It's also almost all beginning & end, with little in the middle. Some of the chronology may be faulty. If you have more info or input, please send it along. Thanks!]
Origins

The origins of Servant are found in the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. To understand how Servant came into being, it helps to understand the earlier involvement of its members.
Jesus People Milwaukee

The recently-divorced [No, he'd been living w someone for two years] Jim Palosaari [and his then-girlfriend, Susan Cowper], were drawn to Christ in the summer of [1969] at a tent meeting revival in Maltby, Washington [No, in Cathcart, WA]. The evangelist who gave the invitation was named Russell Griggs. The Cathcart revival was organized by the Jesus People Army, [NO. It didn't exist then. It was a local Pentecostal chapel under pastor Ruben Korpi. Later, Jim and Sue would join a newly-begun] organization in the Pacific Northwest based in Seattle and headed by Linda Meissner, a former Teen Challenge worker[called Jesus People's Army].

Jim [Sue too?] [Yes] traveled with JPA from Oregon to Vancouver to Seattle [No: from Seattle to Yakima to Tri Cities to Spokane to Vancouver. Jim and I did take a van down 2 states at that time to visit the communes in OR to Berkeley/SF after we'd read the Time article]. He [We] joined the group after meeting Linda Meissner [at a 2nd st coffeehouse], and he soon married Sue [No: exactly 1 year later (we'd lived together a year in SF previously)]. Jim soon became part of the leadership of the Jesus People Army. (The JPA [under Linda Meisner in Seattle, along w Russell & Rosemary Griggs's group in Vancouver BC] would later join with the Children of God, before the heretical teachings and immmoral sexual practices of COG founder & leader David Berg were brought to light.)

In early 1971, Jim and Sue felt called to the midwest to start a similar outreach. [...more like Linda and Russell kindly felt there wasn't room enough in the kitchen for them AND Jim...and 'sent us out']They settled in Milwaukee where they began a number of successful outreaches, including such Jesus movement standards as a band (named Sheep, including Mike Damrow, Mary (later married Mike), “Bobo,” Larry “Mole” Barker, Rich Haas, and Reed Middlestat), a coffeehouse [on Brady St], and a street newspaper, “Street Level,” w editor Susan Cowper, layout, Don Schendell, artist, Jenny Haas, and Arlene Czekalski. Jim’s concern for discipleship of new street Christians, who were often very enthusiastic but not very Biblically-literate, led to the establishment of The Jesus People Milwaukee Discipleship School. JPM grew to about 200 members living together communally [in an abandoned hospital]. Their goal was to train Christians and send them out to form new groups.
Sheep, Europe, and Lonesome Stone

However, itinerant evangelism had long been important to the Jesus People, and the members of JPM became restless. In 1972 they agreed to take the summer and split into four groups which would do travelling ministry, and then return together at the end of the summer [...this is more complicated. First, John Herrin Sr took 30, including his family, pretty much ditched us--we were all down at Bill Lowrey's, having massive tent revivals in Davenport. Jim got the bright idea to send them out (what eventually became JPUSA), lay hands on them, so we could celebrate instead of shun one another (living communally is complicated--it had been a year together, lots happened). Frank Bass come down from Duluth revivals to join us. John and Dawn and their 30 were prayed over (Glenn & Wendi had already started "Charity" which later became Rez band). Several marriages occurred that wk, too. We laid hands on/sent around 60 down to Bill; 30 to Europe w our 6 mo old baby for "2 wks" w the Full Gospel Business Men; the rest "at home" w Frank, who couldn't manage the finances, blamed us, sent that group home.There never was a re-uniting at the end of the [No: 2 wks]summer. A number of factors, mostly related to the desire to have independent teams of traveling evangelists, led to the demise of Jesus People Milwaukee. (One of the four groups went on to become Jesus People USA, the Chicago-based church community most knwon as the people behind Resurrection Band and the Cornerstone Festival.) [It was like this: FGBM paid for what was to be a 2-wk trip in Denmark/Sweden/Finland. We had a great time--food, lodging, travel, all paid for in advance. Very summer-in-Scandinavia. At the end of 2 wks, it was time to head for the airport, and Jim, Fred Gartner and I, prob Henry Huang, Jim's right hand, were standing around, I was holding my baby (Jed), and I think I said, 'Let's just stay!' and we did...We didn't pray about it, they were all at the airport, the plane took off wout us! We were in Finland, I think at the time, and had one van...]

Jim’s group, The Jesus Family, included the band Sheep and about thirty of the older members of JPM. They set out to evangelize Europe. [So, there we were, in Finland or Sweden--Jim remembers. We had the backing of an imp Finnish leader, and lots of gigs--so it must have been Finland. Living conditions weren't quite as easy,--floors in church basements--but still basically OK, and amazing crowds--lots of souls saved--like they'd been waiting for us to arrive. We met Owen there in Finland. There's a long part in this where everyone hitchhikes down through Germany/they take a train, we all end up in Loutzenhousen near an Air Force base (where we first met a young 17? yr old Sandie). That's where Jim practiced the band since there basically wasn't anything else to do, and we lived in an abandoned Brothel. Toilet didn't work, that kind of thing. A mo or two later, we started traveling again, got some important contacts, spent, I think, a month in Berlin in a beautiful art deco mansion. It was getting colder, ended up with NO MONEY, NO PROSPECTS, in someone's house in Holland. Pretty grim. That's when a telegram arrived, from Russell Griggs now out of the COG and in London, trying to help a Mr. Frampton create an anti-COG cult- information center, and the telegram said, 'Come to England. Money of no object.' We had, at that time, a child, Jed, now 1 year, and all our clothes were old and raggedy.So, you bet, we came to London! We stayed at the Strand. Important to this was an evangelistic rock musical titled "Lonesome Stone". Among those who were part of this group were future Servant members Owen & Sandie Brock and Matt [and Siv, from Sweden] Spransy. They had a difficult time until they settled in London. Eventually, Mr. Frampton and his Deo Gloria Trust got us a 4 story Edwardian in NE London, and we settled down. After everyone got across the borders and into UK (lots of stories about passports), we started doing a show called “Jesus People Come Alive,” kind of testimonies w band. One night I was watching, someone–Fred– give his testimony, and I got this ‘picture’ in my head..of a whole show– of our testimonies with music…a musical! Jim and I talked about it all night… They started meeting to write it the next day at our coffeehouse on Westow St, based around Mike, Rich’s story of going out to SF. The rest is history–we did that show for 2 years…played all over UK and Air Force Bases in Europe..] Eventually the Lonesome Stone rock opera became the sole focus of the group, with some concerned that the emphasis had become art more than evangelism [more like, there was opportunity to do street witnessing/hand out fliers--but we lost that tight-knit "discipleship" aspect--the days were devoted to moving, rehearsing, setting up..]. In late 1974 Lonesome Stone returned to the US. They performed a few more times, but the musical was too tied to the 1960s to remain culturally relevant [No, we ran out of backing by Mr. Frampton and some others in Phili took over--Jim knows. They took us over, first, financially, then they told everyone to 'go home and think it over, come back after Christmas.' Everyone went home, and there was no $ to get back! Owen and Sandie were stranded! They got married at their mother's with no friends!].
Victoria to Oregon

Late 1975 found Jim and Sue Palosaari and Owen & Sandie Brock in Victoria, British Columbia. Victoria was [now] the ministry base of Russ [and Rosie] Griggs, the evangelist under whose ministry Jim had been won to Christ. It was here that the initial members of Servant [regrouped as 'The Highway Missionaries."] Servant took shape as ["Higher Ground"] in early 1976. The initial makeup of the band was somewhat fluid, but a core membership formed consisting of David Holmes, Rob Martens, Bruce Wright, ex-Black Panther, Lou St Cyr and the Brocks.

As the band was emerging, there was also emerging an intentional community. The members of the band were part of the community and some members of the band were also part of the leadership of the community [just us and the Brocks and Larry and Lorna Beattie]. Thus, the future of newly-formed Servant [Higher Ground] and the newly-formed Highway Missionary Society were intimately intertwined.

[Higher Ground] began playing places like Christian coffeehouses and colleges. Soon they expanded their concert ministry to bars and other secular venues. They then found themselves playing together with some of the (relatively few) [there were lots!] other Christian rock artists of the day.

The band moved to [Mission BC for the summer (that's where we met Paul and Lydia Jenkinson, who also became 'elders' in the community after that year on the Island), followed by another year in Vancouver BC, followed by a year in SF, before settling in] Grants Pass, Oregon, where the Highway Missionary Society was laying down roots as a Christian community. [summer, 1979] The band’s lifestyle and music reflected their beliefs about the world and the church, including passionate evangelism, the importance of Christian community, simple living, and compassion and justice for the poor.

Vocalist Bob Hardy join Servant in 1979. [ We met him in '70, while living/picking apples/traveling thru Okanagan Valley, BC]
The “Other” Servant

Matt Spransy had been part of Lonesome Stone, the rock musical which formed in England as an outgrowth of The Jesus Family ministry. In 1977, after returning from Europe, several members including Owen and Sandie Brock and the Palosaari’s grouped in Vancouver Island BC, to become the Highway Missionaries, with a new fledgling band called “Higher Ground,” under the expertise of Jim Palosaari, whose name would later be changed to “Servant.” Members included Doug Pinnock, would would later co-write Servant’s hit song “I’m Gonna Live” and eventually become best known as part of King’s X. ??? No.

Although the band received critical praise and was well-admired by fellow musicians, it never grew popular and was never a commercial success. The band members called it quits in 1980 No. [Our second son, Seth and two others were killed in an accident in '81. (The Beatties left around '82) It changed everyone, everything, although we tried to carry on. There were a lot of contributing factors to the demise of the community, that was the one that began it. The band went on the road several times, a couple more albums. In 1983 Jim left. The children and I joined Jim in YWAM, HI in '84. The Jenkinsons left a year later. I think Servant made one more album. The community gave up the land, moved to Ohio in '86, where they finally had to call it quits.] Shortly after then end of Joliet-Servant, Matt went to a concert by Servant in Chicago. He gave a truck and the music and sound equipment belonging to Joliet-Servant to Servant. This included several keyboards. Servant didn’t have a keyboardist at the time, and Matt was soon invited to join the band.
TUNESMITH

Servant was offered their first record deal, and became the first artists on the fledgling Tunesmith records. The owners of the label would later be criticized by some former artists as being inadequate businessmen, or perhaps even as lacking in integrity. However, this young Canadian label (a business which would expand into “Praise Industries Corporation”), introduced such legendary 80s Christian rockers as Barnabas and Quickflight, and also issued the first North American release of Australian rocker Randall Waller.
SHALLOW WATER
ROCKIN’ REVIVAL
REMIX
THE ROOFTOP YEARS

Hoping to take home a larger portion of the proceeds from record and tape sales (labels notoriously paid a dollar or less per album to the band, much of that due to songwriting credits), the community formed its own label named Rooftop Records. Rooftop’s distribution deal with Benson meant wider availability of their albums in Christian bookstores.

WORLD OF SAND

bigger production budget

CAUGHT

Following the vision that Servant would become a Christian rock supergroup which would not only be a highly successful evangelistic endeavor, but would also be a financial force which could support the Highway Missionary Society in its evangelistic and other ministries [including the "tree planters,' who were intending to go on as missionaries sent out by our community, and a home school, begun for our children and neighbors], the band set out on the Great American Album Give Away Tour. The thought was simple. Every person who bought a concert ticket would receive a free copy of Servant’s album, “Caught in the Act of Loving Him”. This would entice people to come to the concert to be evangelized, award fan loyalty, and place the music of Servant in the hands and hearts of much larger audience than every before. Unfortunately, it was a financial catastrophe. The extensive months of touring led not to the anticipated financial gain. Rather, it led to tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Some had taken to referring to the Great American Album Give Away Tour by its initials, GAAGAT. They called it the “Gag It” tour.

WORD

LIGHT MANEUVERS

SWIMMING IN AN (ALL TOO) HUMAN OCEAN

Vocalist Bob Hardy left Servant in 1984, shortly after the band returned from a European tour [are you sure? I thought he stayed through it all..He and wife Michelle live down in OC.]

For a variety of reasons, the Highway Missionary Society began to come apart. HMS began looking for a place where members of the community could become engaged in inner-city ministry, and also where the band could economically fly to their concerts. In 1985 the remains of the Highway Missionary Society moved to inner-city Cincinnati, Ohio and renamed themselves The Servant Community.

With new member Eric Odell on vocals, Servant holed themselves up at Sandy Cove Bible Conference on the northern shores of the Chesapeake Bay to record their final album with producer David Perkins, who had grown up spending his summers at the Bible conference with his musician parents, Horace and Carol Sue. Dave had returned from trying to make it in New York City with his pseudonomous band, and was gaining significant respect as a producer. He would later be a member of the legendary Chagall Guevera.

Drummer David Holmes, bored after laying down all his tracks first, was frequently seen hanging around the campus of nearby University of Delaware, where he sat in with some student bands. This led to a one-night performance at a southern New Jersey dance club where Dave sang vocals on a song named “Clouds”. The performance was awful, and Dave pleaded that the recording of the evening never be made public. [I wish you wouldn't put in one night of a young man's life. He gave us so much of himself. If you put him in, tell his kindness to children, his willingness to 'abase and abound,' his excellent timing as an actor--he was quite funny--& you'd be telling about the whole person. Jeepers--he was just a kid!]

Lead guitarist and songwriter Bruce Wright left the band in 1986 to return to Victoria.

Members of both the band and the Servant Community began going their own way. The reality of communal living can be difficult, particularly as members of the community age. [Esp when children come along!] With a common purse, disagreements over questions like “How much money is it reasonable to spend buying plane tickets to visit my mother?” are both understandable and painful at the same time.

Owen and Sandie Brock remained until the end. After the other members of the band had left, they attempted to continue the band by adding new members Linford Detweiler, Rich Hordinski, and Brian Kelly. This configuration of Servant lasted over a year, including taking a tour of Australia. The band recorded a handful of songs, but there were no future albums in store. It became obvious to those involved that it was God’s timing for Servant to end.

After the end of Servant, the three newest members went on to become 3/4s of the band Over the Rhine, named after the impoverished Cincinnati neighborhood in which many members of the Servant community ministered.
AFTERGLOW

Owen Brock is now a designer. He worked for many years for Cincinnati’s Zender and Associates and has done all the visual graphic work for Over the Rhine. He has now starting his own visual design/photography business – Visual Fluency.
Sandie Brock is a massage therapist and has her own practice. Both Brocks are active in Vineyard Central, a fellowship unifying Cincinatti-area house churches.

Bruce Wright died of cancer in Victoria in 1993.

David Holmes has a very lucrative business in Victoria, BC.

Bob Hardy and his wife have continued in evangelism and music. They live in Fairfield (?) OC, CA.

Rob and Lori Martins returned to Canada, as did Larry & Lorna Beattie and the Jenkinsons. They are all active in Christian work.

Linda Meisner got out of the COG (as did Dave Hoyt, now in the Southwest, who helped us write Lonesome Stone), and lives in Sweden near her son, a well-known evangelist. She’s writing her memoirs.

Matt and Siv Spransy (he works in computers–Microsoft or something?) have several ministries out in WI, as do their children–one as far away as Africa!

JPUSA–If it weren’t for Glenn and Wendi and Dawn, there wouldn’t be a JPUSA (they had John Sr leave early on)!

Bill & Sara Lowrey and his tent revival kept on going for years–there are still several ministries, one in Italia under Clark Slone. They’ve since divorced.

Russ and Rosie Griggs eventually divorced. He’s remarried, in ministry, lives on the east coast. Lou St Cyr, married, lives in Seattle.

Mike and Mary, Larry Barker, are still going strong as the Sheep, produced recently a new CD. Arlene teaches in a college back east, Jenny remarried (Bob Allan), and together they have an inner-city ministry,

Henry Huang runs one of the Wycliffe branches.

Mike Drefael is a pastor in WI.

Frank Bass died of cancer. The few left in Milw dispersed.

Fred Gartner disappeared.

Mr. Frampton died after a long and successful life sponsoring Christian work all over the globe through his Deo Gloria Trust. His sons eventually came out of COG (Dave Hoyt knows the story)

Jim and I divorced in ’93. Jim Palosaari now lives in Oconomowoc, WI, near where he grew up. He worked several years with a missionary society in Tenn; now writing his memoirs.

Susan Palosaari Cowper is remarried, living in Ashland, OR, writing and editing after retiring from teaching. Their oldest son, Jedidiah (http://biosaari.blogspot.com ) has spent time in Morocco, and mid-East. He is a biologist and missionary.

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