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Larry Alberts, Baritone
Larry and his wife Sue Ellen live
in McDonough and are members of
Glen Haven Baptist Church in
McDonough, GA and also members of
the church choir. Now
retired as Post Master from the
Morrow Post Office, Larry
spends much of his time doing
whatever is needed at the church.
Larry and Sue Ellen have
two children and two
precious
grandsons.
Larry has been singing with the
group since 1982.
Larry also enjoys woodworking and
travels every chance he gets.
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Walter Sheppard,
Lead
Walter and his wife Freda live in
Stockbridge, GA and attend Jones
Memorial United Methodist Church.
They have one son, Chad, who helps
out with the Jonesmen when not on
the road with his own Southern
Gospel group - Emmaus Road
Quartet. Walter retired
from Delta Airlines as Senior
Customer Service Agent, now works
at Allen Vigil Ford. He is an original Jonesmen
and the driving force behind the
group and is always looking for
opportunities for the group to
sing and minister through their
music.
Walter first learned to love
gospel music when his mother would
take him to all night gospel
singings as he was growing up.
Walter is a
member of the church choir and enjoys
traveling.
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Steve White,
Bass
Steve and his wife Mary Ruth
live in Jonesboro, GA and
attend Jones Memorial United
Methodist Church. They
have two sons and a
beautiful granddaughter.
Steve is a funeral director
for Thomas Scroggsl Funeral Home
in Morrow, GA.
He has been singing bass since
the group began in 1979.
Many wonder how that deep
bass voice can come from
Steve. He considers
his singing and profession t
a gift and calling from God.
Steve enjoys traveling,
singing with his church
choir, and solving
crossword puzzles.
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Paul and his wife Kimberly
live in Forest Park, GA.
Paul grew up at Jones Memorial United
Methodist Church and still
considers this his home
church. Paul
was original to the group
but left to go into
full-time pastoral ministry
after he graduated from
Candler School of Theology
at Emory University in
Atlanta, GA. Paul
returned back to the group in
July, 2006. Along with
his music ministry with the Jonesmen,
Paul is Minister of Youth,
Outreach & Evangelism and
sings in the church choir at
Hapeville First United
Methodist Church. Paul and his wife
Kimberly also have a music
ministry sharing
their testimony through
song and the Word.
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Chad Sheppard, PT Sound
Technician
Chad lives in McDonough, GA
and attends Jones Memorial
United Methodist Church. He sings
baritone for " Emmaus
Road" gospel group
where he has just written
and recorded his first song
titled "God of the Living"
which can be heard at
www.emausroadquartet.com.
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Over thirty years ago a seed was planted.
It was February 1979. The choir
director at Jones Memorial Methodist Church
asked four men from the Chancel Choir to
sing as a quartet as part of the "Winter
Camp Meeting" style services. He
assisted them in preparing a Southern Gospel
Style piece. They worked hard, this
was something none of them had ever done
before. The Sunday came, and along
with it, a very bad snow/ice storm.
Services at churches in the Atlanta area
were called off that Sunday. But the
men kept practicing and later that month
they did sing their song. They learned
they loved the close harmony of the Southern
Gospel style and from that seed grew
The Jonesmen. Two of the original
four have sung since the beginning - Walter
Sheppard, Lead and Steve White Bass.
Paul Willis, Tenor sang until 1987 and
rejoined the group in July of 2006.
Larry Alberts came on board in 1982.
There were 13 other men who were a part of
the ministry in various parts. In the
beginning they used piano accompaniment,
then added 2 guitars, keyboard, and drums.
They found that trying to get 10 men going
in the same direction at the same time often
difficult. Slowly and reluctantly they
switched to singing with accompaniment sound
tracks. With that, their ministry
really blossomed. Ronnie Wang, who had
played drums with the group previously took
over the Tenor part in 1988. Phil
Guptill became the sound technician and can
sing the other parts when someone is out.
On occasion Chad Sheppard, Walter's son,
joins them in assisting in any way he can.
The Jonesmen feel their purpose is to
share their love of Jesus through their
music. They never require a fee for
singing and will sing anytime their
schedules permit. They sing in
churches of various denominations for
services, programs, banquets, retreats, at
camp meetings, nursing homes, homeless
shelters, jails, for civic organizations,
benefits for individuals and organizations.
They even sang at the Georgia Dome for the
North Georgia Conference of the Methodist
Church for Vision 2000. They have sung
in many churches in the Metro Atlanta area,
but that isn't the limit. Their
ministry has taken them throughout the state
of Georgia to Alabama, Tennessee and
Illinois. It is estimated they have
sung over 1000 times these past 28 years.
They love to poke good natured fun at each
other, showing you can laugh and be a
Christian.
These men have become more like brothers.
They have been through many good and bad
times, always being there for each other.
They have watched their children grow up.
They have suffered the loss of parents.
Professions have changed. Health
crisis have challenged them from time to
time. Some periods the Jonesmen have
had to slow their singing commitments down a
bit, but the Lord has proved time and again
that he isn't finished with them yet.
The members have changed some over the
years but their purpose has stayed the same.
All praise and honor to our Lord!
Others Who Have Contributed to the
Ministry of
The
Jonesmen
Paul Willis,
Tenor, 1979-1987; 2006 - Present
Keith Bailey,
Tenor, 1987-1988
Ronnie Wang,
Tenor, 1988-2006
Hugh
MacDonald, Baritone, 1979
Bill Durham,
Baritone, 1979
Jeff McCord,
Baritone, 1980
Mark Stone,
Baritone, 1980
Wayne
Chisenhall, Baritone, 1980-1982
Ray Yates,
Lead, 1990
Bill Field,
Piano; David Dillard, Keyboard;
Dick
Williams, Bass Guitar; Rick Goss, Guitar;
Russell
Barnes, Drums; Ronnie Wang, Drums; Chad
Sheppard, Assistant Sound Technician;
Kimberly Willis, Webmaster & Photographer
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