Pfeifers share upbeat music, testimony
OSAGE BEACH—John Pfeifer was 29 years old, sitting in a bar, when the Holy Spirit convicted him. He’d been an alcoholic for years and had spent time in jail.
“I’m not proud of that. My daddy was a preacher,” he said while his group performed at the annual meeting in Tan-Tar-A. “I strayed far, far from my teaching.”
His father prayed and fasted for his children to come back to the Lord, John Pfeifer said. He asked how many messengers were praying for someone like that in their life. As he stood before them, singing God’s praises, he urged them not to give up.
“He’s not only the God of salvation, he’s the God of restoration,” he said. “He picks up all the broken pieces. That’s what it means to be saved.”
Today, John Pfeifer is lead singer and trumpet player in The Pfeifers, a Southern Gospel group that performed during two days of sessions at the annual meeting.
The group’s upbeat harmonies brought the convention floor to its feet several times during their performances.
John Pfeifer’s trumpet, playing the song of the shofar, woke up the assembly with pre-session music Wednesday morning. Other band members played saxophone and piano.
Through their testimonies and songs, the group honored their history, which dates back to the 1930s when two men began traveling to tent revivals leading music. Their grandchildren, John and Candy Pfeifer, are the core of the group, along with Mary Jane Carter. They travel 50 weeks of the year singing at churches and gatherings.
Candy Pfeifer shared some of her experiences growing up in country churches. As long as she was in her parents’ house, she said there was no question whether she was going to church or not.
“Today, as an adult, I’m so glad about that because I was rooted in the Word,” she said.
The groups’ selections included favorites such as “The Unclouded Day” and “How Great Thou Art,” as well as contemporary numbers with honest lyrics like “Lord, you are the reason I woke up this morning. So I won’t waste my time riding fences. If I start to pull away, just give my heart a warning and I’ll come running to my senses.”
This was the first state convention the group had ever participated in; nearly all of their performances are in churches.
Through a program, they work with churches for four months before they come for a concert so church members can invite unsaved friends to the concert where they’ll hear the Gospel as John Pfeifer shares his testimony.
The group’s motto is they don’t sing to a crowd, they sing to each individual.
“God has something to say to each individual,” he said.