Some years ago, a friend suggested that I invite Ralph Freeman to sing in my church. I did so, and soon Ralph was more than a gifted singer, he was my dear brother in Christ.
From the moment I first heard Ralph Freeman sing about Jesus, I realized he truly loved the Savior he was singing about. I admired his lyric tenor voice but even more I loved the way he expressed his love for his Redeemer. In the years that followed I was blessed by Ralph’s and singing and witnessing in camp meetings, retreats, conferences and churches.
The man can sing! And his singing – sometimes gently, sometimes boldly – will melt your heart. Like most of us, Ralph has suffered. Satan tried to use Ralph’s grief to destroy him. But the Jesus Ralph loves helped him move through the valley of sorrow. His disappointments drove him closer to Jesus. God has used those heartaches to give Ralph a gentler, loving spirit – like that of his Lord. It is this tender spirit that enables Ralph’s singing to comfort the hearts of hurting listeners – and inspire them to turn to the Comforter, our Lord Jesus.
As a young man Ralph had no thoughts of spending his life singing for Jesus. After earning a degree in mathematics and physics from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ralph spent nine years in marketing with IBM. But God had other plans for Ralph. He had been singing for five years with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the direction of Robert Shaw. That helped prepare Ralph to say “Yes” when God called him into fulltime ministry as a Song Evangelist.
His life as a sweet singer of the gospel has been remarkable. God opened doors for Ralph to sing in more than 40 states in the US as well as South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He even sang in the presence of two sitting presidents, the Pope, and on national television. His singing blessed the members of every church I served after meeting him.
God guided Ralph to add a personal witness to his singing so his ministry expanded into “Sermon Song Ministries.” That gave Ralph the opportunity to intersperse some preaching into his singing – and his listeners loved it. He even wrote an inspiring book about his journey with Jesus, titled “SURRENDER – The Ultimate Trail to Freedom. (It’s available from Amazon.)
The good news is that Ralph has not retired! He is still singing the good news about Jesus. A native of Atlanta, Ralph has made his home for many years in Dunwoody, Georgia. Recently he shared with me a thrilling report on one of his singing engagements that involved a new twist:
“Walter, I have some good news! As you know, God led me into ministering with senior adults, who reside in assisted living communities. Last Sunday, I added something new to my singing: I introduced your new book, He Took My Hand, to a group in an Atlanta suburb. I gave a copy of your book to everyone present, having secured them from Amazon.
“First, I presented a series of songs. Then, after bragging about you and our longtime friendship, I decided to tag-team remotely with you in the first chapter by reading your words, with special emphasis on key phrases. The music and message were woven together to reflect the theme of God’s steady, guiding hand. In essence, it became a Song Sermonette.
“At the beginning of our time together, I told them that my overarching theme for the next five sessions on first Sundays would be ‘The Hand of God.’ I was not prepared for what happened at the close of this first one.
“The last sentence in the first chapter of He Took My Hand reads, “A God who will hold my hand, despite my flaws, is a God I can joyfully love and serve.” After reading that line, I asked everyone to hold someone’s hand and I offered a prayer.
“Just as I was closing, a woman who rarely says anything, stood up weeping. I immediately went to her with the microphone. I could sense the Holy Spirit’s presence as she shared how much this session meant to her. The contents in the first chapter of the book caused her to reflect upon the day when she held her husband’s hand as he took his last breath. She testified that she knew it was God who brought her through that experience. Many others nodded their heads in agreement.
“Now, I can say, with certainty, that He Took My Hand is a wonderful collection of inspiring stories. But more that, it is a ministry tool that can help seniors reflect upon their own journeys, reclaim hope and draw nearer to God who will never let go of their hand.”
I called Ralph immediately and thanked him for sharing this rich worship experience with me. I have watched many “assisted living” people sleep while was preaching to them. So the next time I get to preach to some senior adults, I plan to tag-team with Ralph and intersperse his singing with my preaching.
Ralph’s address, by the way, if you would like to ask him to come sing for you, or order a copy of his book, is P.O. Box 889222, Dunwoody, GA 30356. I promise you: God will bless you if you expose yourself to the ministry of this gifted singer who is a fully surrendered servant of Jesus.