The Oak Ridge Boys will bring their “Front Porch Singin’ Tour” to Charlotte, Ark., as part of the annual FreedomFest at John 3:16 Ministries.“ July is the month the nation celebrates its freedom and independence, and it is also the month that the residents at John 3:16 celebrate their freedom from drug and alcohol addiction,” said camp founder and director Bryan Tuggle. Festivities get under-way Sat. July 1 with a barbecue dinner. Meal tickets are $10 and every ticket comes with an entry into the grand prize drawing of a Spar-tan Mower RZ (one must be present to win, however) zero-turn riding mower, valued at$3,600. John 3:16 is located at 75 Holmes Road in Charlotte. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and every-one is welcome to bring chairs, blankets, etc. Bounce houses will beset up, and the evening will end with a fire-works show. The event will also include an auction featuring a number of items made from the residents at John 3:16,including wood and metal signs and lighted crosses, canvas prints, wooden cutting boards and more. For 20 years, John3:16 has been helping men conquer their drug and alcohol addictions at no cost to them. From day 1 when some-one asks how much it will cost for their loved one to attend, they have always been told by the team, “Jesus Christ already paid the price.” The ministry is primarily funded by donations and fundraisers. Instructor A.J. Austin said selling items hand-made by the men in the camp is one step in the healing process. “That’s part of what John 3:16 does, getting guys that have been in drug addiction and teaches them Jesus to get that freedom in Him but also teaches them how to put our hands on something and do something with our lives,” he said. A.J., who graduated in June 2021, knows first-hand the feeling of seeing people bid on items that will support the ministry, which is now home to 260 men. “It’s a big confidence booster; it’s like God is showing you that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. At the end of my addiction, everything I touched went wrong, whether I wanted it to or not. Even with the best intentions, it still went wrong. So then to see something that I’ve put my hands on actually be worth something to someone means a lot.” Instructor Brent Waugh also said the items have a deeper meaning. “Everything we do represents everyman that came before us and every man that will come after us, like Jesus – what He did for one He did for all of us.” Waugh noted that the ministry has brought some big names in Christian music to the Charlotte area, such as Zach Williams, King& Country and Mat-thew West, but this is the first time they have brought the Oak Ridge Boys to the camp, and they are very excited to host a group that is not only still performing after more than 50 years together but has also been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Founding member Wally Fowler started the band in 1949, recruiting an existing group called the Calvary Quartet to perform with him as the Oak Ridge Quartet. Asa nod to their country gospel roots, the quartet changed their name to the Oak Ridge Boys, and their career took off from there. The group has had several personnel changes over the course of their tenure, but that hasn’t stopped them from producing hit after hit during their decade-spanning career. The Oak Ridge Boys have released 31 studio albums — a number of which have reached gold certification or higher — and more than30 Top 10 singles, an enormous feat for the world-renowned country quartet. With numerous Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM Awards un-der their belt, The Oak Ridge Boys are more than the unforgettable strains of 1981’s“Elvira” oom-poppa-mau-mau-ing its way through our collective consciousness. From making records to setting records, 50years after these legendary performers first stepped onstage together in the summer of1973, this now-legendary quartet, made up of Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, and William Lee Golden, continues to pack in the crowds and bringdown the house. With hits like “Leaving Louisiana In the Broad Daylight,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” and“ Thank God for Kids, ”the Oaks have a dozen gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum record album (to go with the double-platinum single “Elvira,” which sailed up to No.1 on both the pop and country charts). Their current tour is sure to feature hits from their 2021 album, “Front Porch Singin’,” as well as fan favorites and gospel selections. “We encourage every-one to come out and enjoy a night to remember filled with music, food and family entertainment,” Tuggle said. For more information about Freedom Fest, call 870-799-2525 or visit John316thecure.com.
srchronicle11