by Steve Dunford

Chris left, Les Middle, and Brent Snyder on the right, Sons of the Father. (from the group’s website)

WEST FRANKFORT IL –  In the last few months that I have branched out from being a sportswriter only, I struggled with a title to this more than any story that I have written.  Over the years Les Snyder, and his two sons Chris and Brent did more than put on a concert, they shared the gospel in music, and at the end of each service,  in a sermonette.  Quitting or leaving the ministry would not be fitting as well either, because all three will be involved one way or the other until they are called home or the return of Christ.

Last Sunday night, at their home church, Grace Baptist Church between Benton and West Frankfort, the group came together for one final time. There was an estimated crowd between 150-175 people.  There were people there from nine states.    That morning, they ministered in a church in Sacramento, KY.

Going back to the late 1980’s, my home church. Thompsonville First Baptist Church did not have a pastor at the time.  Les would come from time to time and sing a few songs and share the Gospel at the end.  One song that had an impact that he would sing during that era, was the Talley’s song Thinking About Home. 

A few months later, I remember having a conversation with Brent, at Lon’s Barber Shop.  He told me that his dad and his brother Chris were getting ready to enter full time ministry on the road.  Brent was the youth minister at Third Baptist Church in West Frankfort, and a recent graduate of Frankfort Community High School.

Chris, at the time was the youth minister at First Baptist Church in Christopher,  Here is something that is noteworthy, Chris was a post player on the 1986 West Frankfort Redbird team that finished fourth in the Class A State Tournament.

Les had already spent over 20 years in the ministry, most as a intenerate evangelistic music director.   There are two local individuals that I know Les worked with, Roy Hughes who was the pastor of Galatia and Harco Baptist Churches between stints in full time evangelism, and Leon Kilbreath, besides being an evangelist, was also a well known IHSA official.

Sons of the Father stepped out on pure faith.  They always came to churches on a love offering basis.  They sang at the Southern Baptist Convention in the Superdome in New Orleans to several thousand people.   They sang to a congregation of seven people at one time.  They came to the last church I pastored in Mt. Vernon, the East Side Baptist Church, in which we had 20 on a good Sunday.  On average they would have 150 bookings in a year.

Over the years I have heard them in several settings; crusades, Bible conferences,  revivals, and  regular Sunday morning worship services.  The Holy Spirit was always there when they sang.  Most of all, the trio was great examples what Christian men should be.

Sons of the Father, for the final time, at their home church Grace Baptist Fellowship, Sunday night.

Sunday night, they took requests their whole concert.  They told stories about their time on the road, the good times, the bad times, and the funny ones.  Two of the songs they sang were Wrap Me in your Arms, which was on the Singing News charts.  They closed the service with the classic, Oh What a Savior.

I mentioned earlier, they would go anywhere, stepping out on faith  on a love offering basis.  They told of several times that when they would think they were at the end of the rope, and God would always provide.

Their bus has over one million miles on it.  They thanked Robbie Lindhorst, a Thompsonville native and a diesel mechanic, for keeping them on the road, and for the countless phone calls when the bus would give them trouble over the years, and the instructions how to fix it over the phone.

Robbie jokingly offered Brent a job as a mechanic, because he “trained him well”, working on the bus by cell phone over the years.  Chris has accepted an IT position with Banterra Bank.

They thanked their pastor, Roger Teal and his wife Diana (who is a teacher at FCHS) and the whole church family at Grace for their support.

The boys thanked their wives for keeping things together at home, when they were on the road.  They stated  \one regret they had, was their wives and children could not always see the impact they had on people’s souls.  Les’ wife and the boys mother. went home to be with the Lord a few years ago.

Back in March, Sons of the Father were at a crossroads, whether to continue or not.  Three days later Les had a stroke.  The group continued their dates for a while with Don Kragness, who was a music teacher in some local schools across Southern Illinois, as well as a music director in some churches until Les was able to return.

Over the years, I appreciate the friendship these three men has shown me, through the good times and the bad times of my life.  Les has a great dry sense of humor as well.  He can come up with the one liners in a hurry.  He will be on a roll and post several wise cracks on social media.  They have brought an additional smile to my face on several days.

Most of all, Sons of the Father answered the call that God had on their lives, fulfilling the Great Commission.   Souls were saved, and lives were changed because of their ministry.

My life is one of them.  Thank you for giving to the Lord.