Singing His Praise Under the Stars' bringing three gospel singings

Sep. 21—Three nights of free gospel singings are set in three different locations for a series of weekend music called "Singing His Praise Under the Stars."

Gospel singings are set at Stuart Mountain on Friday, Sept. 22; at McAlester's Rotary Park on Saturday, Sept. 23, and at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Lehigh on Sunday, Sept. 24, over the three-day event.

Gospel singers and musicians from three states as well as local and area gospel singers are in the lineup, hosted by Judy Chastain Ministries.

McAlester's singing at Rotary Park is set to start at 5 p.m. on Saturday at 801 North Ninth St., near the J.I. Stipe Center.

A number of gospel singers and musicians are ready to take the stage.

They include Tom McLaughlin, The Branches, The Gospel Cousins, Suzanne Grant, The Texas Trio, The Beatys, Harry Claytor and Chastain, who is a gospel singer herself.

McAlester's Rotary Park event will be preceded by the singing at Stuart Mountain, during a Lighthouse Radio fundraising event, set to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday.

"We have Tony Crow coming in from Ohio, and his family, called The Singing Crows," Chastain said.

Gospel artists set for the Stuart singing also include The Sheltons, The Texas Trio, Harry Claytor and Betty Archer. Several other gospel singers may also participate in the event, Chastain said.

The station where the Friday evening gospel singing is scheduled is west of Stuart. To reach the site, continue 2.2 miles west of Stuart on U.S. Highway 270, then head one-half mile north on Tower Road. "Watch for signs and the 500-foot tower, organizers said.

"This is my last year to do Stuart and Rotary Park," said Chastain, who has held previous gospel singings at the sites and is now ready to step back from hosting the events.

Chastain said she started doing them in 2015, including the singings and gospel music conventions.

"Everybody in McAlester has been so nice to me," she said. Chastain said she felt led to do her gospel music conventions in McAlester.

She said she has been greatly assisted by Randy and Ronda Watkins, who do the sound system for the events and by Patty Stover, who helps in a number of ways.

Following the Saturday event in McAlester, the next gospel singing event is set for 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Shiloh Baptist Church in Lehigh. Following the Sunday singing, Crow will lead a week-long revival at the church, with the revival beginning at 7 p.m. nightly, Chastain said,

Chastain said Lehigh events include a meal, in addition to the services and the singing.

"We'll have a meal every night at 6," she said, followed by the revival service an hour later.

"We'll feed them and then we'll feed them spiritually," said Chastain.

Shiloh Baptist Church, at 701 W. D Ave. in Lehigh, a Coal County town on U.S. Highway 75 and State Highway 3, five miles south of Coalgate.