GORDON (Tenor) and JEAN (Soprano) GREER
Gordon and Jean Greer have been ministering in song to fundamental churches,
colleges, conferences, and fellowships across this country since 1986
following their ten-year residence in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they both
began their careers as professional opera and concert singers. The Greers
are available for local church worship services and conferences, concerts
and/or speaking invitations, vocal music master classes, and music seminars.
Mr. Greer entered into the calling of a ministry of music in 1986 in much the same
way (and with the same financial needs) as an itinerant evangelist traveling
as the Lord leads. Gordon is especially excited about the invitations which
include and extend to him the liberty to speak and teach about music and its
vital relationship to God’s Word and His holiness. It is his conviction that
Christian music and fundamental music ministries and musicians must maintain
a definite “separation” in order to have God’s blessing. It appears that for
all too long a period of time musicians, like so many other Bible believers,
have felt that obedience to the Biblical doctrine of separation was
important for their pastors to maintain, but somehow not that important for
them. This lack of separation has led to the current “downgrade” in music.
Fundamental Christianity must guard against this casual approach to the
commands of God! Offerings (including offerings of music unto the Lord)
still need to be “without blemish.” It is our sincere desire to have the
blessing of the Lord on our ministry. This blessing comes via our obedience
to God’s Word. The Greers, therefore, seek to honor the Lord with their
obedient lives as well as their separated music. Gordon’s speaking about
music centers itself in the Bible doctrines of the holiness of God and
separation unto Him, obedience to His Word, and appropriate and acceptable
sacrifices in worship including music.
The Greers reside in Greenville, South Carolina, where Jean joined the music
faculty of Bob Jones University in the fall of 1989 and now serves as the
Chairman of the Voice Department. Although not on the university’s staff as
many have thought, Gordon did travel together with Jean for two years to the
BJU Friendship Banquets around the country presenting a short concert
together with their testimony of God’s leading in their lives. The Greers
have three children (Rebecca, Andrew, and Rachelle). They currently attend
Landmark Baptist Church in Easley, South Carolina, pastored by David Price.
Mr. Greer was introduced to Biblical Fundamentalism while singing the title
role in the opera FAUST at Bob Jones University in 1984. He dedicated
his life to the Lord during the university’s annual Bible Conference following
those opera performances. Saved and solely trusting in Jesus Christ for
their salvation as teenagers, Gordon and Jean were seeking direction during
those years of residence in Germany on how their lives and singing might
better glorify the Lord; now having been introduced to Biblical
Fundamentalism and also to the opportunity for the Christian education of
their children, the Greers decided to return to the United States in 1985.
It was at that time that they began to ask the Lord to open up doors of
ministry for them. God has been gracious in providing the Greers with good,
sound Bible teaching and with the fellowship and guidance of men and women
of God who obey the Holy Bible.
The Greers are especially grateful to the Lord for leading them to their
first fundamental church home, Bethel Baptist Church in Schaumburg,
Illinois, then pastored by the late Dr. Frank Bumpus. It was there
that the Greers followed the Lord in believer's baptism (having come out of
a Methodist background) and were active members from 1986 until their move
to Greenville. Jean taught music (voice and piano) at the Schaumburg
Christian School and Gordon began his travelling in the music ministry
during that three year period. Dr. Bumpus also invited him to work part time
on the church staff when not on the road. Both Mr. and Mrs. Greer attended
classes at the Schaumburg Bible Institute (Bethel Baptist Church) from which
Gordon was one of the two first graduates.
The Greers encourage God’s people across this country and also on the
foreign mission field to examine closely the music which they are allowing
into their lives and homes and churches and schools. As ardent enemies of
the modern CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) movement and the inroads of
the music of prominent Neo-Evangelicals into Fundamentalism, the Greers feel
that they should do what they can with the Lord’s help in helping to provide
separated music for Christians to have entering into their bodies (the
temple of the Holy Spirit) through their “eargate.” Gordon completed his
first solo recording (Tell It Again) in 1988 and he and Jean made their
first duet recording (My Savior First of All) in 1990. The Greers newest
recording (Soldiers of the Cross) was released in 2001. These sacred music
projects are available on cassette as well as compact disc. If you
appreciate the excellence of classical vocal literature, Jean has a
recording of operatic arias and classical song literature available (Jean
Reese Greer - A Collection). Your prayers and financial support for this
recording ministry would be most appreciated. Quality recordings with
orchestra, which the Greers offer to the Lord’s honor, cost upwards of
$30,000 each to produce. If you are interested in supporting this part of
their ministry, please contact Mr. and Mrs. Greer, or your local pastor.
Jean’s singing career has included operatic engagements with the American
companies of Chautauqua (NY), Peoria (IL), Des Moines (IA), as well as
Indiana University Opera Theater and the Bob Jones University Opera
Association. She began her European career as a solo artist with the
Krefeld-Mönchengladbach Opera in Germany but forsook her full-time singing
to be home with their two oldest children who were born during the family’s
wonderful years in Düsseldorf. Mrs. Greer did continue her oratorio and
concert work in Germany appearing with several musical organizations. Her
concert appearances in this country have included engagements with the
orchestras of Indianapolis, Greenville, Des Moines, and Owensboro. Since
joining the voice faculty at Bob Jones University, she regularly appears in
concert and Vespers programs and has been the soprano soloist in MESSIAH,
ELIJAH, Mozart’s REQUIEM, Brahms’ REQUIEM, and
Poulenc’s GLORIA as well as singing the role of the Mother in
Menotti's AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS.
Gordon continued his professional singing until 1994 as the Lord directed.
His last operatic engagements induded three great roles - all new for him:
the title role in PETER GRIMES and Verdi’s OTELLO, and Radamès
in AIDA. Mr. Greer realized that the Apostle Paul had to continue his
"tentmaking” throughout his ministry. With that in mind Gordon began his
study of the great Heldentenor ("heroic German tenor”) roles of Richard
Wagner. But God has clearly led him out of all operatic work
(entertainment) into the full-time ministry of music in the local New
Testament church. Gordon now confines his “tentmaking” activities to sports
officiating between local church meetings.
Mr. Greer has performed extensively throughout Europe having been a leading
tenor with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf for seven years before
beginning his career as a free-lance artist. In 1984 he debuted with the
Lyric Opera of Chicago as Matteo in ARABELLA singing with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. His North American professional work included engagements with the
operas of San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Miami, Portland, Detroit, Milwaukee,
Hartford, Louisville, Knoxville, Chautauqua, and Anchorage among others. In
1984 he had the truly distinct pleasure of singing a major role again with
Dame Joan Sutherland before her retirement (in I MASNADIERI at the
San Diego Opera). In 1985 he debuted with the Canadian Opera of Toronto as
Lt. Pinkerton in MADAME BUTTERFLY. He has sung with many of the
world’s finest symphony orchestras. Gordon’s prominent professional vocal
music career included among others engagements at the Royal Opera (Covent
Garden) in London, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Italy, Festival D’Orange in
France, and the major opera companies of Germany as well as radio, television,
symphony, opera, and oratorio appearances across Europe.
Both Jean and Gordon are accomplished recital artists having performed both
in Europe and North America. They have presented duet recitals at several
fundamental Christian colleges since their return to the USA. The Greers
have also presented several master classes in voice and are available as
adjudicators/judges for vocal music competitions as well.
God has gifted the voices and richly blessed the singing careers of Gordon
and Jean Greer for which they are grateful. The Lord is now using them to
His glory in fundamental, separated ministries.
Gordon and Jean Greer
GREER MUSIC MINISTRIES
114 Roberts Hill Drive
Taylors, SC 29687
Telephone: (864) 607-1042
E-mail: singingforsouls1945@gmail.com
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