Crabb Family - Dec 04
I have taken it upon myself to write the article this month for the Crabb Family. I did not ask permission, nor run my opinion by them, so I may be risking it, but I just feel the need to share my heart. Seven years ago, I was asked to write an article for Singing News Magazine, my second ever, on a new group known as the Crabb Family. I was very unfamiliar with this family, but felt an instant connection with them the first time we talked. I had been to concert after concert and was a Southern Gospel fan. Some of my favorite singers in this world were, and still are, in this industry. I think Southern Gospel is made up of some of the greatest people that have ever walked the face of the earth. In August of 1998, I heard the Crabb Family live for the first time! Wow!!! I had never had such an experience. It was nothing that they did or said, it was the Spirit of God that was there. It was evident when they walked on stage that they were there for one purpose- to lift up the name of Jesus!
Little did I know that in 2005 I would be going on my fifth year of working full-time with them. What a blessing! God has used them to minister to me more than they will ever know. Every time I hear a testimony of how God has used their music, I am uplifted and encouraged. Other than where to buy product or tickets for a concert, the most frequent questions that come into our office deal with getting started and maintaining such a ministry. I have watched the Crabb Family grow over the years….I don’t mean grow financially, or grow in number, I mean grow in harvest and in ministry. I have watched God work in their lives and in their ministry. I have often evaluated and wondered how to answer this question.
Of course, without a doubt, the main reason the Crabb Family enjoys such a successful ministry is the touch of God on their lives. Each Crabb Family member does what he or she does for no other reason than a divine calling from God. I have heard them all say many times that if they ever feel like they are not called to sing, they will go home. They love to sing, but more than that- they love God! They love the God who has saved them and they want others to experience His grace as well. The sincerity they portray on stage is genuine. I have seen them on stage, at the product table, at home, getting on the bus at midnight to leave for two weeks, getting off the bus at 4 am after two weeks on the road… I have seen them when they are sick, tired and weary. They are the same always! I realize they are not perfect and do not want to sound as though I have them on a pedestal, but they are real! In the most stressful situations, God shines through in their lives. They each have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that has helped them endure the attacks of the enemy more times than I can count!
Second of all, and a trait that is hard to find, they are not critical of other artists. They have shared the stage with nearly everyone who has sung a Southern Gospel note- in the last ten years at least, and they are always supportive. One thing I noticed when I first began attending Crabb Family concerts was their support of other artists. While someone else was on stage, several members of the Crabb Family could be found in the audience cheering them on. They recognize that everyone is on the same team and they are team players! If there is one area that I feel Kathy Crabb is called into (there are many, but if I had to choose), it is helping new artists develop their ministries. I know she recognizes this calling, as well, and have heard her talk as such many times. I have heard several artists such as the Hoskins Family and the McRaes, who both now have very successful ministries, give much of the credit to Kathy Crabb. Her knowledge and intellect are worth more than any amount of money. She can hear from God and advise in any situation. She is behind the scenes and often not given the credit she deserves. The beauty that I have noticed is that any artists who credit Kathy Crabb with any amount of their success, first give credit to God. That is the example she sets!
Just as the Crabb kids and their parents are not critical of other artists, they are not influenced by criticism. Artists such as the Gaithers, the Martins, and the Cathedrals have succeeded by not listening to criticism and the Crabb Family have followed in their footsteps. I have seen them criticized for everything you can imagine, but they have kept pressing on. Recently there has been quite a buzz about their clothing and hairstyles and such….I have never quite understood. They may not fit into the traditional Southern Gospel mode, but they are bringing new faces everyday into this music. Part of my job is to advance each of their dates and monitor the ticket sales. The Crabb Family is one of the few (if not the only) artists to have a full-time person on staff whose primary responsibility is working hand in hand with promoters. If I had a job description statement, at the very top would be calling promoters beginning six weeks out and following each date. I pitch in extra publicity whenever and wherever needed. If I ever let a date slack in which a promoter needed extra help, I would know that it had better be due to illness or serious injury if I wanted to keep my job. The Crabb Family is much more concerned with making sure the buildings are full and that people take their music home than with popularity and politics. I commend them for that! Several promoters have told me in the last year that their Crabb Family concerts have kept them alive. Obviously they are doing something right! Many of the new faces they are bringing in are young faces- some who have never experienced the old-fashioned conviction that will lead them to an old-fashioned altar. Their clothing and their hair might not look like it has in the past, but their message has not changed. They sing about the cross, the blood, the resurrection and salvation. If it seems they do so to the beat of a different drum, they do! Is there not room for everyone? Is our mission to all be alike, or to all point souls to the same Savior? Their message is a message of the gospel- the pure gospel! They are not satisfied with the status quo- they have purposed in their hearts and set their goals for the future to carry this gospel into places that it has never been carried.
Many times when critical emails come in or when criticism is publicly posted concerning the Crabb Family, I shudder to think at how it might hurt them. I fear that one day it will discourage them to the point of giving up. However, it never ceases to amaze me that quite the contrary is the case. They do not even read the criticism! They are so busy doing what God has called them to do that they do not have time, first of all, to get caught up in all the chatter, and second of all, to worry and fret. When criticism comes into the office, we have made it a priority to keep them protected and shielded. Satan would love nothing more than to tear this ministry down, and I refuse to have a part in his evil schemes. I am going to do everything I can to encourage the Crabb kids, Gerald and Kathy Crabb, Mike Bowling, and anyone else who is singing the gospel because they are called to do so- and there are many!
One of the greatest life lessons that I have learned from the Crabb Family is hard work! I have often heard it said that Gerald and Kathy Crabb let no grass grow under their feet. This is true, but what an ability they both have to get things done! Talk about mountain-moving faith! They always believe that things can be done better and that they can work harder. I have never heard hard work listed as the cause of death for anyone, but it can mean a difference in someone else’s life. Hard work cannot replace talent and I certainly do not want to take away from pure God-given talent, but the two go hand in hand. I have never heard anyone put lyrics together with an anointing such as Gerald Crabb. His kids are some of the most talented singers and musicians to ever open their mouths or pick up instruments. However, these talents would lie dormant if not cultivated. I have seen them constantly work toward improvement. Just when I think it couldn’t possibly get any better- it does! I have seen them go when they were too tired to go! I have seen them walk the extra mile when they did not have the strength! God honors hard work! Look at statistics such as Soundscan and Pollstar if you’d like proof. These are the facts and facts are accurate! The Crabb Family is not moved by awards or honors, but God has exalted them far above and beyond.
I was very proud of them at the first annual Harmony Honors Awards. They walked away with some of the most deserving awards of all times. They are very deserving of Artist of the Year. Their ministry has exceeded all boundaries. They have blazed many new trails for their predecessors to follow. Gerald Crabb, with 20 plus number one songs to his credit and several honors for radio airplay, based on the facts, is very deserving of the Songwriter of the Year award. Jason Crabb as Male Vocalist of the Year goes without saying. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not for a moment insinuating that any of their peers are less talented, less anointed, less sincere, less hard-working, or less deserving of anything. That is not the case. Southern Gospel is made up of the best of the best. I just wanted to share my heart and pay tribute to some very special people whom the Lord has used to impact my life tremendously! Thank you Crabb Family for your obedience to the call of God and for not backing down when the going gets tough!
Allison Stinson
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Written: 12/01/2004 
Author: SGN
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Crabb Family
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