St. Paul AME Church is 150 years old and is the oldest Black church in Wichita. Among the congregation are fond memories of the gospel album, “Lord I’ll Be Willing.” Recorded in 1968 by the St. Paul Gospel Chorus, the album is a rare artifact from that era.
Ninety-three-year-old Marvin Stone Jr. and 80-year-old Donna Miller are two of the original choir members. They survey the album cover, looking at the faces of fellow singers clothed in their robes and stoles. Several have passed away; others have moved away. The choir, mostly in their 20s and 30s at the time, was primed and ready to record in May 1968.
“When I joined St. Paul, I knew right off that I was going to join that choir,” Miller said with a laugh, “and I did. It was a good choir. We all got along and had a good time, and we traveled quite a bit. We just loved it; we just loved to sing. I think we were better than we realized we were, I mean we were very good.”…