Just a few of the Stories about the Gospel Chicken House

As told by Judy Bollinger ...

Here is a little story concerning The Chicken House coming from Judy Bollinger. I began traveling publicly with Bob Gay in March of 1994. One of the first places he took me to perform was actually, the Gospel Chicken House. Now, I had been a stay-home mother and homemaker of 24 years and lived a very naive life. My life wrapped around my home church and my family. He had already been to the Gospel Chicken House several times before my coming to his ministry. He was very excited when we received a date to go there and of course he painted a picture for me as to what to expect......It is a Christian Night Club......Yes, these were his exact words. Can you see my naive little mind whose only conceivable idea of a nightclub would be a big fancy building with a beautiful dining area with choice little tables and beautiful tablecloths on them, cascading flower arrangements in every direction you looked, and oh, the wonderful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling? The stage you performed on was just exquisite with huge curtains enfolding it. This is what I imagined in my mind. That's where he left me hanging. Not a word of description on his part as to what to expect.... It is a Christian Night Club.....

OK, so the whole way from Pennsylvania to Virginia, I am in a fog of excitement as to what I'm going to see. Any time I asked what it was like, you know what I got...It is a Christian Night Club.........We go way out in the country, make several turns into more country and finally, at the edge of a wooded area, I saw the sign. Why, such a little sign? We turn into a little stone drive and I'm still looking. "WHERE IS IT?" I asked in frustration. There it was. He showed it to me. I couln't believe it. It is a chicken house. A Real One. I went into total shock. My Christian night club vision was a chicken house. What was more, once I got inside, there were no tables or even lights hanging from the ceiling. The stage looked like it came from Hee-Haw and to make matters even worse, there was this big old hound dog roaming around all through the building at his own leisure. Even when it was our turn to perform, he came up on the stage and layed along the side right there by us and slept just like on the Hee Haw show. When I left there that night, my heart and mind were so blown with popped bubbles and joyous pleasure of what I saw and felt as the real Chicken House that I couln't wait to get home and tell everyone about an experience I will never forget till my dying day. The people were so friendly and made us feel like we were one of them and the Christian atmosphere was just astounding. We have been back every year since then and everytime we turn into that last little drive that takes us to the Chicken House doorway, I look at Bob and say "Christian Night Club" and look for a dog. To this day Bob Gay calls the Gospel Chicken House the "Christian Night Club."

Harry Berrier first visited the GCH in November 2002. Here is the story that he wrote ...

Saturday night, November 9, 2002 was the first time I had ever visited the place. At Seven O'Clock, the bell rang, the musicians took their places, the piano, guitar, drum and several other brass band instruments began to sing. When they sang the first few words, I know we were going to have a great night, and we did.

There is only one event in my life, and I'm 82 years old, that I can remember that comes to mind that played music of that type so good and that was M. F. Hamm. He was an evangelist that held a revival in my home town in 1934. For 6 weeks there was a choir of 200 and a brass band.

And now for the people that were there Saturday night, I never thought I would ever hear such music like that again.

I want you to know that your playing and singing really stirred my soul. The voices of every man and lady that sang that night, I want to say to you, one and all, I really appreciate your God given talent and that you are using it so well.

When you first started to sing, with your voicces and the sound of those instruments, I felt like it was going to take the roof off of the building. I have never heard such wonderful music. People now just don't hear that kind of music and singing. If all the Churches had that, look what it would do for Christ.

There is something about this place that makes a person feel so at home.

I went back in the lunch room and talking to Jackie and some of the singers that were back there eating.

The place, and all of the people I met, couldn't have been any nicer. While a group is on the stage singing, if you want to, you can just get up out of your seat and go back in the kitchen and get a drink and something to eat, then come back and take your seat.

I had not had dinner when I came home, but the music and all the singing ... I didn't even think about eating. While they were singing, I along with a lot of others, just sang along with them. That's what I liked so much about the whole place.

It takes people with real talent to make them feel the way they do. You'll go out of your way to make people feel happy.

Personally I want to take this opportunity to say THANKS for the wonderful music and singing I heard that night. It was a real joy for the soul. Keep up the good work and the more you do it, the better you will feel. Again, thank you one and all!

Sincerely,
Harry Barrier
Rockville, VA

Ray Pollard tried very hard to find this dog a good home. After some time, Donnie Lineberry (who helps Ray in the soundroom at the GCH), decided to carry him home. After only one night Donnie returned the dog to Ray. He howled all night.

Once Shorty was returned to Ray, the howling stopped.

Shorty now resides there and can often be seen on stage when Ray performs.

This just proves that all of God's children are home at the Gospel Chickenhouse, even the "4-legged" ones!

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