19th Annual Milk River Gospel Jamboree Summer Festival is first held since 2019

Several musical acts graced the Malta High School Auditorium stage last weekend for the 19th Annual Milk River Gospel Jamboree.

The three-day event started on Friday, June 17, and concluded on Sunday, June 20. This year's event was the first MRGJ summer event held since 2019, before the pandemic.

"We are excited and we are pleased," said John Koss, chairman of the Milk River Gospel Jamboree.

Koss said that attendance was down on the first two nights, but numbers grew to over 160 on Sunday.

The event featured five traveling acts from around the United States and one from Canada; including headlining comedian/musician Tim Lovelace of Jacksboro, Tenn., co-headliner Chris Golden of Gallatin, Tenn., Three and Company of Edmonton, Sask., The Benson Family Singers of Faribault, Minn., Paul Family Bluegrass of Trout Creek, Mich., and Dave and Beth Irvin of Peculiar, Mo.

Originally, the Last Mountain Boys, a Southern Gospel Trio from Saskatchewan, were slated to attend, but were unable to attend due to illness.

Assembly Church and Little White Church provided musical acts to fill in the time slots left by Last Mountain Boys.

"The Paul Family and Benson family play Bluegrass style primarily," Koss said. "Tim Lovelace is comedy and he can play about any style. He has been very generous with his time, coming out and sitting out with the other groups, as the other groups have."

He said that it has been a blessing to see the groups not only perform but perform at times with each other.

"It is obvious to us that the musicians enjoy that as well," Koss said.

Koss said that Three and Company was a group that is very easy to listen to.

"They are gentle, kind, encouraging, relaxing music and we really appreciate those folks," Koss said. "Dave and Beth Irvin provide a country-style and she has got a really pretty voice. We enjoy her. We enjoy these groups and their hearts for the Lord. And their hearts for each other. If someone has got a need."

Dale Johnson, of the event's lone Canadian group Three and Company, have performed at the MRGJ a few times, including in 2014, 2015, and 2018.

He and his wife Diane live in Edmonton, Alberta, while Brent Anderson lives in Laduc, a town near Edmonton.

Though the trio hasn't been able to travel past the border due to the pandemic, the Jamboree wasn't the only event that they have missed in the past two years.

"It's good to be back," Johnson said. "Most of our festivals had canceled during that time, so it's great to be back seeing the people, and the people in Malta have been so friendly, and it has been great to be here."

He said that the crowd has been great and very involved during their performances.

Golden, of Gallatin, Tenn., was born in Brewton, Ala., a town near Florida.

"I thought that I had been everywhere," Golden said with a smile. "I am from a town maybe a little smaller than Malta, so a small town is nothing new to me."

He said that every invitation to use his talents is an answer to his prayers and that he was thankful to play in Malta.

"I heard that there were people from Kalispell (on Saturday) that come here every year, so there are people that are coming here from all over the country to Malta. I think that the ol' Gospel Jamboree is putting it on the map," Golden said. "That and the Mustangs."

Another reason that Golden was thankful to perform at the MRGJ, was the fact that he wasn't performing alone.

"Most of the time I feel like I am out on an island," Golden said. "And what I have enjoyed the most is the camaraderie and fellowship amongst the other bands and artists that are here. I don't get to play with other bands and other artists that much."

Being a father himself, Golden really enjoyed seeing the other groups with their children performing and interacting with one another.

"All of the folks have been nothing but nice to me since I got to Malta, and I hope I get to come back someday," Golden said.

Golden closed out the MRGJ's first night on Friday.

Lovelace, who has reached the Billboard Top 5 in Comedy Sales, and is a Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame Inductee, closed out things on Saturday, and Sunday, with a performance that featured plenty of laughs, as well as deep and meaningful stories.

The Paul Family and Benson Family provided the MRGJ with plenty of talent in the genre of bluegrass. The PCN caught up with Jesse Paul, husband of Tracey, who played upright bass, and father of Austin, Dalton, Priscilla, Bethany and Mitchell.

The family originated in Florida and then moved to the upper peninsula of Michigan to play music as well as run a maple farm.

He said that they run their maple farm for six months during the winter months, and for the other six months, they do gospel music as a ministry.

When asked how things were going, Paul gave a shout out Jim Fauth, who is in charge of operating the technical side of the event.

"Jim is doing an awesome job," Paul said. "We like to joke and I like to say that we live in the middle of nowhere, but Malta is the end of nowhere. For being out here, this is as good of a festival as we have ever been to. It is so well run. The people here are so genuine and friendly. We have been blessed. We have had a good time out here and we are just grateful and honored to be considered amongst these great artists that are here."