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Sparks of Life By Reneé Kesler Sports play a pivotal role throughout all of history, including African American history. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center, “the place where African American history and culture are Joe Fishback preserved,” has in its archives a plethora of sports icons Knoxville has produced. World heavyweight boxing champion “Big John” Tate, professional basketball player and NBA coach Elston Turner, general manager of the Oakland Raiders and former NFL linebacker Reggie McKenzie, college scout and former NFL guard Raleigh McKenzie, and former NFL running back LeRoy Thompson are just a few of the sports figures who have called Knoxville home. Yet indisputably, my personal all-time favorite athlete was a member of the state championship football team and graduate of Austin East High School Class of 1986, my brother, Joe Fishback. Fishback was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 after completing a highly decorated National Football League career. During his professional career, he excelled with the Atlanta Falcons and was a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl XXVIII team. Prior to his NFL career, Fishback was a collegiate athlete at Carson-Newman University under the leadership of coach Ken Sparks. The accomplishments that Fishback, a fouryear starter, achieved while at Carson-Newman under Sparks include NAIA All-American who participated in four consecutive national championship contests 1986-1989, bringing the title home in ’86, ’88 and ’89. In 1989, he was runner-up for the NAIA National Player of the Year award, was named South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, was recipient of the title Carson Newman Male Athlete of the Year, and in 2013, was inducted into Carson-Newman’s Athletic Hall of Fame. While Fishback played with some of the greatest names in NFL history, he has also had the opportunity to be coached by the best. Positively, Coach Sparks, along with other outstanding coaches, have had a profound influence on his life and career.
By Nancy Anderson
Members of Girl Scout Troop 20602 gathered at Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church recently to assemble more than 50 flood kit buckets bound for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Sagar Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. Missions team member Sylvia Creswell said UMCOR sends thousands of flood kits worldwide. “Anytime there is a natural disaster worldwide, Sagar Brown Depot, in conjunction with UMCOR, sends out these buckets filled with cleaning supplies including rubber gloves, masks, rope, clothes pins, dishwashing liquid and many other useful items. They send thousands upon thousands of these kits annually, so replenishing the inventory is a constant project among Methodist churches.” The project was a labor of love among the church congregation, who donated much needed supplies and raised the $45 per kit necessary to fill each bucket. Members of Girl Scout Troop 20602 assembled more than 50 flood kits at Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church Friday, March 30. Helping out are Elisabeth Addis, 10, Rebekah Emery, 11, Emma Creswell, 10; (back) Emma Styles, 12, To page A-3 Katelyn Pehrson, 11. Photo by Nancy Anderson
Immanuel Church finds new home at HVA Immanuel Church, a West Park Baptist Church plant, found a new home at Hardin Valley Academy Sunday, March 26. More than 200 people gathered for an uplifting message delivered by pastor Derrick Griz and progressive music led by pastor Jared Raby followed by a luncheon of barbecue sandwiches and homemade desserts. The seed church began meeting in Farragut Middle School last October, but found facilities limitations burdensome. Church personnel had to lay down a tarp then set up and
By Betty Bean A couple of days before Chris Blue headed out to Los Angeles to take the next step toward his future, he stopped by Peace and Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church to say thank you. Nobody was there, but he stood in front of the church and posted a video to Facebook with the following message: “Earlier today I had the privilege of going to where it all started when me and my family moved to Tennessee!! You’ll hear me say it till I can’t say it no more!!.... Thank you ALL SO much for all of your prayers Love and support!!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!! I love you!!!” Diane Jordan, whose husband, John W. Jordan, is pastor at Peace and Goodwill, remembers the first time she saw Chris and his family. Her brother Kevin had been raving about some talented kids. The eldest boy, PJ, went to Bearden High School with Kevin’s son. The family was new to Knoxville, and Kevin wanted the Jordans to invite them to sing at Peace and Goodwill. The next Sunday, the Blue Brothers walked into the church
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plus we have designated and more secure areas for childcare.” According to Griz, the seed church was commissioned to fulfill a growing need in West Knoxville. “With the growing population of West Knox County, we were officially commissioned by West Park Baptist last October. “Hardin Valley Academy is a growing and vibrant community, the perfect place for a church plant. To page A-11
The Blue family’s early Knoxville days remembered
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take down 200 chairs in addition to setting up child care in the hallways each Sunday. “We’re very thankful to have found a new home here at Hardin Valley Academy,” said Griz. We were meeting at Farragut Middle and while we’re thankful for that opportunity, it was hard setting up church every Sunday. Just setting up the chairs alone took a lot of time and we had to lay down a tarp to protect the gym floor. “Here we have the auditorium, which is very nice and has more than enough seats
‘They walked down the aisle singing’
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and into the Jordans’ hearts. “They were like the Jackson Five, but they were singing gospel. Chris, the baby, was Michael. He was only 10 years old and he was this big,” she said, measuring out about 4 feet from the floor. “We immediately adopted them as our godchildren – those five boys and the two girls, too.” From then until now, Diane Jordan has relentlessly promoted the Blue Brothers. Chris would preach his first sermon at Peace and Goodwill when he was 12. He was ordained at 13. “The whole Peace and Goodwill family embraced us with so much love,” PJ Blue said. Today, Chris is 26, and poised on the brink of stardom. He’s the crowd favorite on NBC’s popular talent show “The Voice,” and after his first appearance, celebrity judge Blake Shelton predicted he’d win it all. The Blue family moved here from Florida in August 2000, after their mother, Janice, made a prayerful decision to make a new life in a new place.
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Chris Blue is the crowd favorite on NBC’s “The Voice.” “It was a faith move,” she said. “God had been speaking to me, and I knew that with God on my side, I could make it.” She researched different cities and narrowed her choices to Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville, but wasn’t certain where she was supposed to go until she encountered a prophet at a church conference in Dublin, Ga. “There was a man of God, ministering prophetically, and he called me out. He didn’t know my situation, but I’d asked God before I went
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to the conference – ‘School is about to start. Where would you have us to go? Which city? And when?’ “The Prophet said, ‘I see you and your children moving to the state of Tennessee.’ I said, ‘OK, but which city? I need to be sure.’ The man of God said, ‘I see you and your family established in the city of Knoxville.’ But he didn’t say when.” After the Sunday service, he told her she’d be leaving within a few days. By Wednesday, the Blues had their U-Haul and everything they needed for the journey. PJ, whose given name is Earnest, was a surrogate father to his younger siblings (his email handle is IMFirstof7). Today, he is an assistant minister at Trinity Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. His deep, resonant voice gives him away as the basso profundo in the family choir. Next is Julius – nicknamed Maestro (he plays multiple instruments, has earned a degree in music from the University of Tennessee and is minister of music at Peace and Goodwill). Michael (Mookie) plays semi-professional To page A-3
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