In the 1960s and ‘70s, the Bethlehem Healing Temple on Chicago’s West Side was a beacon of hope, providing all kinds of services in that tough neighborhood. Services at Bishop Charles E. Poole and Evangelist Mattie Poole’s church sometimes went on for hours and hours.
Under the Pooles, the Healing Temple released several albums on their own label – they’re a wonderfully energetic mix of songs, long musical vamps, sermons, Sunday School lessons and radio broadcasts. My favorite is the title track from It’s Going to Rain – at nearly 16 minutes, it’s just an excerpt from a much longer vamp, with the congregation clapping, the poor pianist straining to keep up, and Evangelist Mattie shouting and singing in the Spirit the entire time!
MUSIC: Bethlehem Healing Temple, It’s Going to Rain LP, “It’s Going to Rain,” Side 1, Track 4 (January 7, 2024)
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU and the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries.