A true Courier

Sometimes the really important contributors to an enterprise are the people we never see.

One really important contributor to the Couriers, one of gospel music’s most acclaimed and accomplished groups, was a used car dealer from central Pennsylvania named Ted Rossey. But to my knowledge, Rossey never sang a note, wrote a song, arranged or produced an album, or made any musical impact on the Couriers at all.

How, then, is Rossey a contributor to the Couriers?

I’m not certain of this, but I believe that Rossey came to know Christ as his savior through the singing ministry(and it was literally that)of the Couriers early in the group’s career, and because he was an obvious fan of the group, I imagine he felt led to give back to the men who helped change his life.

So Rossey became a friend of the members of the group, and accompanied them often on their concert trips. But in so doing, he wasn’t just along for the ride.

Often Rossey insisted on driving the bus to wherever the group had to go…not only that, he insisted on buying the fuel for the bus, which, as any gospel singer who travels by bus will tell you, is no small expense.

Once Rossey insisted on accompanying the group on a 40 day trip from Pennsylvania to the West Coast and back. He also insisted on buying all the fuel for the entire trip.

Keep in mind that the Couriers’ bus had a 140-gallon tank. And they were making a round trip of some 5,000 miles. This was some gesture that Rossey was doing. The story has it that Rossey had to call home to his wife, because he ran out of money on the way and had to have her send him some more.

Rossey was a constant source of help to the Couriers. Once he noticed that the bus needed new tires. He insisted that the group get a set of Michelin tires for the bus. The group told Rossey they could not afford tires like that. So Rossey made sure that within days, the group’s bus had a new set of Michelins! And Rossey always kept an eye on those tires…that first set lasted 200,000 miles…and by 1980, Rossey had bought 42 tires for the Couriers’ buses over all that time. Clearly, Rossey was a key support figure in the ministry of the Couriers.

Why am I writing about Rossey?

For one, because I feel that people like that, who are clearly examples of the concept of “paying it forward”, deserve their due recognition for the part they play in a successful worldwide ministry, because they don’t get it that often, and for two, because I learned that Rossey went home this past weekend to the Lord he came to know as a result of the musical ministry of the Couriers.

I have become good friends with the men who were a part of the Couriers musically, but I never even got to know Rossey. Nonetheless, I feel a certain brotherly bond to Rossey, because of the friend and contributor he was to making the Couriers. I can’t feel the loss they feel, obviously. But since they are such a part of me, and Rossey was such a part of the Couriers, I feel a little bit of me went home to Christ this weekend, too.

Yes, “Tedford”, as the Couriers called him, was an important behind the scenes contributor to one of the most successful musical ministries that has ever existed…and I feel he deserves a salute for what he gave the Couriers through the years.

I’m quite sure, though, that one of the first people the Couriers will introduce me to when we’re all in heaven will be Ted Rossey.

For Ted was a true Courier.

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