ROCKINGHAM — It was a picture-perfect fall day as several hundred people gathered together in honor of the late Pastor Ricky Jacobs.
Randy Stubbs and 2nd Chance Ministries wanted to do something special for the Jacobs family and decided what better way than a benefit gospel singing since Jacobs loved gospel music.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, a fundraiser was hosted at Mount Carmel Church in Rockingham to help the family with medical expenses that occurred during Jacobs’ hospital stay in September of this year.
Jacobs was like family to Stubbs.
“I’ve known him all my life,” said Stubbs. “My father traveled to special singings and played guitar for Jacobs years ago.”
The singing began at 6 p.m., which included three groups: Next Chapter of Laurinburg; The Bobby Deal Family of Lumberton; and 2nd Chance Ministries of Cheraw, South Carolina.
It took place at Mount Carmel’s outside singing shelter. Folks also brought and set up their own lawn chairs outside the open shelter while others chose to sit in their vehicles and tune into 88.9 FM to listen.
Donation boxes were set up outside the shelter for all who wanted to give a love offering to help the family.
The event opened in prayer, which honored Jacobs and invited God to have His way.
First up was Next Chapter, who began with the classic hymn “I’ll Fly Away.”
The group’s manager, Bobby Taylor, was saddened as he spoke about how they originally had a singing planned for next week at Jacobs church before he passed away. He also spoke on a near-death experience he had, and followed with the song “In Spite of the Storm.”
The Bobby Deal Family was next to take the stage.
“We want to honor Pastor Ricky,” said Deal. “My favorite saying from pastor Ricky was when he would say, ‘Shake the bushes son, shake the bushes. We need to tell people about Jesus.’”
Deal’s two daughters sang with him in the group along with two family friends.
The last group to sing was 2nd Chance Ministries, which donated half of all its CD sales to the Jacobs family.
Seventeen-year-old Gabe Malloy, who is the nephew of group member Ricky Malloy, has been singing tenor with the group for around a month. The group was blessed that he just recovered from laryngitis in the past few days, just in time for the singing.
Stubbs was an active band member when he attended Richmond Senior High School years ago and now does the booking as well as social media for the band. He mentioned how Jacobs interacted with the band even way back then.
“He was an inspirational tool for all of us at Friday night football games,” Stubbs recalled. “He prayed with the band before each game and was always saying something nice like ‘Jesus saves, and ‘Brother Ricky loves you.’ He was a very loving guy who didn’t mind praying for you; this whole county will miss him.”
Jacobs’ wife Lynn Jacobs, daughter Charity Michael, and son Allen Jacobs attended the singing.
“He was a loving man and would help anyone,” Lynn Jacobs said with tears in her eyes. “He loved his church and family very much; we will miss him.”
Michael spoke of her father as she said, “He loved unconditionally and if you hurt him, he loved you even more. To know him is to love him. He dearly loved his grandchildren. He always said you got to love me to get to heaven.”
“He loved kids; it was a big thing for him,” Allen Jacobs said. “He loved sports, singing, and preaching. He truly had a love that showed no favor.”
The family was called up to the front as all the groups took the stage one last time. The love offering totaled $3,000 and was presented to the family as Jacobs’ favorite song, “Rough Side of the Mountain,” was sung by all the group members.
“He always said he was a winner either way; ‘If I go or if I stay,’” Lynn Jacobs said
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