Early 20th Century Gospel Song "Keep On The Firing Line" (Part II- Eight YouTube Videos From Various Countries)

 

Keep On The Firing Line (Mt Zion Apostolic Youth Choir)

1baw2009, Jul 10, 2012

Abiezer Youth Convocation Abiezer Pentecostal Church 94-96 Milvan Drive Toronto, Canada.  Sunday, July 8, 2012 (PM)

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the early 20th century United States Southern Gospel song "Keep On The Firing Line". 

This post showcases eight YouTube videos of "Keep On The Firing Line" from choirs, choral groups, and/or congregations in Canada, the United States (two videos), Jamaica, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Bahamas, and the Philippines. These videos are presented in chronological order with the oldest published video given first.

The Addendum to this post presents my comments about this song.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/02/early-20th-century-gospel-song-keep-on.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about and lyrics for That early 20th century religious song is credited to Bessie F. Hatcher (sometimes listed as Thatcher) or to Otis Leon McCoy. Both of these composers of religious music were White Americans.

The content of this post is presented for religious and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of this song. Thanks to all those who are featured in this videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Bill & Gloria Gaither - Keep On the Firing Line [Live] ft. Anthony Burger

 

Gaither Music TV, Nov 1, 2012 [This church is in the United States.]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Church On The Rock Kingston - Kerron Ennis- Keep on the Firing Line

 

Kerilee scars, Mar 17, 2014

Kerron Takes you back with this old time song [Kingston, Jamaica]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Keep On The Firing Line St Peters Native Baptist Church The Bahamas



Saint Peter, Apr 27, 2019 [The Bahamas]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5- Keep on the Firing Line | I Love the Lord | Church & Pastoral Anniversary 2019 

 G-Street Church, Oct 12, 2019

1632 Germany St, Columbia, SC 29204 [This is an Apostolic church in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.]
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For comparison's sake, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q4sPGQi_FU for a 2013 YouTube video that showcases a White American Baptist church music group from Charleston, South Carolina singing "Keep On The Firing Line". 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 -Keep On The Firing Line

FBCFI Hong Kong, Jan 25, 2021

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #7- Keep on the Firing Line

Baptist Heritage, May 13, 2024 [Christian college in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines]
 
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #8 - Keep On the Firing Line: Choir March Is Back

 

General Assembly Apostolic Church UK, Jan 15, 2025 
#generalassemblyapostolicchurch

#generalassemblyapostolicchurch [London, United Kingdom]

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES ABOUT SOME OF THESE VIDEOS.
These videos were somewhat randomly selected from other YouTube examples. After I published these videos, I noticed that most of the renditions that feature Black singers were from Apostolic Christian churches  (Videos #1,Video #3, and Video #8.)

I also noticed that the music and singing for those Apostolic churches' renditions of "Keep On The Firing Line" reminded me of Jamaican Ska music. As per comments in their YouTube video discussion threads, a number of people from the congregations of Black Canadians' and Black United Kingdom's Apostolic churches are from Jamaican Apostolic churches whose music has that Ska sound.

Video #4 and #5 are exceptions to the videos that feature Black singers performing "Keep On The Firing Line" with a Ska sound. Video #5 showcases an African American Baptist church that performs that song with an African American Blues flavor. Video #4 showcases a congregation from the Native Baptist denomination in the Bahamas. That rendition doesn't have either a Ska flavor or a Blues flavor.

As somewhat of an aside, notice that most-if not all- of the females who are part of the congregation of the Apostolic churches cover their hair with a hat or with a scarf. 

The female choir members in the Bahamas video also cover their hair. However, females in the African American church video aren't wearing hats or scarfs to cover their hair in church.

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

Apostolic Church Choir Marches In Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, Canada, The United Kingdom, & The United States

Mr & Mrs Daniel Falconer, Mar 3, 2024  #holyghost #apostolic #bethel

Watch as the Lord sweep through the Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic Stony Hill/ Bethel Stony Hill! The warriors sang, marched and danced under the influence of the Holy Ghost! [Stony Hill, Jamaica, Caribbean]

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases seven videos of Apostolic church choir marches. Three of these YouTube videos are from Jamaica and one each of these videos are from Turks & Caicos, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Five of these choir marches are during offering (collection). One march occurs in the midst of the choir singing during th church service (Video #3) and one choir march is at the beginning of the church service (Video #6).

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/celebrate-new-life-tabernacle-choir.html "Marching Into The Church Sanctuary Singing "We've Come This Far By Faith" (2014 YouTube video of Celebrate New Life Tabernacle Choir from Tallahassee, Florida)" for one style of African American choir procession ("march in").

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-old-custom-that-some-african.html for the 2019 pancocojams post "African American Church Choirs Marching Into The Church Service With Their Right Hand Raised (videos & comments)"

Also, click  https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/two-videos-of-new-jersey-church-choir.html
Two Videos Of New Jersey Church Choir March Arounds & A Description Of That Church Custom That I Observed in New Jersey In 2019

That pancoojams post includes my descriptions of and notes about what I refer to as "choir march arounds" (as opposed to choir or usher "march ins" when those groups march into the church sanctuary at the beginning of the Sunday morning church service.) 

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INFORMATION ABOUT APOSTOLIC CHURCHES
"AI Overview [results on January 3, 2026]
An Apostolic Church refers to Christian groups emphasizing a return to the practices and teachings of Jesus' apostles, often characterized by Pentecostal elements like speaking in tongues, healing, and a strong emphasis on the Bible, with major denominations including the Apostolic Church (founded 1916) and the Apostolic Christian Church (founded 1847). They focus on evangelism, discipleship, and experiencing God's presence through spiritual gifts, with practices like water baptism by immersion and communion."... 

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES

Additions and corrections are very welcome for these notes.

Based on comments in the discussion threads for these showcase videos and similar YouTube videos, I believe that this style of Apostolic church choir marching originated in Jamaica and extended from there to other countries, largely through immigration. 

Here's an AI Overview description of what I refer to as the "Jamaican style of choir marching":
"The marching of Jamaican Apostolic Church choirs during the offering is a vibrant, deeply spiritual, and well establiched tradition, often referred to simply as the "choir march". It transforms a typical offering collection into a dynamic and celebratory act of collective worship.

Description of the Event

The "choir march" is a lively, rhythmic procession that typically involves the following elements:

Procession and Movement: The choir members, often the main or a combined choir from several churches, march in a highly synchronized and orderly fashion, often in pairs or rows, from their seats to the front of the church or around the aisles. This is not a solemn walk but a purposeful movement set to music.

Vibrant Singing: As they march, the choir sings an uplifting song or medley, often a lively, rhythmic gospel tune or a traditional hymn with an energized tempo. The music is a ministry in itself, meant to inspire the congregation to give joyfully and focus on God's blessings.

Active Participation: The marching is accompanied by clapping, rhythmic swaying, and sometimes spontaneous "praise breaks" and dancing, creating an atmosphere of uninhibited praise and celebration. The entire congregation is often encouraged to clap and sing along, making them co-creators in the worship experience.

Symbolism: This act symbolizes the church "marching on" in faith and unity, offering their gifts to God with enthusiasm and devotion.

Attire: Choirs in Jamaican Apostolic churches typically wear coordinated, often colorful, robes or uniforms. The sight of the unified group moving together adds to the visual impact of the event.

The event is generally a powerful and anticipated part of the service, highlighting the strong role of music and movement in Jamaican Pentecostal and Apostolic worship traditions. You can often find examples of these performances by searching video platforms for "Shiloh Apostolic Church Jamaica choir march" or "Apostolic choir marching offering time".
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These Apostolic choirs style of marching reminds me of fast paced jogging with the marcher's upper body slightly leaning forward and their arms making churning motions. While they march the choir members sing an old hymn whose tune and tempo is adapted to Ska or Ska-like music.

Commenters in the discussion threads for these Jamaican-style choir march arounds often refer to these march arounds as dancing for the Lord.

Marchers may feel the Holy Spirit as they march which I believe is the key purposes for the march and not just providing an opportunity for the choir members giving their offering (collection/money).

Male members of the choir lead the march-sometimes with an usher (identified by wearing white gloves) marching at the head of the line. The females almost always wear a hat or some other head covering, even if (in contemporary times) that covering doesn't cover her entire head.  

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ADDITIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - HOLD ON OUT - PART 3

Bethel Born Again Church Of Jesus Christ Apostolic, Nov 10, 2011

The Voices of the Overcomers of Bethel singing at International Convocation 2011 [Jamaica]
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Notice in this video that a number of choir members are shown feeling the Spirit while they march. ("Feeling the Spirit" is what some African Americans used to refer to as "getting happy" in church.)

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Christian Warrior/Jubilee Medley

Jamaica Free Baptist Church Four Paths, Jul 21, 2016 [Jamaica]

Youth Night - Convention 2016

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4-ICTORY MARCH - I AM DETERMINED. 
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS CHOIR 

@ApostleDonaldPurge, Sep 3,2024 [Turks & Caicos, Caribbean]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Offering time @ Abiezer (View the choir in action)



1baw2009, Apr 13, 2009

Abiezer Pentecostal Church:  96 Milvan Drive Toronto, Canada--It's offering time @ Abiezer (This is how we do it every Sunday.) [Toronto, Canada]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 - Keep On the Firing Line: Choir March Is Back 

General Assembly Apostolic Church UK Jan 15, 2025 [London, United Kingdom]

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - SHOWCASE VIDEO #5- OFFERING TIME: BLESSETH JESUS HOLD MY HAND - Offering time 💸💸💸

@ChatmotivationJul 3, 2023
Gospel Assembly Church (GAC) Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic - Bronx NY.  The Choir march for the Tithes & Offering. The Lord loves a cheerful giver - 2 Corinthians 9: 7 [Bronx, New York, USA]

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