Johnny Cash’s Spiritual Mentor Focuses Ministry on Africa
Jack Shaw is building a hospital in Kenya funded in part with money the late country singer raised.
Charismatic businessman and lay evangelist Jack Shaw hopes to soon complete a hospital that will serve thousands of impoverished East Africans.
His focus today is a world away from the ministry he held for a decade traveling with country-music singer Johnny Cash during the later years of the star’s life, offering one-on-one spiritual counsel to concertgoers at Cash’s shows.
Shaw and Cash met in the early 1970s while Shaw was doing repair work at a church in New Orleans. He was a part-time country singer and Cash already was a big name in country music.
| “Despite his ties with music legend Johnny Cash, Shaw said he hopes to be remembered more for pointing others to Christ.” |
The two men kept in touch, discussing spiritual matters periodically over the years as Shaw grew his business of building and repairing church steeples while preaching itinerantly at crusades overseas and at home. As a result of their ongoing friendship, Cash told Shaw in 1993 to call him daily to discuss the Bible.
Soon after, the country star issued a spur-of-the-moment invitation for Shaw to offer spiritual counsel after a concert, which he did periodically for the remainder of Cash’s career. Because of that role, Shaw said countless people heard the gospel. Although he never tracked conversions, he knows many people were touched.
"The place would be jumping up and down and suddenly it was so quiet you could hear a feather drop,” Shaw said of Cash’s shows. “How do we know how many lives were changed because of that seed? They left with something in their spirit that wasn’t there before. And that happened all over the world.”
Cash remains popular today since his death in September 2003. A posthumous studio album—American VI, taken from his final recording session—is tentatively scheduled for release in the fall.
Increased interest in the artist came through the 2005 movie Walk the Line. Despite its moving portrayal, the film gave only brief notice to Cash’s spiritual journey, which included the rededication of his life to Christ at an Assemblies of God church in suburban Nashville, Tenn.
John Carter Cash--the youngest son of Cash and his late wife, June Carter Cash--credits Shaw with supporting and guiding the 18 members of his father’s touring act.
"My dad trusted him explicitly,” John Carter said. “Jack is one of the most open-minded, forgiving and gentle people I know. He taught me a lot about unconditional friendship and love for a brother.”
Cash’s longtime manager, Lou Robin, said the lay pastor lent a calming presence with a nightly quiet time and prayer circle before the band’s act, praying their music would touch the audience.
Despite his ties with a music legend, Shaw said he hopes to be remembered more for building a hospital in the East African nation of Kenya and pointing others to Christ.
Jack Shaw Ministries needs more than $2 million to finish the building in Nakaru. The hospital, which Shaw calls his purpose in life, is the culmination of a vision he received 50 years ago at an Assemblies of God summer camp.
The $103,000 he raised by late 2006 includes $17,500 from Cash, much of it raised at a benefit concert the singer staged 15 years ago in Shaw’s hometown. -Ken Walker
For more about Jack Shaw, log on at jackshawministries.com. Visit Johnny Cash’s official Web site at johnnycash.com.
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