About Me

My Background

Teacher, musician, researcher, writer, and podcaster. This website comes about as a product of my dissertation research into the world of Biblical Trumpets. Click here for a copy of "Trumpets in Scripture."

My Experience

A professional trumpet player and pastoral musician for over thirty years, I now teach at the University level at a private Baptist college, Hannibal-LaGrange University.  

Click here for my Curriculum Vitae.

About Me

Sometimes bearded, and sometimes not, I enjoy time with my wife, Kimberly and our kids and our grandchildren. Click here to go to my podcast page. 

Contact me here

Short Video on Biblical Trumpets

This fun 4:30 minute video is a wonderful place to start in your exploration of Biblical Trumpets. I produced it a few years ago for my old website, "gloryhorn." 

Weekly Research Journal

Selected Academic Writings of John L. Francis

The Moravians: a Pattern for Christian Instrumental Music

 A “spiritual awakening”, having taken place in the small community of Herrnhut, Germany, gave birth to a sacred instrumental music ministry so profound that repercussions are still felt today in the secular and sacred United States and elsewhere. 

Brita Himnaro

 This paper seeks to research why British hymnody would be an optimum source for a hymnal for Esperanto-speaking people, what can be learned from other English hymn translators and to determine a philosophy of translation to create a hymnal that would be useful for the glorification of God, and a tool for evangelism to a secularized culture. 

Forming a Communion Mindset

 Through his hymnal, William Gadsby, sought to use hymns as a formative means of teaching a specific doctrine of the Lord’s Supper to "Strict Baptists" that would be Calvinistic in expression, despite the clear Zwinglian “memorialism” stance that their confessions would state. 

On Platform Leadership

This brief article is about the importance of sincere platform leadership through preparation, appearance, platform vibrancy and certain untangibles 

Trumpets in Scripture

My Master's Thesis, "Trumpets in Scripture" explores the concepts of the two trumpets in the Bible and their meanings.

Shofar: Once and Future Icon

In the Jewish faith, according to Rabbi Abraham Witty, the shofar is a symbol for Messiah. This paper looks at iconodules and iconclasts to decide is the shofar a good representative of the Messiah.

Various Resources on Biblical Trumpets

I have spent years gleaning material on this subject matter by many authors. What is available is free, and should be used for educational purposes only, not for monetary profit. Also please cite authors. If there is no citation available you may cite: "http://www.biblicaltrumpets.org" 

Akedah (Shofar Blessing) (pdf)
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Shofaric Call: Tekiah (Francis) (mp3)
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Shofaric Call: Shevarim (Francis) (mp3)
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Shofaric Call: Teruah (Francis) (mp3)
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Shofaric Call: Tekiah Gedolah (Francis) (mp3)
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Debate on the rule of "Muttar be-fikha" (pdf)
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Internet Links

Shofar Sounder's Webpage (Archived)

This "Wayback Machine" web archive is from Ba'al Tekiah, Arthur Finkle. Despite its older look, it is rich with information about modern Jewish shofar customs.

Why So Many Christians Sound the Shofar...

This Christianity Today article is very insightful about the renewed interest in many Christians to sound the shofar.

A Common Pentecostal View of Shofar

In this CBN video, shofarist Don Heist claims that the shofar has healing power. This is not a viewpoint of biblicaltrumpets.org

Hebrew4Christians

This website has been a great help to me in my translating work. It presents a very systematic method of understanding Ancient Hebrew.

One Hundred Sounds

A web article divulging an interesting perspective of the one-hundred blasts of the shofar at Rosh Hashana.

Jewish Code of Law

This online English translation of the Shulchan Arach (Jewish Code of Law) covers shofar playing on 585-590.

The Sounding of the Shofar

British scholar and musician, David Wulstan (1937-2017) in an article in the May 1973 edition of the Galpin Society Journal titled, "The Sounding of the Shofar." Even to date, his is one of the only articles that includes a very important, yet oft overlooked, cross-reference of information to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Psalm 81: Ancient Liturgy and Timely Admonition

This is a post I wrote for Rosh Hashanah on Psalm 81. In this post, I examine the superscription, the liturgy, and the admonition of this Psalm to better understand its history and message as it pertains to the worship leader.

Contact Me

Email me here!

Visit me on campus!

I am on campus a lot. 

Please feel free to set up a time to see me on the beautiful campus of

 Hannibal-LaGrange University.

Hannibal LaGrange University

2800 Palmyra Rd, Hannibal, Missouri 63401, United States

(573) 629-3270