No one enters the Refuge Evangelical Baptist Church in Philadelphia without being inspired by the majestic 6’4” Petrof grand piano near the pulpit.  With its elegant lines and high-polished ebony surface glistening in the light, the Petrof fills one with a sense of timeless grace and beauty.

As striking as the appearance of the Petrof is, however, there is much more to this particular piano than can ever be described in mere physical terms.  The Petrof at this church has a spirit.  A spirit that goes beyond its world-class design and construction.  A spirit borne out of a very special love.

A gold plate on the Petrof bears the name, Doris Thurman.  Mrs. Thurman was known in her Philadelphia neighborhood as a loving and caring woman with an abiding interest in children.  Regardless of how busy she was, Mrs. Thurman always seemed to have time to help children-not only her own, but other young people too.

When Doris Thurman passed away, her husband, Thomas Thurman, wanting to do something to commemorate her life, talked to his nephew, the Reverend Wilbert S. Richardson of Refuge Evangelical Baptist, about making a donation to the church.

“What would you like me to donate?”  Mr. Thurman asked his nephew.  For Rev. Richardson, the answer was simple.  “We had just built a new church, and we needed a piano for our services,” he recalled.  “We were using one of those digital pianos, but it did not project the warmth of a true piano.”

One evening, Mr. Thurman accompanied Rev. Richardson and some members of his congregation to a piano dealership.  “We sat down and played hymns on the different pianos in the showroom,” said Rev. Richardson.  “Everyone loved the Petrof, but we didn’t want to impose on my uncle, so we told him that we wanted one of the cheaper pianos on the floor.  At that point, my uncle took me aside and said, ‘I know you really want the Petrof, and if we’re going to have a piano that commemorates your aunt, I want it to be of the finest quality, because that’s the kind of person she was.’”

Mr. Thurman purchased the Petrof for his nephew’s church that evening.

The Reverend Richardson was so moved by what his uncle had said and done at the piano dealership that he later mentioned the experience in several sermons.  “I have preached about the quality of the Petrof in terms of how it symbolizes the caring and concerned nature of my aunt; the love of my uncle for my aunt; and the lessons these hold for all of us,” he said.  “The Petrof was a means by which the Lord blessed our congregation.”

Musicians who play at church services never cease to be amazed by the Petrof, noted Rev. Richardson.  “The music from the Petrof contributes to the warmth and joyfulness of our services,” he said.  Somehow we get the feeling that this is just the kind of commemoration Doris Thurman would have wanted.