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Soul of the festival Worshippers sing along with the Carriage Hills Praise Team during the 2004 Jubilee sunrise worship service downtown. This year’s Celebration Sunrise Service is Sunday and will once again be on the banks of the Alabama River at the old amphitheater in Riverfront Park.

On Saturday, the popular Christian music event known as Praisefest returns to Jubilee CityFest, and this year will feature its biggest act ever.

Headlined by Christian music superstar Steven Curtis Chapman, expectations could make this the biggest Praisefest ever, said Marianne McLeod, executive director of Jubilee.

“(This year’s) Praisefest has received so many positive comments that we’re really excited about,” she said. “Steven Curtis Chapman is a mega star and many people are coming just to see him.”

McLeod said those fans will be very pleased with the other acts they get to enjoy both before and after Chapman performs.

“We have a lot of good Christian artists performing before him that people may not know as much about but will definitely enjoy, and we have both (country stars) Phil Vassar and Lonestar afterward so it makes for a great day all around,” she said.

WANT TO GO?
What: Beasley Allen Praisefest

Where: Jubilee CityFest in downtown Montgomery

When: 2:30 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Saturday

Lineup: Starfield, 2:30-3:30 p.m.; Sarah Kelly, 4-5 p.m.; Trevor Morgan, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Steven Curtis Chapman, 7-8:15 p.m..

Admission: $35 for a weekend pass or $25 for a one-day pass

Call: 834-7220

Over the years, Praisefest has rapidly grown in size and popularity — not a big surprise for an event that is deep in the heart of the Bible belt.

“Every year, Christian music is a music genre we look heavily at by popular demand,” McLeod said. “We have a lot of people who look forward to Praisefest.”

Praisefest speaks to the popularity of Christian music here, and the event will feature artists in addition to Chapman who are making their mark on the music genre.

Canadian band Starfield is one of the most successful Christian acts in Canada. They’ve won five Vibe Awards, which are the Canadian equivalent of the Dove Awards — the Grammys of Christian music.

Sarah Kelly was named one of the best new artists of 2004 by ChristianityToday.com and is a singer/songwriter who performs worship songs with a unique girl rock sound.

Trevor Morgan is an Alabama native who has toured with artists such as Ginny Owens, MercyMe and Third Day. The songwriter’s debut album “Wonderlight” has been getting rave reviews in the Christian music community.

“It’s a cool lineup,” said Chris James of Montgomery. “There are artists that both the young and old will like.”

Steven Curtis Chapman
– Contributed

McLeod said that is a key factor when choosing the acts — the appeal to different age ranges. It also goes well with the family friendly atmosphere that Jubilee strives for every year.

The event also is a fun event for the artists themselves.

Tim Neufeld of Starfield said he is looking forward to performing at the event.

“The South is a great place to perform because the Bible belt is so strong in their Christian beliefs,” he said. “Alabama is more representative of the South than any place else.”

Neufeld said that the opportunity to play alongside an artist like Chapman is another perk to Praisefest.

“It’s always cool to play alongside great artists,” he said. “We like playing events like this because you get to be there alongside other talented artists that are strong with their faith.”

Canadian Christian band Starfield
– Contributed

It provides a chance for the fans to feel good about their spirituality.

“I like coming to Praisefest because it’s uplifting,” said Janice Miller. “A lot of people having a good time praising God.”

The commitment to uplifting the Lord at Jubilee doesn’t stop with Praisefest.

There’s also the Celebration Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. Sunday. The interdenominational service is held on the banks of the Alabama River at the old amphitheater in Riverfront Park.

It has become another Jubilee tradition.

“We get a lot of people who come out to it on Sunday,” McLeod said. “People look forward to it.”

There is no ticket required for the sunrise service

By Darryn Simmons
Montgomery Advertiser

Christian music : Bryan Graves will perform acoustic Christian music at the Mustard Seed Coffee House at Pepperell Christian Fellowship Friday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m., 17 Main St., Pepperell. Admission is free or a paper product item (paper towels, toilet tissue, etc.) to benefit My Father’s House, Visit www.pcfchurch.com to hear music samples and get directions.

Spirit West Coast Christian music festival this weekend By: PAM KRAGEN DEL MAR —- One of the Southwest’s largest Christian music festivals, Spirit West Coast, opens a three-day run May 27 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The annual festival, which will feature more than 50 Christian pop, rock, folk and other musical acts on nine stages, is expected to draw as many as 40,000 to 50,000 people. Among the top-name acts scheduled to appear are Audio Adrenaline, Kutless, Matthew West, Third Day, Building 429, the Newsboys, Building 429, Joy Williams, Tree 63, This Holiday Life, Hawk Nelson, East West, Showbread, Seventh Day Slumber, Project 86, Normal Jean, BarlowGirl, Jeremy Camp, Benjamin, The Afters, T-Bone, KJ-52, Spoken, Thousand-Foot Krutch and many more.

In addition to music, a stage will be set up for Christian-themed speakers and Christian comedians. Other features include a free interactive skate park and free basketball as well as ticketed activities such as a mechanical bull, rock-climbing walls, a bungee trampoline and other action sports. A slate of children’s entertainers —- including “Jesus Rocks!” Puppet Ministry and “VeggieTales” characters — will also appear. Tent and RV camping services will be available.

Spirit West Coast was started in 1997 in Monterey. The Del Mar leg of the festival was added last year. Together, they draw a combined 90,000 people a year, organizers say. New this year in Del Mar is a reserved seating section for those who don’t want to stand at the evening concerts. Seat tickets will be sold on-site each day for $5.

Festival hours are 2 to 10 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 28 and 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. May 29 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Tickets are $80 to $110 for festival pass (ages 13 and up); $45-$55 for a festival pass (ages 6-12); $40-$47 for a one-day pass (ages 13 and up); and $22-$27 for a one-day pass (ages 6-12). For more information, call (831) 443-5399 or visit the Spirit West Coast Web site at www.spiritwestcoast.org

A League of Its Own Sanctus Real Singing to Change Lives by David Jenison

“As soon as I found out ‘ Beautiful Day ’ was going to be a radio single, I prayed that it wouldn’t go No. 1,” laughs Sanctus Real singer Matt Hammitt, referring to his band’s contribution to the benefit/U2 tribute album In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa(Sparrow). “Our song ‘Say It Loud’ made it to No. 2, but we’d never had a No. 1; and I knew I’d be bummed if a song that wasn’t ours got to No. 1 first.”

Not only did it reach No. 1, “Beautiful Day” stayed on top of Radio & Records’ Christian rock chart for five consecutive weeks and landed a 2004 GMA Awards Dove nomination for “Modern Rock Song of the Year.” Still, the band’s lament over its cover song success is truly halfhearted, considering how much the guys believe in the cause.

“Changing lives is all we care about, and anything else is secondary,” says Hammitt, noting that the album helped raised money to fight the AIDS epidemic.

“There’s a crisis in Africa; and if our song helped give support, that’s all that matters.”

Charities aside, Sanctus Real might not be waiting long before one of its own tunes cracks the coveted top spot. While its Sparrow Records debut, Say It Loud, was critically acclaimed and sold more than 30,000 copies, the group’s latest, Fight the Tide, shows that these Buckeye State rockers clearly raised the bar. Working with producer Tedd T (Delirious, Rebecca St. James), the band—Hammitt, guitarist Eric Rohman, drummer Mark Graalman and four-stringer Steve Goodrum worked and reworked songs until they crafted an album that represented its very best. In fact, the disc’s lead single, “Everything About You,” radiates an energetic spark that could very well make the song a No. 1 lock. Still, the musical vision for Fight the Tide, as the title implies, transcends the radio dial and any other marketing concerns.

Hammitt, mentioning the many radio formats in Christian music, notes, “There’s pressure for Christian artists to make albums with songs that fit into this or that format. There is some spoken, and more unspoken, pressure to fit into certain molds, and sometimes it’s as simple as looking too closely at what’s popular at the time.”

The title Fight the Tide is about resisting such forbidden artistic fruit. “I don’t want to say we’re control freaks, but it’s very important that what comes out of this band is us,” continues the singer. “We want to make sure we’re making music that’s honest to who we are. We must be passionate about the music because it addresses what we go through in our lives.”

Sanctus Real clearly found a meaningful album title to reflect the songs within, but the group toyed with a different title that’s also, umm, relevant. “When people see our band name for the first time and try to say it,” laughs Hammitt, “our name always gets butchered. You’ll hear stuff like ‘Sanctual Rio’ or ‘Sanctious Real.’ Since the first record was called Say It Loud, we thought about calling this album ‘Say It Right!’ ”

Though a fairly new band on the national level, Sanctus Real has already made its presence known in quite a veteran manner. Case in point, the group’s three Dove Award nominations this year came from involvement in three different albums: its debut disc, the U2 tribute and the !Hero the Rock Opera project (for which Hammitt contributed vocals). Sanctus Real also participated in several major rock tours, including two “Festival con Dios” outings and the “See Spot Rock” and “We Are Tomorrow” tours. The Christian music market embraced these rookie rockers, which fittingly corresponds to an early choice the band had to make.

Hammitt explains, “When we were trying to get a deal, we sent packages to mainstream and Christian record companies; and we got a really good response from both. At that point, we really had to do some soul searching and figure out where it was we were supposed to be.”

The band mulled over their options; but, in the end, the answer came in simply realizing who they are. “Ultimately, we knew we could relate to kids in the church,” says Hammitt, who grew up in the church himself, as did Rohman and Goodrum. “We are passionate about our faith, and we knew we could encourage Christian kids to keep their faith growing and, likewise, reach kids who never before heard the message. From our personal experience, we felt this was the place we were supposed to be.”

Turning back the pages to a small Christian high school in Toledo, Ohio, Sanctus Real found its initial spark when Hammitt and Rohman began playing together in their chapel band. During their sophomore year, the two friends started making their own music outside the school, which led to recruiting Graalman on drums and later Goodrum on bass. They played their first show during the 1996 holiday season.

“My dad owns a photography studio that’s in a warehouse, and we did our first concert out of the back of the warehouse,” recalls Rohman. “We practiced and practiced, maybe had six songs and played for a handful of our friends from school. We have the show on video somewhere, which is pretty scary.”

After getting through its inaugural performance, the group recorded a six-song demo tape and later a six-song EP titled All This Talk of Aliens. In 1998, the group dropped its full-length debut, Message for the Masses, which was recorded in a garage. For its final independent self-release, the band members wanted to “go all out;” but they first needed to make some money. For Hammitt and Goodrum, it meant taking not-so-glamorous jobs.

“We did telemarketing for a few months, and it had to be the most dreadful job ever,” says Hammitt, who hawked auto glass over the telephone. “You have to call people at the most inconvenient times. We got death threats over the phone. One guy said he was going to come through the phone and strangle me.” The worst ones, of course, happened when a person’s car windshield had gotten cracked or chipped that same week. Hammitt continues, “It was like, ‘That’s funny, my windshield gets chipped yesterday; and you’re calling me today!’ Those were the types who really wanted to come after us.”

With dues paid, Sanctus Real used its money to record three songs down in Memphis with producer Skidd Mills (Skillet, Jonah 33). As fate would have it, the band entered one of the songs into a local radio contest and won, so they decided to save more money and record a full album with Mills. The disc was finished in 2000; and, not knowing exactly what to do with it, Graalman and Hammitt decided to make a trip to Nashville for Gospel Music Week.

“It was rough,” laughs Hammitt. “Mark and I stood outside the main convention center and passed out CDs. We aren’t very outgoing, so it was very awkward. It was definitely out of our comfort zone. I remember a few times when some people really blew us off. We didn’t know if it would do any good, but somehow one of the discs got into the hands of someone at Sparrow Records.”

With its days of telemarketing and sidewalk peddling in the past, Sanctus Real made its national bow with Say It Loud and garnered substantial support from fans, including CCM readers, who named the band as their “Favorite New Artist” in the magazine’s 2004 readers poll.

“It was completely unexpected, and we’re incredibly grateful,” says Hammitt of the poll. “As a young band, we still need that assurance that we’re reaching people and that they’re catching on to what we’re doing. This type of honor is such a great encouragement.”

Provided by CCM Magazine

Christians purge video game demons By Matthew Davis BBC News, Washington

The Devil, they say, has all the best tunes. Until now he has also had the video games market sewn up. Christian developers want to provide alternatives to graphic violence

From the demonic violence of Doom to the sinister Resident Evil series, many of today’s most successful titles draw inspiration from dark places.

But a growing band of Christian game developers are taking a stand.

Reverend Ralph Bagley, 41, is a man with a mission. “I have always been a gamer since the days of Pong and Pacman,” he told BBC News.

“But as the games got nastier, I was getting pretty conflicted about coming home from church and playing things like Doom and Quake.

“I began to look for something else, but there was a gaping hole in the market.”

Earlier this year, the father of two founded the Christian Game Developers Foundation, aiming to drag Christian games from obscurity to the mainstream.

Most people who play computer games want those visceral thrills

Alex Navarro
GameSpot

“Simply forbidding our children from playing video games is not the answer,” says Rev Bagley.

“We have to give them quality alternatives that match the excitement of secular games while promoting Christian values - without the violent or sexually explicit content.”

Columbine massacre

Rev Bagley began his mission back in 1996, when investors turned down his first-person Christian shooter, Catechumen.

Investors took Rev Bagley more seriously after Columbine

Only after the Columbine school massacre in April 1999, in which killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold claimed inspiration from violent video games, did the money start coming in.

To date his company N’Lightning Software has sold some 80,000 copies of Catechumen for the PC in the US, UK, Australia, Holland, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

But for Rev Bagley, and other Christian developers, the benchmark for success is breaking the console market.

Where PC games can be brought out on a shoestring, several million dollars are needed to develop a console title, more to market it - plus the console makers’ approval to run it.

‘Wholesome fun’

A new release, announced on the fringes of the ES gaming expo in Los Angeles last week, is lighting the way to the next level.

Catechumen is in the mould of Doom - but without the gore

Crave Entertainment’s The Bible Game casts players as contestants on a game show, answering questions on anything from Noah’s Ark to David and Goliath.

“Wholesome fun” say the makers, who hope it will encourage families to play together when it is released for the PlayStation 2 and GameBoy Advance in October.

Industry experts, however, are not convinced.

Alex Navarro, associate editor of online magazine GameSpot, said Christian games - like Christian rock music - were not likely to have the edgy thrills of their “full fat” counterparts.

We also pray for God’s unyielding protection for our company, as well as others who are involved in his perfect plan for the world

Brethren Entertainment Software

“Most people who play computer games want those visceral thrills. I can’t see Christian games ever being anything other than a niche product,” he said.

Christian music sales comprise about 7% of the total market - some 43 million albums were sold in the US last year.

PricewaterhouseCoopers expects the video games market to be worth about $55.6bn in 2008 - up from $22.3bn in 2003.

So even a small share of the expanding industry is a tempting prize.

‘Glory to God’

Developers are aiming at more than the bottom line, however, as Washington state-based Brethren Entertainment Software makes clear in its mission statement.

People are tired of having these violent, demonic games dictating to their kids

Rev Ralph Bagley

“As believers in Christ, we pray that God will be glorified through our work and that each of us draw nearer to him as we develop and grow as a business,” the company says.

“We also pray for God’s unyielding protection for our company, as well as others who are involved in his perfect plan for the world.”

The sentiments of Christian developers will also strike a chord with the many family groups concerned about the effects of violent games on children.

“No blood, no guts, no gore,” says Rev Bagley. “What we want are emotionally full games that don’t just rely on adreneline.

“We are trying to build the genre of Christian gaming. People are tired of having these violent, demonic games dictating to their kids.”

Simply removing the gore from a first person shooter doesn’t cut it. Its unoriginal. Now’s a great time to actually innovate, something the game industry is lacking at the moment. Christian games will probably never be mainstream, but that doesn’t mean christians can’t write games that won’t be popular. Its tough writing a game that holds to christian moral beliefs that won’t end up being campy and unrealistic. In some ways, if somebody can write such a game, they’re a better developer than those at any of the big game studios…but it still won’t be easy.
Dave, New Mexico, US

Perhaps some of these Christian Game players should stop obsessing about why all the games these days are so violent, go into a shop and look at the driving games, the flight simulators, the sports games, the SIM games the quiz games, the card games, the golf games, the fishing games, the traditional games like backgammon and chess. Or is this just another attempt to sell their brand of religion?
Jason, La Linea, Spain

As a matter of public record this isn’t as new an idea as you might suppose. In July 1984 I hit the headlines when I was one of a small team that helped Scripure Union to release the worlds first Christian interactive computer adventure game based on John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress. It ran on the sinclair spectrum in just 48K! For my “sins” I was featured on radio 1’s Newsbeat and even got on to the front page of the Guardian. I still have the cutting to prove it! Since then life has taken me in a rather different direction but it is still good to see a new generation retracing our steps. Hopefully their games will be even better!
J.P.H Day, Saltash UK

According to amazon, the best selling game of all time is the sims. No violence or sexually explicit content there. As for the ‘gaping hole in the market’, by the time doom was released in 1994, sim city had already been around for 5 years and the number of driving simulations numbered in the thousands, not to mention sports games. Sure, there are plenty of violent games out there, but parents concerned with their children gaming habits don’t have to look very far to find more suitable, ‘wholesome’ alternatives.
Jerry, London

I totally agree that there is too much of demonic and dark bloodied games taking away the feeling of humaness from the youth. Having more games of adventure without the senseless and inhumane killings will be better. Games to teach real values of life will do especially for kids in the UK and I’m a teacher so I know what I’m talking about.
Nana, London,UK

Games are rated for a reason, if the content offends you the answer is simple - don’t play or buy. Gaming is escapism - it just depends what floats your boat. I think that it would be far more reckless to portray bloodless violence as it is action without consequence.
James Johnson, Manchester

As a Christian, I can relate to the distinct contrast between coming home from church and playing a gory computer game. When I was younger, and therefore had the time, I used to have the same problems with reading fantasy books. I also listen to heavy rock music. It is true that I have never really got on with Christian music, and certainly avoid Christian books. There are plenty of emotional games out there - take Final Fantasy which nearly made several male friends of mine cry! There are also games which are just plain less violent. Are these Christian game-makers out for less violence/sex, or are they trying to promote a Christian way of life? I think the former niche is already taken, and the latter will put a lot of people off if done badly. Good luck to you, but I hope and pray that you don’t do it badly. If it’s crass and obvious, then it’ll simply give antagonists more ammunition.
Lucy, Southampton

I’m excited about the prospect of Christian gaming. It is about time people realize that there is a very large market for clean,wholesome, entertainment through the various media. I don’t play games but if there is a Christian game on the market I’d buy it,play it and then promote it amongst my family and congregation.
Vernon R Roosevelt, Harrogate, England

This is nothing new, I remember there was a company producing Christian games for the ZX81. Machine code and everything!
Steve, Sydney, Australia

In the case of Doom, what’s more Christian then purging Mars of deamons dragged out of Hell? The history of Christianity is littered with far more violent events.
James Rdoger, Southampton

What the Rev Bagley seems to be forgetting is that videogames are escapism. Whether you play games for the visceral thrill or the plot or just the sheer transportation into another world, you don’t want to be preached at. A lot of games with stronger plots like Deus Ex feature some gore, since that’s the world the game’s set in. It’s gritty, it’s realistic (as games go) and without the blood the play experience wouldn’t be as credible. He also seems to forget the huge amount of family-friendly games that exist. Admittedly, since gaming’s got more commercialised, these are scarcer, but there’s a whole back-catalogue from the 90s of Lucasarts adventure games, as well as some more recent platformers like Mario Sunshine or Psychonauts - both excellent games in their own right. Why don’t people buy ‘Christian’ games? Because they’re really, really bad. The only reason to play them is out of some kind of masochistic sense of duty. I’m a practising Christian, and I can recognise this.
Tom Hardy, London, England

BBC News - UK

The Mob and Christian Music ? Former mob man Michael Franzese comes to Kingdom Bound Christian music festival this summer. He’s one of the few mobsters to make it out of that lifestyle alive. Tickets for his speech are going fast.
Distribution Source : PRWeb

(PRWEB) May 22, 2005 — Fortune Magazine once listed Michael Franzese at #18 on its list of the 50 most powerful mob bosses in America. At this summer”s Kingdom Bound Christian music festival, Franzese will give his testimony about how God radically transformed his life.

Originally from Brooklyn and New York City for many years, but now living on the West Coast, Franzese will travel to Western New York to come to Kingdom Bound 2005, being held July 31 through August 3, at Six Flags Darien Lake amusement park in Darien Center, New York, halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. At the festival, he will tell his story of transformation from a life in organized crime, where he was a captain in the Colombo Family, to a better life filled with faith, hope and love.

Franzese”s life changed thanks to the power of a praying woman. The former mob man was heavily into organized crime when he met a 19-year-old girl, Camille Garcia, while producing a break dance movie in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, several years ago.

“I fell in love with this beautiful lady,” he remembers, “and as it turned out, she was a strong woman of faith. She challenged me spiritually, and ultimately was responsible for me coming to Christ. I knew the life of organized crime was in direct conflict with the profession of faith I made, and knew I had to make a choice.”
Cosmopolitan Magazine called Garcia the “woman who changed the face of organized crime.”

Franzese knows that his wife is one special lady. “She stood by me when I went to prison, praying me through, raising our children, and she”s still my spiritual rock after some twenty years of marriage.”

Most mob men die horrible, untimely deaths. Not Franzese. At Kingdom Bound, he will specifically talk about how he”s the only guy to ever quit the mob, not enter the witness protection program or go into hiding… and live, and do so without testifying or becoming an informant. He”ll also talk about how he was convinced by the overwhelming evidence corroborating the bible, the courage of the apostles, and the strength and humility of Jesus.

“My message is simple,” he says. “If God can save someone like me, there is no one beyond His reach.”

Franzese will also talk about something that both churched and un-churched audiences need to hear about: gambling addiction prevention. It”s an issue he keeps busy speaking about at NCAA colleges around the country, as well as in front of members and staffs of several professional sports” leagues, like the MLB, NBA, and the NFL. With the rise of Internet gambling and the popularization of poker, 85% of today”s youth 12-18 have gambled, according to Barna Research. Franzese would like to encourage those with gambling addictions to seek help.

“Gambling addiction prevention is applicable to a Christian audience, too,” he says. “Barna Research has found that Christians are as susceptible (to gambling problems) as those not in the Church community of faith.”

Franzese is a man on a mission. If you”ve ever wondered what it was like to be in the mob, you should come to Kingdom Bound to hear about it first hand. In addition, you”ll also hear about a God who rescues and improves the lives of those who need Him.

“My guess is that few have ever been around someone like me,” he says. “Honestly, the only real reason they should come (to see me at Kingdom Bound) is not because of who I am, or was, but because of what God did in my life, to see a living miracle of grace. My prayer is that they bring that friend, neighbor, co-worker that feels too bad for God to love, too sinful for God to save. If God can save someone like me, He can save them too. I”m living proof!”

For Kingdom Bound ticket information, visit www.kingdombound.org or call 800-461-4485

ArriveNet (press release) - Castle Rock,CO,USA

Legendary music producer creates a new sound for Gospel Music on Branch Recordings.
Byron E. Burke was the creative force behind Ten City—an early 1990’s dance group leading to global sales of 1.2 million records.

/24-7PressRelease.com/ - River Forest, IL, May 23, 2005 - Byron E. Burke has worked in the music industry for over fifteen years, serving as the Co-Executive Vice President of the music division for Prelude Music and Film Works, which is affiliated with Prelude Pictures that released the 1998 New Line Cinema movie, Lost In Space., as well as co-writing and producing albums for Atlantic Records, East/West Records, and Columbia Records. Mr. Burke attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, studying development and management of start-up businesses and raising venture funding.

Byron E. Burke was the creative force behind Ten City—an early 1990’s dance group leading to global sales of 1.2 million records. Their records spawned ten Top 20 Billboard Magazine dance songs, five Top 10 Billboard Magazine Sales Chart Singles, ten Top U.K. Pop Chart Singles, a Gold Album from South Africa and a Silver Album from the U.K. that received international acclaim on four continents

On October 30th, 2001, the Holy Spirit with fire baptized him (Matthew 3:11), witness the resurrection (Acts 1:22) and the earth being renovated by fire (2 Peter 3:10) in the spirit realm. That event changed his life. He rededicated his life to Jesus on December 16th, at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, IL. January 2002, he began his bible studies at Crenshaw Christian Center East, New York under Dr. Fredrick K.C. Price.

Apostle Lincoln B. Dent of DOMINION and PRAISE GLOBAL OUTREACH MINISTRIES (Memphis, TN) confirmed his calling on April 24th, 2002.The Lord called him to start an Internet ministry on May 29th, 2002 called New City Ministries (now called New City Outreach Ministries International) to teaching the Scriptures with simplicity and understanding - that the people of God may bear fruit and be endowed with God’s supernatural power to prosper in every area of their lives.

Dr. Creflo Dollar of World Changers Ministries anointed Byron and Kimberly Burke on July 28, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and Pastor Benny Hinn anointed him on July 20, 2004 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

About Branch Recording
Branch Recordings, Inc. is a highly selective independent music production company that develops and produces highly distinctive and talented artists in Gospel music. Nurturing and training a small collection of artists under a veteran management team, providing superior artist development and production that will introduce Branch Recordings artists through BB Media Global group’s developing global network of distribution, film, television, radio, Internet and special events. For further information, please contact us at (708) 771-4954

24-7PressRelease.com (press release) - USA

Two Narnia Inspired Albums coming this Fall by Paul Martin

EMI Music - the world’s largest independent music company - will work with Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media to produce two soundtracks of music inspired by what is one of 2005’s most anticipated films, a live action adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ bestselling classic, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The two soundtracks, to be released by EMI on worldwide basis, will feature songs from some of today’s best selling artists.

EMI Music’s Nashville-based EMI CMG will release a soundtrack of songs inspired by the film featuring mainstream pop and rock artists on October 25. A second record featuring today’s most popular artists in the Christian music genre will be the first to release on September 27. Radio singles and music videos from each record will bow in August.

“The appeal of C.S. Lewis’ classic series is universal, and his writings have stood the test of time bringing pure enjoyment to generations of readers,” said David Munns, Chairman and CEO, EMI Music North America. “EMI is delighted to be working closely with Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media to deliver music inspired by The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe film to fans around the world.”

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, first published in 1950, is the second and best-known novel in the seven-part Chronicles of Narnia series by noted Oxford author C.S. Lewis. The series has sold more than 85 million books globally to date and has been published in 29 different languages.

“Aligning Disney and Walden Media with EMI Music worldwide made perfect sense for this project right from the start. EMI’s global reach, internationally acclaimed artist roster and diversely experienced management team ensures us the consummate music collaborator for this awesome property. It’s really a pleasure for us to team up with EMI on this one,” said Mitchell Leib, President, Music & Soundtracks Walt Disney Pictures and Television/Buena Vista Music Group.

The film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, will be released worldwide on December 9.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is directed by Andrew Adamson, who also directed the Academy Award winning animated film Shrek and Shrek 2, produced by Academy Award winning Mark Johnson (Rain Man), with a screenplay by Emmy Award winning Ann Peacock (A Kiss Before Dying), and special effects provided by WETA, the winner of four Academy Awards for The Lord of The Rings.

“Keeping the integrity of C.S. Lewis’s cherished work has always been the #1 goal for Walden and Disney,” said Lindsay Fellows, Vice President Motion Picture Music, AFG/Walden Media/Bristol Bay. “EMI’s team understands this and their musical contributions will have a major impact on his legacy and this amazing film.”

EMI is currently in discussions with some of today’s best selling artists about their participation in these soundtracks. Be sure to watch for confirmed artist announcements from EMI in the coming weeks and months.

EMI Music is the world’s largest independent record company, operating in nearly 50 countries around the world. Its record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, EMI, EMI Classics, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin.

Narnia Fans - USA

The Ghanaian Christian community in Columbus Ohio City of the United States of America last weekend was treated to a night of gospel explosion by no other gospel group than the scintillating Daughters of Glorious Jesus.

At the invitation of Rev. Bismarck Osei-Akomeah, head pastor of the Jesus Power Assemblies of God church, the group which is on a European and American tour stopped over to dish the community to praise and worship songs like never before.

The show drew a cross-section of the Ghanaian community from different local churches in the fast growing mid-east US city and will remain the talk of the city in a long time.

Featuring Monica and Cynthia, the duo said they had to leave Edna, in Amsterdam because she was sick, hence her ability to make the trip, they however received perfect backing from the Power of Praise, resident group of the church which will also be releasing their debut album soon.

With Linda Nyarko of the Power of Praise stepping up to the duo, the Daughters of Glorious Jesus stomped the packed auditorium with gospel songs from all their albums which have been extremely successful.

Some of the notable tracks that compelled the audience to sing and dance all night long to the praise of the Almighty included ‘Tuu Boasi, ‘Mebo Nu Din Daa, ‘Sika Pen, ‘Yesu Mmo, ‘Oye Ohene’, ‘Eye Adom’, ‘Sweet Jesus’, and ‘Oniyen Adi Yie’ among a few.

The second half of the two-hour show was glorious and ecstatic bringing Ghanaians domiciled in Columbus reminiscences, and of course reflections with their creator.

In a brief exaltation after the show, Cynthia pointed out that they had decided to undertake this tour to promote their music and most especially fulfill a promise they made to the Lord when they lost their brother about a year ago.

During the course of the show the group gave out copies of the ‘Aseda’ album to everyone present. Rev. Akomeah on his part implored the audience to sow seeds in the lives of these rich-voiced sisters by supporting service to the Kingdom of God.

The group has since left the New York City to continue their tour which had already taken them to Holland and the United Kingdom

Ghana Music.com - Ghana

Petra Retires NEW YORK ( PETRA Official Website/ www.petraband.com ) - After 33 years of music and ministry, Christian rock pioneer PETRA will come to a close. December 2005 will mark the end to a ministry that has boldly and consistently proclaimed the gospel in the United States and abroad.
The decision to retire the band was mutual by all members.
‘It has been a privilege and honor to represent our Savior and participate in His Great Commission. We have nothing but thanks to God for all He has done,’ says PETRA founder, guitarist and primary songwriter Bob Hartman.
‘God used PETRA in my life in so many ways, as He did in so many other lives,’ says lead singer since 1986, John Schlitt. ‘I am truly thankful for having been part of PETRA. We’ve had a good long run and have seen so much. We’ve seen God’s hand at work in our music on every continent and in every language,’ he says.

The band has impacted generations of musicians and fans alike over the years with over seven million CDs sold, four Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards and an induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

PETRA, initially formed in 1972 by Hartman on vocals and guitars, paved the way for the rock genre perhaps more than any other in the Christian music industry. Though a rotating cast of musicians comprised PETRA’s lineup over the years, the band is closing 2005 strong with over 20 albums to its credit, the latest being the 2003 Grammy-nominated Jekyll & Hyde.

At present, Schlitt and Hartman have made no immediate plans for the future. ‘I’m not sure what the future will bring for me,’ says Schlitt, ‘but when God chooses to show us His will, then we just go in faith and walk in faith toward Him. He has never let us down, and He never will.’
There are currently talks of a live album or box set to release in the future. Final PETRA tours in the United States and Europe are in the planning stages. There will be no further concerts booked after this year.

‘PETRA has always been one of the biggest names in Christian rock,’ says Inpop Records President Wes Campbell. ‘PETRA’s contributions to our industry are innumerable, and the band was very instrumental in the beginning stages of newsboys career. We are honored to have supported PETRA in its ministry and music,’ he says