Christian Music Online

David Phelps First Baptist Church

February 13, 2007 – 11:21 am

Award-winning recording artist David Phelps, a former tenor with the Gaither Vocal Band, will be in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 at First Baptist Church, 3015 Moores Lane.

From an early age, Phelps said he knew Christian music was his calling. In 1988 he became the youngest competitor to win the Seminar in the Rockies music competition.

Although pressured by his high school and college teachers to pursue a career in opera or on Broadway, Phelps stuck to his convictions that God wanted him to sing music for Christ’s glory. In 1996, he and his wife packed up everything and moved to Nashville, Tenn., with the hopes of landing a record deal.

After six months without any results, the couple went back home to Texas for a weekend visit. When the Phelpses shared their concerns with their family, they immediately began to pray for a miracle.

Those prayers were answered the very next day when David met with executives from Word Records and learned of an opportunity to minister with the Gaither Vocal Band. Two weeks later, he joined the group and the rest is history.

Phelps sang with the Gaither Vocal Band for a number of years before pursuing a solo career which has yielded such well-known recording projects as, “Life is a Church,” “Revelation,” his self titled project, “David Phelps,” “Joy, Joy,” with Chicago’s Millar Brass Ensemble and “Journey to Grace,” as well as his 2006 project, “Legacy of Love.”

His awards have included Southern Gospel News Music Award for Male Vocalist of the Year in 2002 and 2003, Grammy awards for, “A Billy Graham Music Homecoming,” and “Kennedy Center Homecoming,” and Gospel Music Association Dove Awards for the albums, “I Do Believe,” “God is Good,” and Still the Greatest Story Ever Told,” and for the song, “God is Good All the Time.”

Phelps has performed concerts around the nation including Carnegie Hall and The White House. He was also a featured minister during a recent airing of TBN’s “Praise the Lord,” program filmed locally at First Baptist Church.

Don Howren, minister of music at the church and a coordinator for the event, is excited about Phelps’ return to the area.

“His band will be performing with him this time and we expect it will be a really great evening,” said Howren.

“His band will be performing with him this time and we expect it will be a really great evening,” said Howren.

All seating is reserved and tickets are available for the Artist Circle for $20 each and regular seating at $15 each. Tickets may be purchased at the church, the church’s website at fbctexarkana.org or at itickets.com.

Additional information about the concert may be obtained by calling the church office at 903-831-6000.

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