YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Members of Grace Evangelistic Temple Church have been working to bring gospel music back to the community. Tuesday, they began a conversation about building their choir and an upcoming concert.
Chorrethers Jenkins is a bishop at Grace Evangelistic Church. He says that due to COVID, many church choirs were forced to shut down.
“Well, first of all, some years ago, all of us were inundated with the same problem. It was called COVID. And the COVID came and it did things to our churches. Our churches lost its voice,” said Bishop Jenkins.
But Jenkins said God has given them a mandate through this conflict.
“This conflict brings people back to the church so that we can begin to do the things that the church understands, that the world can’t understand,” he said.
Dean Robinson is the Minister of Music at Grace Evangelistic. He moved back to Youngstown from Virginia to bring music to the community.
“And then COVID hit and I said, ‘Okay, that’s a wrap.’ But, you know, God still wanted this to be done. So he all of a sudden made it happen. He said, it’s time,” Dean Robinson said.
Since then, they have worked to build the choir back up and now have close to 42 members.
“And these are all of the directors, soloists, choir members, musicians from all the different churches in the area and people that I’ve worked with through my childhood in the music,” Robinson said.
Soon, those musicians will hold a gospel concert. The conversation with Dean Robinson and Bishop Jenkins continues Wednesday.
