Yolanda Evette Adams, an American gospel singer, record producer, actress, and radio host on WBLS, said of gospel music, “There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn’t come from anything else. It is a sound of peace. It is a sound of, ‘I’m going to make it through all of this.’” Growing up as a Baptist boy worshiping in a little church in the woods, I can relate to what Yolanda is saying.
The Unique Flavor of Gospel Music
There is something unique about gospel music. It reaches down into your innermost soul and makes you want to shout praises unto Him from whom all blessings flow. The words of the songs, combined with the upbeat and uplifting music, testify of the goodness of the Lord. Unlike any other genre of music, gospel music releases a healing balm bringing joy, peace, and comfort to a weary, and sometimes troubled soul.
Genesis Gospel Choir – Bringing Back the Joyous Gospel Sound
Photo credit: Al Hartmann|Salt Lake Tribune
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for almost 18 years, although I love the hymns that are sung and have my personal favorites, I have to admit that I sometimes miss the hand clapping, the foot tapping, and even someone shouting “Amen!” every now and again. Like a morning breath of fresh air, choirs such as the Genesis Gospel Choir, are bringing back that joyous gospel sound to worship services. Genesis Group President Don Harwell states that the choir has “the same mission as the [LDS] church — to bring souls unto Christ, but we do it through music.”
According to the 17 February 2016 article in the Salt Lake Tribune titled Genesis Gospel Choir brings new spirit to Mormons, “More than 30 singers in the mostly Black Genesis Gospel Choir are performing across the state and region to mostly White audiences – belting out gospel hymns to enthusiastic response. Choir members sway, clap and stomp their feet to make what they believe is “a joyful noise.” They croon familiar praise-and-worship hymns such as “When Jesus Says Yes” and “He’s a Battle Axe.””
The choir has been given the option to perform during weekly LDS sacrament meetings, but rarely does. They do, however, perform in many less formal settings, as well as in LDS chapels. Harwell further commented, “A lot of people still don’t get it. Latter-day Saints are so stiff they ‘don’t feel comfortable clapping — even though it’s OK. They are so locked in standard Mormon culture; they don’t realize how many different cultures are now in the church. With South America and Africa, there may be more people of color in the church than White people.'”
The Choir’s Dynamic Director
Photo Credit: Al Hartmann|Salt Lake Tribune
The choir is under the direction of Debra Bonner, one of the world’s leading voice teachers with over 20 years’ experience backed by a Masters of Music Degree in Voice Performance from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In her hometown of Flint, Michigan, she was a member of the Missionary Baptist Convention. She was also trained in traditional Black hymns and classical music, and at an early age, she was both a vocal coach and a youth choir director. She and her husband, Harry Bonner, served as Baptist missionaries in Liberia for a few years before being prompted by the Holy Spirit to resign and return to the United States. They eventually ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were baptized and became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in 1981.
The couple raised eight children in the Mormon faith, and lived in several states before deciding to settle in Utah. Three of their sons have served two-year full-time missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and one of them is currently serving as a seminary teacher. She was invited to become a member of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but her family life kept her far too busy to be able to meet the choir’s demanding schedule. She comments, “I know this is the Lord’s church, but the hardest part has been the music.” Last fall her children begged her to add her voice to the voices of the Genesis Gospel Choir. Soon after, she was asked to be the director of the choir.
Genesis Gospel Choir Mission and Testimony
The Church created the Genesis Group as a support for Black Mormons, with the late Ruffin Bridgeforth as President and Darius Gray as one of his counselors in 1971. The group held monthly meetings where they shared personal testimonies, listened to sermons, and socialized. Following the 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood, the Genesis Group dissolved for almost a decade. In October 1996, the group re-emerged under the direction of Darius Gray who led the group until 2003, drawing larger crowds at firesides than before.
Tekulve Jackson-Vann, a convert to the Church, and a member of the Genesis Group since the early 2000s, made the following comment concerning gospel music:
I’m a convert, and my first lessons in the gospel didn’t sound like the hymns in the [standard LDS] ‘green book’ or the talks in sacrament meeting. I learned it in a very spirited way. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the Mormon hymns. They have their place in my spiritual journey.
But when [I] need “to touch the hem of my Savior’s garment,” I get that through gospel music.
Harwell further stated, “We … want to bring as many souls as we can to Christ through music. We know we are doing something right. The choir wants audiences to know “that being a [Mormon] is not a curse. It’s a blessing.”
