I have been involved in the christian music ministry/indristry for over 25 years. i started out lugging sould systums,building stages,hanging lights,selling merch for the bands volunteering for promoters who where putting on cancerts in the area. From there i started working more closely with event promoters learning the ins and outs of putting on a great concert event.
then i moved to Tulsa Oklahoma to attend Rhena Bible Training Center (Kenneth hagin Ministries/Rhema Bible Church). I ment a guy who was putting on all the A-list shows in northeast Oklahoma. he had a venue that was nothing more then a warehouse,but that was all he needed. He brought in the bands and the people came by the thousands. i was his right hand man for about 2 years. Then i started taking my own shows, bidding on then. It was hard because i could not get the booking agents in nashville to take me seriously,but i kept calling then day after day until they handed me a punk rock show that nobody else wanted, i took it. My event drew over 700 marks when the rest of the tour stops where only bringing in about 200 people. the agency took notice of that and offered me a bigger show. I took that and sold it out. Then i got a call from the band Switchfoots management wanting to know if i would take the show in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. I was excited and said yes before i knew what it was going to cost. I was scared because of the money commitment but i went on ahead and promoted it big time. i filled up half of the local high school's football stadium (about 5,000 people) this was in 1998.
Then i got the calls for the A-list shows, you know the ones that come with 2 or 3 motorcoaches and a tractor trailer full of gear. We have worked with just about every major christian artist that has been on the sceene since 1998
My last major show that i put on was in Miami Florida with Rebecca St james. it was awsome a sell out about 8,000 people. At that time i was having the gospel presented at all my concert events and seeing a harvest. That night 304 people gave there heart to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time, i know because i was in the side room praying with them leading then to the Lord. it was awsome.
then September 11th happend and as some of you know that where promoting at that time after 9-11, it was very dificult times for the concert promoters. people where scared to meet in large numbers and if you had a evert at that time i am sure you can remember the stress of having a half filled venue and a big bill to pay at the end of the night.
What i did was in 2003 i stepped away from it all, took a break so-to-speak. raised my kids, concentrated on my day job, and just took it easy.
Over the past few months the Lord has been "nugging me" to get back involved. i am sort of "looking around now" being led by the Holy Ghost into what he has planned.
I'll tell you whats in my heart to do. I want to put on concert events,but i want to mix it with a crusade type event. i want to bands to be the hook to bring in the fish and then we preach the gospel to then, but not just that, we welcome in the presence of the Lord with praise and worship and invite His spirit in to minister with sighs and wonders like only he can do.
i have been involved with all the "stars" been on stage with the thousands looking at me, did the whole "big head look at me, i'm the guy who brings in the stars" i am done with all that. I want to see people get born again, filled with the Holy Ghost and go on the live a great life for the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to spread the gospel,preach the gospel,lay hands on people and see God move, thats what i am into now.
I wish that everyone who has a calling and tallent to bring people together would all get together and do sometthing so huge it would stop the sinners in there tracks and get the attention of the whole world, we could do it you know, if we all pulled our resourses,laied aside our pride, we could do something so awsome, because we know how to do it!! God has giving us that anoiting to do events, very few people can do that
Well i have shared a little about myself and my vision, i would love to meet and talk to anyone who shares my vision
drew
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