Mike Rimmer spoke to ED MORALES, CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT, CROSS CONNECTED, AVANTE and pioneering independent distributor BROKEN RECORDS.

Keith: "Sure! We have one band from the UK, Third Day Rising, these guys are wonderful. They have sold some product from our site and been a great supporter of the organization. They even said thanks to Broken Records in their liner notes of their latest project. It really doesn't matter where the artist comes from or where we send the orders. We'll take any artist, good, or 'musically challenged', just as long as they see the big picture of what God is trying to do."

ED MORALES
www.common-man.org
Asking Eddie Morales to describe his music is a big mistake! "The music fundamentally is folkrocklatinacoustictexaselectricfunkbal-ladpop," he says without batting an eyelid! However you pigeonhole the sound, the heart is very evident. 'The One And 99' is an album born out of struggle and much heart searching as Eddie wrestled with God over a number of years.

Eddie got saved as a teenager but didn't continue walking with God. The pursuit of a music career kept him in and out of various bands in Texas, some with critical acclaim but none taking him into national success. Even after recording a successful solo album in 1993, his frustration with life caused him to return like a prodigal to his God. Having re-dedicated his life to Christ in 1994, it was five years before God released him into music ministry. He reflects, "There was a lot of training, refining and polishing the Lord had to do to me before I was released in ministry."

In 1994, Eddie attended a seminar on the subject of destiny. He remembers, "One of the teachings was how we can focus so much on the 'destiny' and not on Jesus that it becomes idolatry. I was busted! I knew that I was headed into that trap. I decided then that I would place music on the altar and allow him to provide and guide what needed to be done. So began the arduous task of what eventually I called 'actively waiting'. Praying, fasting, learning, praying again and trying to be faithful in all small things he would provide until the appointed time of God. Much of the small stuff T didn't want to do for various reasons, mainly ego, and there were struggles and arguments with God. However I got smart and yielded and these small things turned out to be the most extraordinary life changing experiences ever."

Moving to San Antonio, Morales hooked up with another Christian artist, Chris Taylor, to work as guitar player in Taylor's band. He played on Taylor's debut solo single and album, 'Down Goes The Day'. Then on January 1st 1999, everything started to fall into place! "I had received no notification from God that I was being released to record. Within two weeks, I had a band, studio, songs, producer and the funds (this was to be done debt-free) to complete the full project. He had provided and released me to record. All this time, I had prayed that God would provide me a tool for ministering his word and in essence this is what he gave me. He was to be the focus. It was to be back to basic, guitar oriented recordings. Unpolished. It was going to be my best effort yet because it was for the Lord - or so I said. So began the process."

The process left Morales struggling. His previous solo album, recorded before he had returned to God, was a sophisticated, layered, state of the art production. 'The One And 99' was simple, acoustic driven and stripped down guitar pop/rock. During the recording, he worried what people would think of him as an artist. "Frantically, I began to seek old friends and other musicians to layer the sound and make it what T wanted. BUT ... hadn't I prayed for a tool for ministry, hadn't I asked for him to provide the strategies and resources? And here T was trying to take control again. During the five years of 'actively waiting', I had thought I had placed everything on the altar, that I was cleansed of my 'self in music and totally freed to pursue his call. But there was one element left which would not have revealed its ugly head unless I had gone through this process. I still had my identity of who I was and that self was still deeply tied to music. What people thought of it still mattered and reflected on who I was as a person. Since I was 16, through parents' divorce, girlfriend break-ups, friends' betrayals, good times, bad times, good bands and bad bands - my music and my songs were always there for comfort and consolation. It was the one steady thing I had and didn't want to give up. However, God had other plans. He wanted that place. So I repented and turned over the controls back to God and allowed 'The One And 99' to be completed as he wanted."

Cross Connected

Out of a journey which has caused Eddie to respond to God with a humble heart came an album with a ministry impact. Eddie has a unique ministry which he describes as "reaching the unsaved, religious Christians who do not have a relationship with Jesus, and Christians lost in the 'depths of greyness'. These are the grey areas many like to live in to justify their actions. They compare themselves to the drug addicts, murderers, rapists, thieves and 'believe' they are not that bad. Basically using the dark as their standard for their lives rather than the light. An example: 'sex before marriage is all right if you love that person.' However, we all know this kind of morally relative thinking is a trap and the worst thing about it, many never realise or admit they are in it. Often times this 'grey' type of thinking is perpetuated by many of the politically correct churches. Sometimes so-called 'conservative' churches also perpetuate this because they are so busy knocking the obvious sins, they fail to see their own. Once you realise that sin is a sin is a sin and that to God lying equals stealing equals homosexuality equals adultery equals murder equals gossip then you can become humble and begin eliminating the judging of others, justifying actions and begin to be as Jesus - using him as your standard."

CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT
http://www.musicministry.com
Christopher Wright describes his music as "worshipful acoustic pop" but wouldn't describe himself as a worship leader even though his songs have been featured on worship albums and he himself sang on Maranatha's 'Praise 19' album. He explains how the collaboration came about, "A while back, I wrote a song called 'Heart Of A Servant' which Kelly Willard recorded on her 'Garden' album. It did pretty well and I developed a friendship with Kelly and her husband Dan. Last year, they asked me if I would be interested in singing a song I wrote called 'From Everlasting To Everlasting' on their 'Praise 19' project which they were producing for Maranatha! It was a real honour, and I travelled down to Nashville to record my vocal."

The session wasn't plain sailing though. Christopher remembers, "They have a dear family and live on a big farm. The biggest thing I remember though, was their horse... I was talking with Dan and had a mug of tea which I was holding just below my belt. The horse leaned over to take my mug and in reflex, I quickly pulled my hand back. The horse bit me in a very painful place! Unfortunately though, it was *after* I had finished recording - he may have helped me hit those high notes otherwise!"

'Pocketful Of Nails' is Christopher's second album and it's a little more poppy than his first which was more acoustic but like a lot of independents, it's finances that so often dictate the direction of an album. "I guess I've always been pop, thinking how best to convey God's heart about something in three and a half minutes. I like keeping things memorable and hooky. On the previous project, my budget dictated that I play keys as well as guitar and midi some of the songs. I think we only had three songs with backing vocals. With this one, I had a little bit more of a budget to work with and was able to incorporate more of my ideas."

For someone listening to the album, Christopher has strong feelings about what could be gained from the experience. "That delighting in God should be our passion. That he is always worthy of our praise, regardless of our circumstances. And that if we are to be called by his name, and if we are truly thankful for his work on the cross, then we should openly display those affections for him before the world."

One of Christopher's favourite songs on the album is a hidden bonus track, "All That We Need". He explains, "This is a live recording of my daughter Lauren and I. She has now begun travelling with me more frequently as it's become clear the Lord is using her to reach teens that I couldn't. There is nothing greater for me as a father than hearing my children singing of God's all-sufficiency and watching them grow in the lord."

Family is important to Christopher. He says, "Children are such excellent teachers aren't they! The way they're so initially trusting. They reveal a simple faith in their father's love. Their wilfulness at times helps us see our own sinful nature. And the way they often repeat the same sins so often... it not only reveals my own waywardness, but reminds me of the great patience which God has shown towards me."

Christopher's future looks bright. Already 'Pocketful Of Nails' has been favourably received in America and there are other opportunities. Christopher explains, "The Lord has been opening more doors for me in worship leading. We've had some recent discussions with Integrity Music about a possible Hosanna project at our church, which would be wonderful. God is so good." But he also knows where his future really lies. "Only the sovereign Lord knows! My desire is just to remain faithful and obedient to his call. I'll take this ministry wherever he leads or I'll lay it all down if he so desires. This may be only a season, but finding my joy in him is my only lifelong pursuit."

CROSS CONNECTED
www.crossconnected.com
Cross Connected are built around husband and wife team Ritchie and Susan Garcia although they weren't always obvious candidates for music ministry. Coming out of the New York rock scene, it took a series of car accidents and the miracle of salvation and healing to change the course of their lives.

Susan Garcia tells the story, "We were in three car accidents before we became Christians and we truly believe that God used these bad circumstances to bring us to a place where we were ready to accept him and realised that we needed his help."

Avante

Over a three-year period, the traffic accidents placed Susan in a wheelchair and then the third accident also put Ritchie out of commission for almost a year with a serious back injury. Susan remembers, "At this point we had no income, we were both living in doctors' offices and Physical Therapy and our lives were just miserable."

Surgery and time didn't heal the injuries and their marriage began to come under pressure. Susan recalls, "I started to realise that I needed something in my life. Ritchie and I had been arguing a lot - it's very rough going through something like this. I had been in a wheelchair, unable to walk for about six months at this point, and life had become very tense. I was so depressed that I'm sure it was extremely difficult for Ritchie at that time."

One day Susan asked to be taken to church. She'd been a believer as a child but had backslidden. "We finally found Morningside, our home church. From the moment we went there we knew there was something special going on. It's an Evangelical Bible based church and I rededicated my life to Christ. A couple of weeks after going to Morningside, Ritch gave his heart to the Lord too and we found a joy in our lives that we never thought possible."

A year passed and Susan was able to get around with a cane and a walker. Although she hadn't written any songs since before her first car accident, God gave Susan a new song. She says, "The next day I sang it for Ritchie and he was in shock. He started writing again and next thing you know we were playing in church. We couldn't go up onto the stage because I couldn't walk up the stairs, but we would go down in front of the altar and play from there." God then spoke to Susan and called her into music ministry. "I felt like Sarah, I almost laughed. I was not getting any younger and couldn't even walk up onto a stage -but I figured anything was possible with God - so I accepted it in faith. 1 told Ritchie and at first he wanted to laugh too, but he also accepted this calling into ministry and so we just kept writing and praying and believing."

Susan continues sharing her testimony, "Five months later I went to a Women's Aglow meeting. They had a Messianic Jewish Group come in to speak and lead worship. The speaker, Jody, spoke a prophecy over me, "that today the shackles were being lifted off my feet." I had never had this happen to me before, but I knew that it was from God.

Later we had a praise and worship service. It was really beautiful. The music and dancing - they had prophetic dancers with them. I had never even heard of prophetic dancers before. I was sitting in my seat, watching everyone dance around the room in a traditional Jewish dance of praise, when one of the dancers came over to me and said, Take a step of faith,' so I took half a step. I got up and started following the other women around the room with my cane in hand. I just limped around and every time I passed Jody, she said, 'Susan release it.' The third time around the room God spoke to my heart and said, "You are healed.' I put down the cane and started dancing and praising God - and I haven't stopped since. The other women from my church could hardly believe it. People who knew me were amazed because my spine had been twisted and I had a terrible limp. My right leg was almost two inches shorter than my left leg because of this. I also could not put any weight on or bend my left knee because of all the damage done to it. I had three damaged discs in my back as well. We all cried and laughed and danced and prayed - it was the most amazing day of my life."

Cross Connected are a band born out of a testimony of God moving. They're also an encouragement to anyone who has felt God's calling but have been frustrated by circumstances. Susan sums it up, "I now realise that when God calls you, he equips you. Even if you think you're not ready or your circumstances don't look right on the outside, if God calls you, he will make a way."

AVANTE
www.avante.mb.ca
Canadian couple Marshal and Malynda Zacharias are in the UK holidaying, sussing out the scene and being interviewed on Cross Rhythms radio. Their R&B tinged pop album is impressively filled with good solid pop tunes, strong harmonies and a clean fresh sound. Later in the day we muse over life, love and music as we eat in my local Harvester. We begin swapping life stories and I cajole them into telling me how they met. Malynda confesses, "I met Marshall about five years ago. He just popped up all of a sudden and started appearing in several of my circles of friends. It was so funny because I knew that while I had many great friends, there was no guy in sight that really interested me. But all of a sudden he was there. And, while I hate the thought of telling a sappy, love at first sight' story, I have to admit, a deep knowing resonated 'yes' in my heart of hearts the first time I talked to him. We got married a year later and devoted our entire first year to cultivating our relationship and laying a foundation. We even stepped down from the ministries we'd been involved in to do this. It didn't take long for our individual passions for music to merge in an outward expression."

The couple began writing together and then invited Marshall's sister, Sharalee, to join up for their first album. Sharalee has recently married and has left the group to invest time in building a strong marriage. Avante's debut album was released in the summer of 1999 and since then Malynda and her husband have been touring and developing ministry opportunities. Malynda admits, "What started as a modest seed has been growing in boldness as God waters and conditions the ground of our hearts. We are becoming more and more excited as we anticipate sharing with people their true identity and seeing the repercussions of that truth in their lives."

For Marshall and Malynda, the issues of identity are very important. Malynda becomes animated as she tries to express how she feels about it. She thinks of the lives of the teenagers to whom they minister. "Okay, so you're 15 years old. You've got pretty much everything you need to live comfortably. You're parents are great people, but they've spent their lives pursuing material goodies because they perceived their identity to be synonymous with their status. Somehow the value of relationships was lost, you realise, as you sit in the wake of the broken dream: a broken marriage, a broken home. You turn on your TV, or you flip through a magazine, or you walk down the street. You are constantly bombarded with a steady diet of unrealistic images and concepts. Sometimes you feel more like a shadow than an actual person - a media shadow, measuring yourself against projected ideals. So who are you, anyway? Where does your sense of value come from? You're open to something entirely new - the answer's got to be out there, somewhere. Identity is an important issue because it is the quest of a youth culture. The truth behind their identity is the freedom for an entire generation."

Avante minister through concerts and through praise and worship events. They are prepared to do one or the other or even a combination of the two formats but prefer to spend a few days or a weekend to minister. "That's most effective as it allows us to develop a rapport with the students." Malynda explains, "This paves the way for greater impact. We most often tour with a full band, playing for youth groups, citywide events, conferences and festivals. Marshall and I are also involved in youth ministry in our home church where we have developed and maintain long-term relationships with students. We make ourselves available through email for continued personal contact and encouragement following our ministry times."

As for the live performances, she confesses, "The atmosphere in our concert settings is really of fun and freedom. Teens have been responding to this really well. Surprise surprise! We've experienced a wide range of responses...from dancing to beach balls! The praise and worship settings are very interactive as well, and sometimes I think we taste a little bit of heaven. I am overwhelmed at how eager teens are to worship God."

This has influenced their plans for the future. Malynda explains, "Because we've felt a desire and seen a need, we are preparing to record a bumpin' R&B praise and worship album this spring. Following its completion we'll tour again. But before that, the first thing we've got to do is order more copies of our latest album...it's really been catching on. Then who knows..."