Christian Music Responds

Madonna sings John Lennon’s “Imagine” for a television special. Linkin Park starts a relief fund aimed at rock enthusiasts. Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Sir Elton John, Gwen Stefani, and Pink team up for a cover of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” Sony’s Connect e-music offers exclusive live recordings whose proceeds will all go to the American Red Cross. More than 60,000 strong pack the Millennium Stadium for a Live Aid-styled relief event in the UK. MTV scraps its yearly Asian video music awards ceremony and repositions it as a star-studded Asia benefit concert.

These are just a few of the examples of what the music world at large is doing to assist in the Southeast Asian tsunami crisis. But what about the Christian music world? What’s their response?

Their highest-profile response is a Wednesday night benefit concert in Nashville, hosted by Michael W. Smith and Kathy Mattea. Performers will include artists from gospel, Christian, country, and pop music, including the likes of Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, tobyMac, the Crabb Family, MercyMe, Ricky Skaggs, the Oak Ridge Boys and other Grand Ole Opry stars. Many of the acts will be backed by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. The entire $25 ticket price will go to Christian relief organization World Vision’s tsunami aid fund.

The concert, billed as “An Evening of Restoration,” is part of the Gospel Music Association’s response to the tsunami crisis. The GMA, which oversees much of the Christian music industry, has launched Project Restore, in conjunction with World Vision, as an awareness, prayer and fundraising effort to help with the crisis. More than 60 artists have signed on as supporters of Project Restore.

The January 26 concert date is no accident, says GMA president John Styll, noting that it’s exactly one month after the tsunami hit. “We felt there was some importance to having the event on a ‘symbolic’ date,” Styll said in an e-mail.

Styll says it’s been surprisingly easy to pull this event together. “Because the need is so obvious, enormous and immediate, it really didn’t require any coaxing to get people to work together on a common goal. What is truly amazing is that top-tier companies who provide lighting, sound, staging and other production elements have all donated their equipment and staff to the cause. Everybody here in Music City really seems to like the idea of working together. It has never happened here quite like this before.”

Organizers say fans looking to be solely entertained by their favorite artists will be in for a surprise. “Each artist will be doing songs that mean something to them as it relates to the tsunami crisis,” said GMA spokesperson Tricia Whitehead. “This will not be a staging of greatest hits, but rather a meaningful, inspiring, and thoughtful night.”

Wednesday’s benefit concert in Nashville won’t be as big of a newsmaker as NBC’s recent “Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope,” which featured Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and others while raising $18 million. “It’s really just one city’s response,” the GMA’s Styll says of the Nashville benefit. “We hope we can raise a six-figure sum. World Vision can do a lot of good in the region with that money.”

Steven Curtis Chapman, spokesperson for Project Restore, is particularly excited about the benefit. “I’m even more attached and concerned about that region because I have three adopted daughters from Asia,” said Chapman, who has also been gift-matching every donation—more than $7,000 so far—given through his own organization, Shaohannah’s Hope

Chapman says his involvement is merely a response to Scripture.

“Throughout Scripture, God makes it so clear that our response to the suffering of others is one of the clearest ways he shows His glory and greatness to his world,” he said. “And as part of a community of people who create art for the purpose of showing the glory and greatness of our God through music, I believe moments in history like these are the very reason we exist.”

While Chapman and others are focused on the benefit concert, at least one Christian musician, John Tesh, has actually gone to the area to offer support. Tesh and wife Connie Sellecca and their family visited Sri Lanka to assess the damages and deliver $4.3 million worth of antibiotics. The Tesh family took the trip as representatives of Operation Blessing, an organization whose primary focus is disaster relief.

A quick scan of various artist websites reveals that many are simply redirecting fans and visitors to already-established humanitarian organizations like World Vision and Compassion International. Websites for popular Christian artists like Third Day, Rebecca St. James, MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, and Salvador all have prominent ads, splash screens, and simple blog-styled postings that reroute users to major Christian relief organizations.

Spence Smith, artist relations manager for Compassion, says that the organization has encouraged artists to promote the charity through their websites, in their newsletters, and at their shows. World Vision has done likewise, although they haven’t particularly told artists to endorse child sponsorship in those specific countries only. “We’re still a worldwide organization, and we wouldn’t want children in other needy areas to be neglected because of the Asian crisis,” said a World Vision representative.

While some artists have settled for simple, cut-and-paste banners, others have been a bit more proactive in their online efforts. Michael W. Smith wrote an open letter to his fans encouraging them to contribute to Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse. The Newsboys posted a gripping written account from Mark Furler, brother of frontman Peter Furler and a reporter working at the site of the catastrophe.

A group already loyal to the caste injustices in the country of India, Caedmon’s Call is challenging fans to donate to their own Share the Well Foundation, which will commit any and all funds sent in to Compassion and the Dalit Freedom Network.

While many are contributing to the efforts being spearheaded by leading Christian organizations World Vision and Compassion, others have chosen to adhere to efforts already in place in mainstream circles.

“We’ve all seen the footage on the news and the despair and loss is unimaginable,” said John Cooper of Ardent/Lava recording group Skillet, which is joining the Linkin Park-led initiative, Music For Relief. “We will be encouraging our fans to support this massive need by donating any amount of money they can to Music For Relief.”

Seattle-based Tooth & Nail Records is also doing its thing. On January 16, Underoath and mewithoutYou played a large benefit show staged by popular NY-based station K-ROCK. Though none of the bands on the bill—which also included The Starting Line, Midtown, and From Autumn to Ashes—are considered “big players,” the hype surrounding the show resulted in a quick sellout.

“There was such an incredible energy in the entire place,” said Underoath manager Randy Nichols, who was a bit concerned about the $25 price tag on each ticket. “We were worried that not that many fans would come out since it was a little more expensive than our regular shows, but it still sold very well. Underoath just wanted to help in any way it could, so when the fans realized that it wasn’t just any show, they came to see the band play and give their support as well.”