Southern Gospel music coming to VW

Submitted information

The sounds of gospel music will soon fill the Family Life Center at Trinity Friends Church in Van Wert as the 21st Annual Southern Gospel Music Expo kicks off on April 1. 

Gary Adams, Cheryl Burk and Kim Mason make up the gospel group Trinity and it was their vision to bring a singing convention to Van Wert back in 2001. After attending similar events in other areas, the trio began to pray about it and then approached Trinity Friends Church for the venue. It began as a one night sing but has grown to a four and then back to three-night event. 

On Friday, April 1 the music will begin at 5 p.m. with gospel groups and soloists from Ohio Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. A gospel group or soloist will take the stage approximately every 15 minutes throughout the evening. All of the ministries will have product tables set up around the gymnasium where you can chat with your favorites, purchase their music or book them for an upcoming service or event. 

On Saturday, April 2, music will start an hour earlier, at 4 p.m. 

The grand finale will be Sunday, April 3 with Trinity and The Guardians. The doors and food court will open at 4:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 6:30 pm. Dean Hickman, John Darin Rowsey, Pat Barker and Scott Mullins, collectively known as The Guardians, are a southern gospel quartet with a unique sound, tight harmony and a passion for sharing the gospel through their music. 

With two Dove Award nominations, multiple No. 1 songs and Fan Awards, the Lord has blessed The Guardians with an incredible journey since their inception. They currently have the No. 1 song in the country with “Still Good News” and have been nominated for several 2022 Singing News Fan Awards. Each member of the Group brings a sincere commitment to glorifying Jesus Christ. Therefore, their mantra remains echoing John the Baptist’s words in John 3:30: “He must increase but I must decrease.”

All three nights of the Gospel Expo are free, the food court is open each night and there is plenty of seating and parking. 

For a schedule of artists and times, please visit Trinity’s Facebook page at TrinityMusicMinistries.