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303 Pages·2017·0.92 MB·English

100
Most Influential
Black Christian
History-Makers

Black history is important, but making history now is
more important.

Compiled and Edited by the Editors of BCNN1.com
Black Christian News Network One

We thank God for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
and Rosa Parks, but we need a
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a Rosa Parks today.

Introduction
We believe that black history is important. But we also believe
that making history today is more important. We cannot rest on
the laurels of great luminaries such as Frederick Douglass,
Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, George Washington
Carver, and others. God used these and others mightily in their
time; now He has given us this time and we will have to
answer to Him as to how we use it. In light of that, we have
attempted to place in one volume the most influential Black
Christian History-Makers who are living today and who are
serving Jesus Christ with their various gifts and talents.
The ability to lead is not something you can train to have. True
leadership is a gift from God that is undeniable by people. You
cannot make yourself a leader of people. In other words, you
cannot be a leader just because you want to be. Only God
makes leaders. One can improve his or her leadership abilities
but one cannot make himself or herself a leader.
The people who have been chosen for this list are not people
who are trying to be leaders; they were born leaders by the
grace of God. However, this book is not really about the people
on this list; it is about God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Who gives us the grace to do things for His glory with the
talents and gifts He has given to us. This book of recognition is
truly for the glory of God.
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We all know that when we get to Heaven, the people who will
be in front getting the rewards are those faithful, behind-the-
scenes people in the body of Christ who clean the bathrooms,
work in the nursery, do the ushering, and cook the food -- not
the luminaries that we see out front today.
Be that as it may: we humbly present the 100 Most Influential
Black Christian History-Makers.
— Editors, Black Christian News Network One (BCNN1.com)
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Yolanda Adams
"My direction has never really changed, because I don't think that
you can really work gimmicks in gospel music. With gospel music,
there is this central theme that always comes around about the love
of God, the love of Jesus and the power that you have through Jesus
Christ. You don't need a gimmick when you have that."
For Gospel legend Yolanda Adams, her stirring Elektra debut,
Mountain High... Valley Low, was an opportunity to bring both her
inspirational vision and her wide range of influences to an audience
hungry for spiritual fruit. Since her 1988 debut, the acclaimed and
uplifting Just As I Am, Yolanda has been wowing gospel audiences
all over the world. In 1999, four studio albums and one live album
later (the Grammy nominated Yolanda... Live In Washington), the
Houston, Texas, native was ready to extend her magnificent reach
without watering down the message.
"I'm not one of those singers who wants to expand my audience at
the expense of the people who already know my music," she says
determinedly. "And I've grown both vocally and spiritually since my
first album, through each phase of my career. So choosing Elektra
was just another step of growth. Gospel music had stepped up and
gathered a myriad of influences—jazz, hip-hop, and R&B. I need to
be in a place where my message can be heard by everyone. I
understand my purpose. I understand what I was put here for. I take
that on every day of my life."
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Religious audiences have been validating Yolanda for well over a
decade. She was employed as an elementary teacher in Houston
when she first began to garner recognition for her stunning
performances. "I taught second and third grades. I would go on the
road during the weekends to sing. Pretty soon the demand started
growing. I realized I might be able to make it my career."
The eldest of six siblings, her pioneering spirit and boundless
optimism soon became her trademark. Her solid church background
and love of all kinds of music, which she says "was inspired by
family—everything from Stevie Wonder to Beethoven," left her with
a respect for traditional musical hues, as well as a desire for more
contemporary interpretation. "Too many times we're put in a box by
musical labels," she says.
It was while she served as a lead singer with the Southeast
Inspirational Choir that Yolanda caught the eye of the prolific
composer/producer Thomas Whitfield. He guided her first album,
Just As I Am, for Sound of Gospel Records. Yolanda went on to sing
for the Tribute label in 1990, and was soon hailed as the most
versatile contemporary gospel singer since Aretha Franklin.
Her brilliant follow-up albums, 1991's Through The Storm and
1993's Save The World, won several Stellar awards, Gospel's highest
accolade. 1995's More Than A Melody propelled her into the world
of R&B Gospel, with hit singles such as "Gotta Have Love" and
"Open Arms." The disc won a Soul Train Lady of Soul award,
earned her a Grammy nomination, and unforgettable live
performance spot on the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards telecast.
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