New
Messenger Group
Revives Musical Ministry
After 13 years, the Messengers are back. The group is once again representing Walla Walla College at churches, schools, and camp meetings.
Mike “Dean” Loewen, founded the original Messenger group more than 35 years ago while serving as dean of men and later as WWC field admissions officer. In the following 25 years, more than 70 men and women performed spiritual music in concerts and special appearances throughout the Northwest.
After the group retired in 1987, frequent Messenger reunions sparked discussion of restarting the group.
In 1998, Victor Brown, WWC’s vice president for admissions and marketing, sensed a need for a musical ministry group and asked several students from Auburn Adventist Academy and Upper Columbia Academy to form a quartet.
Under the direction and assistance of Brown, the students began touring in the summer of 1999 under a different name. After concerts, audience members would approach the students and comment on how glad they were that the Messengers were back. The frequency of these comments prompted the members to consider calling themselves the Messengers, but they remained undecided.
Before a concert at the Idaho Conference Camp Meeting, group members were discussing how to introduce themselves while a sound technician listened in. Afterwards, he commented to Brown, “I know who they are: the Messengers.”
From that night on, they were, and are still, introduced as the Messengers.
Brown believes there are special things happening with the Messengers, which he attributes to the fact that they didn’t just search for the four best singers. “The great thing about these guys, is that they have a burden for ministry and just happen to be good at singing. It keeps them focused on God, not themselves or WWC,” says Brown.
Seven students have been involved with the Messengers: Joel Dickerson, junior music major; Jeff Downs, sophomore aviation major; Tim Dunston, sophomore theology major; Nate Korcek, sophomore psychology major; Matt Gladden, sophomore music performance major; Joel Micklewait, junior aviation major; and Levi Waggoner, junior music education major.
This summer they performed at more than 18 churches, camps, and camp meetings in states from Alaska to Arizona and Canada as well. Brown describes their music as a traditional gospel quartet reminiscent of the Kings Herald Singers. The group has broad appeal to both young and old.
Currently, there are plans to create a women’s singing group and possibly a variety group that would include music, drama, and sermons.
Fall 2000
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