Feature Articles

Restoration

Restoration is an interesting name for a Southern Gospel group. Tell us how you came to that name. Give us a little history of the group.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY: RACHEL

Becky, Larry an I traveled together with our parents ministering up and down the East Coast as teenagers and young children. As we grew older, we started our own familes and went different directions in ministry. When the time came that the Lord called everyone back together to travel and minister once again...we just felt that RESTORATION was a good fit because God had restored our ministry and given us a fresh new outlook, we prayed about it and God confrimed it!!

Restoration seems to be a family affair. How does everyone tie together and what are their various positions in the group?

We are family...Becky, Larry and I are siblings... we are also joined on stage by Becky's Husband Rodney. Behind the scenes my husband Michael serves as the Executive Producer and Group Mananger for Restoration. Becky is the oldest of the 3 of us...she sings some lead vocals but her preference is harmony. Larry is our only brother, he sings lead and harmony vocals, he does some of the booking for the group and most of the bus driving. I (Rachel) am the baby and according to Becky and Larry I am the spoiled one..I do most of the lead singing and handle a large portion of the office work for the group. Rodney is a very talented musician, he generally plays piano when on stage with the group.

How do you choose the material you are going to perform? Are there any song writers in the group?

Our golden rule is that a song must minister to us first before we can effectively deliver it to others. If we can realte to a song or if it stirs something within us then we will be able to sing it with passion and conviction, you can truly minister when you can sing from the depths of your heart.

As a matter of fact we all do some song writing, although to date Becky has written more than the rest of us. Our current single "CLAIM YOUR VICTORY" is a song that the Lord really dealt with me on, God began to give me the words and I shared what I had with Becky and Rodney, we sat down in the sanctuary of our home church and after about 20 minutes the song was completed. We have seen so many people touched by the message in that song and we are so humbled that God would use us to speak encouragement into the lives of others. We get emails and calls from all over the United States from people who have heard the song and just want let us know that it has given them comfort and hope in the midst of circumstance.

How would you describe Restoration's sound? Who decides on the arrangements and who is going to sing what songs? Who decides who's going to wear what? Is there any sibling rivalry over the style of dress for concerts?

We tend to have our own sound...a little bit southern and a little bit country. We all take part in making the decisons with arrangements, if someone has an idea they are encouraged to put it out there, then we'll try things a couple of different ways until we are satsified with the outcome.

Everyone is responsible for their own attire..we do correspond on color or if we are going dressy or casual, but everyone definately has their own style when it comes to clothing that's for sure!!

Who and what were your musical influences?

I can answer for all of us when I say that growing up listening to The Hinsons and The Paynes played a huge role in developing our love for music and who we are today as individuals. But there are many others have have influenced us along the way and to name them all we would be here all day.

Where do you see Restoration's place in Southern Gospel Music in the next 5 years? Is there one place that you would describe as your dream place to sing, but you haven't made it there yet?

In 5 years we would love nothing more than to be in full time ministy, seeing souls saved and lives changed all accross this great Nation. I can't really say that there is ONE place in particular that is a dream venue, but if Bill Gaither called we certainly wouldn't turn him down, it would be an honor to be at an event with so much talent under one roof. We firmly believe that every door God opens for us to minister somewhere is a blessing and an opportunity to be a postive influence in the life of someone else, it is our calling so we don't take it lightly.

When a Pastor or Promoter invited Restoration to perform, what can they expect to see happening on stage?

You can always expect to see real sincere christian people singing and ministering about the great Lord and Saviour we serve. We never follow a set program or line up, we always follow the leading of the spirit. If God says sing a certain song then we sing that song, if He places a testimony on our hearts then we will share just that. No two services are ever the same, we just come with open hearts to worship and prasie our Saviour with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

If a Pastor or Promoter wants to book Restoration, how would they do that?

They can contact Michael at (434)249-4128 and he would be more than happy to help them out. We also have a home on the web where people can learn more about us online at http://www.RestorationMusicMinistries.com