Award-winning contemporary Christian singer Mark Schultz performed in
concert for a crowd of nearly 400 fans on the campus of Bluefield College,
Monday, April 2. Schultz sang about giving and finding “the way,” but it was
when he shared the story of a heartbroken father whose son was diagnosed
with leukemia that the Bluefield College crowd shed tears and stood in
ovation for the talents and message of the rising Christian music star.
Schultz has written two number one contemporary Christian music singles.
He1s been nominated for six 2001 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music
Association, and he1s been referred to as “the next superstar of Christian
music.” He stood up to that billing and more during his two-hour show in
BC1s Harman Chapel. Fans stood and danced to the number one single “I Am the
Way,” but stood and cried during the moving testimony “He1s My Son.”
“What a great message,” said Bluefield College senior Jessica Weaver
about the number one single “He’s My Son.” “All of his music deals with
relationships – whether between the parent and child or sister and brother.
The Mark Schultz concert was one of the best we have had at Bluefield
College.”
Schultz, a youth minister for a church in Nashville, Tennessee, wrote
the song “He’s My Son” after finding out one of youth members was diagnosed
with leukemia. The song shares the emotions of the boy’s father who would
pray over his sleeping son at night, asking God to give him the boy’s
cancer. The father explains to God that he has always been able to “fix” his
son’s problems, until now. It’s because of this frustration, the father
cries out that “he’s not just anyone, he’s my son.”
Schultz shared additional singles from his debut CD, including those
that explored the incalculable power of faith in “Cloud of Witnesses” and
others that stressed the importance of serving in “When You Give.” Most of
his music during the concert, he said, comes from his experiences as a youth
director, something he never thought he would end up doing when he moved
from Colby, Kansas, to Nashville to begin a music career.
“I wanted to do music, but that wasn’t working out,” Schultz recalls.
“The last thing I wanted to be was a youth director, but [during a
happenstance meeting with Nashville First Presbyterian Church Youth Director
Mark DeVries], he told me “‘you need to work with kids.'”
And, since there was no denying God’s voice in the matter, that’s what
Schultz began to do. He soon fell in love with his new mission. Chasing a
musical dream gave way to sparking real change in the lives of the young
people at his new church. He continued writing songs, however, and
ultimately produced his first CD, which continues to impress all listeners,
not just those at BC.
“The most apparent strength inside Schultz’ musical toolbox is that he
sounds genuinely tickled about God, life and his fellow man,” said Dave
Urbanski of Contemporary Christian Music Magazine. “That’s an intangible
quality that is sorely lacking in modern music circles and one that will
carry him while he continues to hone his obvious talents.”
Fifty percent of proceeds from the Schultz concert will go to support
student mission trips at Bluefield College. Schultz’ show at BC was just one
of several that are part of the school1s contemporary Christian concert
series. Singer/songwriter Allen Levi will perform in concert on campus,
Thursday, April 5. For more information about this and other BC concerts,
please call the Office of Public Relations at 540-326-4212.
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