PAGE 28
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2013
Mercy’s Well Focuses on Ministry Through Music
BY KATHERINE SMITH
Special to The Pilot
Mercy’s Well, a vocal trio based in
Greensboro, sings through the diversity of
Christian music — the refreshing
reservoir of old Southern gospel and the
young springs of praise and worship.
Band founder and tenor Brad Strider
says that on their recent trip to Haiti,
sponsored by Compassion International,
he witnessed how, just as in America,
“Everyone has different cultural influences and ways they respond to music,
but the message is the same; the message
is from our Creator.”
On Saturday, Aug. 3, Mercy’s Well will
perform with the Stills Family Band and
Trinity Quartet from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on
the Railroad Stage at Robbins Farmers
Day.
Along with Strider, members include
Greg Gainer, who sings baritone and often
accompanies Mercy’s Well on keyboard,
and Kyle King, who recently obtained a
degree in worship and music studies from
Liberty University and sings a wide range
of vocals. With “no intentions of national
exposure,” the members were informally
known, “singing around where we could,”
Strider says. After they submitted a few
songs to the radio, the subsurface
intention of a formal band “blossomed,”
and they released their first album, “First
Five: A Collection from the First Five
Years,” in 2001.
With a total of eight albums spread over
12 years, Mercy’s Well has “become a little more ministry focused,” Strider says,
though “the message is going to resonate,
regardless of how you present it.”
Their landscape of music ranges from
pop country songs like “Carry That Load”
and traditional hymns such as “How
Great Thou Art.”
“We even go back into the vintage era
with old-fashioned Southern gospel,”
Smith, Lee Black and Kenna Turner.
directions sponsorship for more than 1.2
Strider says, referring to songs like crowd
Their website states that they are commillion children in 26 countries. Each
favorites “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
mitted to “strive for perfection,” meaning
band member has sponsored a child since
and “It Is Well with my Soul.”
that “we’ve really tried to hold our craft,
October 2011.
One song, “Nothing but the Blood (Still
keep the vocals tight … and make sure the
“Our niche is encouragement,” Strider
Saves the Lost),” amasses their musical
message is clearly projected,” Strider
says, heedless of the crowd’s spiritual
message. “The church seems awfully
says. “Anything we do for God needs to be persuasions, and following their theme
different from
verse, Psalm
when I was a
100:5, “For the
boy/The songs
Lord is good; his
we sing are not
mercy is
the same as they
everlasting; and
were before/The
his truth
hymnal we used
endureth to all
long ago, it
generations.”
seems they’ve
Mercy’s Well
disappeared/but
believes that
sometimes I find
their music is
myself longing
fated, a
just to hear ‘At
knowledge that
the Cross, at the
was cemented
cross, where I
shortly after
first saw the
they released
light …’”
their radio hit
Their most
“I’ll See You
popular original
Soon.”
songs are
“The song
“Saved” and
dealt with loss,
“Live a Lot,” and
and during the
one crowd
time that song
favorite is the
came out, Greg
song “When God
[Gainer] lost his
Ran,” a contemgrandmother,”
COURTESY OF MERCY’S WELL
porary Christian
Strider says. “As
Mercy’s Well will be performing on the Railroad Stage at Farmers Day Saturday, Aug. 3.
song written by
Christians
Benny Hester in
though, we have
the early ’80s.
done as our best … Christian music should the promise that we’ll see them again.”
Strider says in order to dissuade that
always have the best reputation.”
“We serve a big God,” Gainer said in
stigma of CCM as “feel good music” that
Mercy’s Well tours 160 days a year,
their electronic press kit. “So no matter
stirs up emotions rather than rational con- from the U.S. to Scotland, England,
what you’re going through in your life,
viction, “when we choose songs, we
Canada and cruises to the Bahamas and
come in for about an hour and worship
choose them based on lyrical content first. Mexico.
with us, and forget about all the stuff
They need to be Christ-centered.”
While Mercy’s Well tours, they spread
you’ve got going on in your life.”
Some of the songwriters the band
information about Compassion
For more information, visit mercyswell.
sources are Donna King, Joel Lindsey, Sue International, an organization that
com.
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