In 1969, Thanksgiving Day, God called us start a choir for youth and young adults from ages 13 to 23. My wife was the person I was depending on because she had directed a children choir at our church and because I cannot sing. She had just given birth to our second child and she said to me, “If this is a call from God He will send someone.”
Well, God sent Ernie Heighway as the director and Richard Mullins as our first piano player. Richard went on to be a song writer and wrote “Our God is an Awesome God” and other songs for Amy Grant like “Sing His Praise.” This all happened after our first meeting where only Jeff McAdams showed up. Since I could not sing, I took a record player so we could sing along with it. I asked God to give me a sign of something so I would know that I know I was doing what He wanted. It’s not my will or desire, but His will, and His desire for my life, that’s important. So the next meeting we had seven people and I said to God, “According to the Bible, seven is Your number so do it one more time and I will not question this is Your calling for us.”
The next practice meeting we had fourteen and I was convinced with no question that God had called us to work with youth and young adults ages 13 to 23. The reason it is ages 13 to 23 was because Neva Freeman, a Sunday School Teacher, and my wife ministered to me. Neva from the first day that I came into her Sunday School class had the boldness to say to me, “You’ll be alright if you give your heart to Jesus!” When at our third choir meeting God brought 21 youth to our meeting, I didn’t need any more signs because I knew that I knew this was my calling. God didn’t stop there. At our next choir meeting we had 28, then 35 at the next meeting, 42 at the next meeting, then at our eighth choir meeting we had 49 in attendance! At our first choir singing event at our home church, Chester Heights United Methodist Church, we sang with 49 youth!
The number eight means new beginning, and that’s what God had done. He started a ministry that would change the course of literally thousands upon thousands of youth. The key verses for the ministry of New Creations has been II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” and Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” With no doubt of our calling, off we went to do our best to hear God and do the ministry. We traveled singing in church after church which we still do today trying to help other youth come to Jesus.
- Bishop Timothy & Bonnie Cummings, Co-Founders
