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When Cheryl Tyler of York County, Pa., put out a call for people to audition for a new community gospel choir in 2008, she was surprised at who responded.
“When you hear gospel, people automatically assume that it's all black (people), but most of (the choir members) are white,” Tyler said. “It's awesome, because there's no difference because we're all singing about God.”
Pennsylvania's multiracial, multidenominational York County Gospel Choir, which was founded in late 2008, will make the first stop of its first-ever tour in Charlotte on Friday at Doers of the Word Christian Fellowship Church.
Tyler said the choir, which is directed by her father, David McCoy, has 18 members. They've raised several thousand dollars through bake sales, pizza sales and selling raffle tickets, as well as through donations, to take the bus trip to North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Rev. Belinda Stokes of Doers of the Word Christian Fellowship Church, a relatively new church in Charlotte, and Tyler attribute the arrangement of the choir's stop in Charlotte to the work of God.
Tyler said she knew the choir would tour in the Carolinas, but she wasn't sure where.
Stokes wanted to do a fundraiser for her church, but she didn't want to sell anything. One day she got a call from a Tyler, who had gotten Stokes' name from a Christian music store in Charlotte.
“It was just set up by the Lord,” Stokes said. “They were looking for places to go, and I was looking for a way to raise funds for the church. That's just how God operates.”
Tyler said the York County Gospel Choir does much more than sing. They use their spiritual gifts during their concerts, sometimes going into the audience to pray with people.
The choir also will tour with its drama team and prayer team, which may be part of the concert. It will make at least three more stops in South Carolina before heading back to Pennsylvania.
“We're just so excited,” said Stokes, who founded Doers of the Word. “We have had the most incredible first year.”
