The Gospel Music Association Grieves Senseless Loss of Pastor and Congregation in Charleston, SC.

The GMA on behalf of the Christian and gospel music industry mourns the senseless loss of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and his parishioners: Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., Rev. Sharonda Singleton and Myra Thompson. The prayers of our community are with the families of these victims and with our entire nation. We believe that the power of love and hope can unify in the middle of such challenging times. We encourage our community to continue praying and to give generously to support these families.

To Give: The Mother Emanuel Hope Fund has been established. The fund will be used to help cover the funeral costs of those killed in the tragedy and to benefit the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church where the shooting occurred. To help the church and pay for the funeral costs of those killed, Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley worked with Wells Fargo to set up donation centers at their branches. For those who wish to donate online, donations can also be made to the church directly through PayPal on their website.

Christian/Gospel Artists Add Their Heartfelt Sympathy: "We don't know why things like this happen but God can mend our broken hearts and help us through our dark days. #PrayforCharleston" - Erica Campbell

“It is hard for me to understand such anger and hatred toward any living creature, but especially toward the children of God who had gathered in a place of worship to express their thanks to Him. It seems, as a whole, that the human condition is not getting better over time. All I can say is, ‘Help us, Jesus.’” - Bill Gaither

"Evil can penetrate everything in this world, even the walls of our churches. But that will not extinguish our worship and it will not drive us underground, but instead make us sing even louder. I wish I could hug the families of those who have lost loved ones, I don’t have any words, but I do want them to know they are not alone.” - Brandon Heath

"There are no words for the deep sadness & heartache I feel for the families and friends of those lost in the Charleston shootings. Praying for God's comfort & peace to "bind up" every broken heart.” - Steven Curtis Chapman

"I am heartbroken for the church and community of Charleston. I am praying for them, and specifically the families, for God to comfort each of them. I also am continually praying for the nationwide revival, which we desperately need to bring true and lasting change." - William McDowell

“I am deeply, deeply hurting for those affected by the tragedy at Emanuel AME church and the city of Charleston, SC. Going to church, you never expect this kind of thing to happen. You think of Church as one of the safest places to be. In a split second, someone's anger changed that. Lord, help us. My prayers, love and condolences go to the families, church and the city of Charleston. I pray that the love of Jesus brings comfort as only He can.” - Jason Crabb

"Praying for the victims and families of such an unimaginable crime. In this time of grief, I pray that Emanuel AME Church and the city of Charleston feel our love and know they don't walk through this heartbreaking tragedy alone." - Tamela Mann

THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, SCOTT HAMILTON, AS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES FOR GMA HONORS ON MAY 5TH

 A STAR-STUDDED LINE UP SET TO APPEAR INCLUDES: AMY GRANT, BILL HEARN, BILL GAITHER, BRANDON HEATH, BISHOP JOSEPH WALKER III, CHRIS AUGUST, DR. A.R. BERNARD, MELINDA DOOLITTLE, POINT OF GRACE, THE MARTINS AND STEVE GREEN

JUCE TV will air GMA Honors, Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (April 27, 2015) – The GMA (Gospel Music Association) announces a star-studded line up of presenters and performers for the second annual GMA Honors and Hall of Fame including the master of ceremonies, Olympic gold medalist, Scott Hamilton.

The presenters set for the evening are six-time Grammy Award winner and Dove Award winner, Amy Grant, Founder and Senior Pastor of Christian Cultural Center, Dr. A.R. Bernard, six-time Grammy and multiple Dove Award winning Southern Gospel singer, Bill Gaither, five-time Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning Christian Artist, Brandon Heath, Pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Bishop Joseph Walker III, four-time Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning Christian singer, Steve Green and President and CEO of Capitol Christian Music Group, Bill Hearn. The performers set for the evening will include Dove Award winner, Chris August, sixth season of American Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle, Tauren Wells of Christian hit-group, Royal Tailor, multi-Dove Award winning group, Point of Grace, renowned church choir directors, Joy and Landy Gardner and the Grace Church choir and Christian music vocal trio, The Martins.

The GMA Honors will take place on Tuesday, May 5th at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena and will celebrate gospel music trailblazers being inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame and gives honor to individuals and organizations that are impacting our culture both past and present. The GMA Honors will air on JUCE TV on Friday, June 5th at 7pm PST / 10pm EST and Saturday, June 6th at 12pm PST / 3pm EST.

The evening will recognize recently announced inductees BeBe and CeCe Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy and Twila Paris, as well as honorees including Bishop Paul S. Morton, Founding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, The Bridge Ministry founded by Candy Christmas, Passion founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio and Porter’s Call founded by Al Andrews.

To view full biographical information and photos of this year’s inductees and honorees, please visit: www.gmahalloffame.org

Tables and individual tickets are available for purchase, which include dinner and admission to the honors ceremony. Sponsorships are also available for the event. The event will commence at 6:00PM on Tuesday, May 5th. Please visit www.gmahonors.org to purchase tickets and for more details.

About GMA: Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, Urban Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and more. The GMA community consists of members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Honors and IMMERSE. For more on supporting the GMA or becoming a member, please visit www.gospelmusic.org or contact the GMA directly at 615.242.0303.

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GMA Social Media Platforms: Website – www.gospelmusic.org Facebook - www.facebook.com/gospelmusicassociation Twitter – www.twitter.com/gospelmusicassocmaofficial / #gmahonors

MEDIA CONTACT:

GMA HONORS AND HALL OF FAME: Jules Wortman Wortman Works Media & Marketing 615.989.1519 or 615.260.9985 jwortman@wortmanworks.com

Lacey Klotz Wortman Works Media & Marketing 253.709.6034 lprintz@wortmanworks.com

THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR’S GMA GOSPEL MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION AND HONORS CEREMONY RECIPIENTS

THE GMA HONORS CELEBRATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015 AT LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY’S ALLEN ARENA

Inductees to include: BeBe & CeCe Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy & Twila Paris

Honors recipients: Bishop Paul S Morton, Founding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, The Bridge founded by Candy Christmas, Passion founded by Louie & Shelley Giglio and Porter's Call founded by Al Andrews

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (February 17, 2015) – The GMA (Gospel Music Association) announces today the date of the second annual GMA Honors set for Tuesday, May 5th at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena. The GMA Honors event celebrates gospel music trailblazers being inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame and gives honor to individuals and organizations that are impacting our culture globally both past and present. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees include BeBe and CeCe Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy and Twila Paris. In addition, the GMA will honor Founding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, Bishop Paul S. Morton, The Bridge founded by Candy Christmas, Passion founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio and Porter’s Call founded by Al Andrews.

Tables and individual tickets are available for purchase, which include dinner and admission to the honors ceremony. Sponsorships are also available for the event. The event will commence at 6:00PM on Tuesday, May 5th. Please visit www.gmahonors.org to purchase tickets and for more details.

John Huie, CAA and Co-Chair of GMA Honors states, “Last year’s inaugural event was an amazing evening of firsts for our industry. We have been encouraged by the many comments surrounding the ceremony and are thrilled to honor this year’s recipients.”

“The GMA Foundation is charged with observing our gospel music history and its trailblazers,” says Jackie Patillo, President of the GMA Foundation. “With the ongoing support from our music community, we can fulfill the mission to foster an appreciation for our heritage and its impact for generations to come. We, as always, thank all of those involved in helping make these special celebrations possible.”

Hall of Fame inductees:

BeBe & CeCe Winans have been recording music together for more than 25 years. The brother/sister duo, part of the gospel singing Winans family and one of the most successful gospel artists of all time, have had 12-charting R & B singles, and numerous No. 1 singles on Christian, AC and CHR radio. Their accolades include numerous gold and platinum releases, plus a plethora of Dove, Grammy, Stellar, Soul Train and NAACP Image Awards.

Mark Lowry is a singer, storyteller, humorist, author and songwriter whose is a loved and trusted voice in the realm of gospel music and beyond. His 20-plus years as the baritone singe the Grammy and Dove award-winning Gaither Vocal Band and serves as the comedic sidekick on tour. He also tours as a solo act with many DVD projects to his credit and has had over 400 artists record his lyric to “Mary Did You Know?”

Roland Lundy starting making noise in the industry in the early 1970’s that lead to an 11-year run as President and CEO of Word Entertainment, one of the world’s leading Christian music companies. He was responsible for the Thomas Nelson and Word consolidation that grew Word revenues to over $100 million in 1993. He later managed the sale of Word to Gaylord Entertainment. His leadership navigated the entertainment company’s very diverse roster and attracted top artistic and creative talent. He currently serves on the board of the Gospel Music Trust Fund and is Chairman of the Board for American Red Cross, Nashville Chapter.

Twila Paris is a pioneer of today’s praise and worship music movement that has lead to the informal style of worship. She has released 22 albums, amassed 33 number one singles and has been named the GMA Dove Awards “Female Vocalist of the Year” 3 times as well as several awards in the song and album of the year categories. The accomplished singer/songwriter is not only known for creating timeless worship songs but has also written books and recorded children’s music.

Honorees:

Bishop Paul S. Morton is a pastor’s pastor, a leader’s leader who holds multi advance degrees in Theology and Divinity. He is the Founding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, as well as the Senior Pastor of Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church with two locations in Atlanta, Georgia and Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to being a pastor and educator he has authored four books and is a celebrated recording artist with over eleven albums to his credit which have garnered six Stellar Awards. Bishop Morton’s commitment to the community is evident by many church outreach programs such as the affordable housing projects he began in 1997. He is the president of the Paul S. Morton, Sr. Scholarship Foundation and president of the Paul S. Morton Bible College and School of Ministry.

Candy Christmas is an awarding-winning singer/songwriter with five recordings as a solo artist, and six GMA Dove awards to her credit. As founder and President of The Bridge, Inc she has been able to feed and clothe the homeless of Nashville, as well as aide Middle Tennessee’s children through the backpack school program. Her weekly hot meal outreach takes place every Tuesday under the Jefferson Street Bridge, come rain or shine. Candy and her team of volunteers meet the physical and spiritual needs of over 350 people each week by sharing the gospel along with each hot meal as well as bags of groceries, toiletries and new clothes to anyone in need.

Passion, founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio began as a bible study at Baylor University and has grown into an international ministry called the Passion Movement. The Passion Conferences has reached hundreds of thousands of college-aged young people in stadiums and arenas across the USA and around the globe to worship Jesus and be shaped by the His Word. Their vision led Louie and Shelley Giglio to launch Passion City Church in Atlanta Georgia, and sixstepsrcords the home to Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Passion and many others.

Porter’s Call, founded by Al Andrews is an integral part of the music world in Nashville. The mission of Porter’s Call is to be a service of counsel, support and encouragement to recording artists and their families and to provide a safe and confidential refuge for artists to deal with the issues they face, at no charge. Since the beginning in 2001 more than 1000 different artists, from all genres, have walked through the doors of Porters Call. Al Andrews is also accomplished author and speaker.

To view full biographical information and photos of this year’s inductees and honorees, please visit: Honors and Hall of Fame bios and photos here

About GMA Honors and Hall of Fame:

GMA Honors has been established to recognize individuals and organizations that impact our culture for Christ through music.

For 37 years, the GMA Foundation has honored well-deserving individuals and groups through an annual induction ceremony into the GMA Hall of Fame. The event will continue to induct trailblazers into the Hall of Fame but also celebrate current individuals and organizations within the gospel music community that are making significant contributions to the world through their humanitarian efforts as well as their talents. We invite you to be part of this special GMA Honors celebration.

With your support we can fulfill the mission of the GMA Foundation to foster an appreciation for the historical development of gospel music and its impact on our culture. The GMA Foundation is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

About GMA (Gospel Music Association):

Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, Urban Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and more. The GMA community consists of members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Dove Week, The GMA Hall of Fame Induction and Honors Ceremony and IMMERSE. For more on supporting the GMA or becoming a member, please visit www.gospelmusic.org or contact the GMA directly at 615.277.1376.

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GMA Honors Social Media Platforms: Website - www.GMAhalloffame.org Facebook - www.facebook.com/Gospelmusicassociation Twitter - www.twitter.com/GMAofficial Hashtag - #GMAhonors Instagram – www.Instagram.com/gospelmusicassoc