 Acme Missionary Baptist Churchphotos by steed media service |
The
spiritual musical tour that was likened to an “American
Idol” competition for gospel music named Chicago’s Acme
Missionary Baptist Church best church choir in America less than one
week after its Senator Barack Obama was announced president-elect.
Their explosive performance garnered them a whopping $25,000 cash
prize, which its choir director said would be used “toward the
purchase of a new church.”
“We
started [‘How Sweet the Sound’] in Memphis in 2007, [as] a
community-based program that would bring people together [through]
gospel music,” Verizon Wireless spokesperson, Sheryl Sellaway
shared. “We have received outstanding feedback from [gospel music
lovers] appreciative of the fact that we have some stellar artists
performing and [that we] recognize great gospel choirs with the
[$45,000] in cash prizes.”
The
competition also presented an opportunity for gospel music lovers to
donate their no-longer-used wireless phones to the Verizon Wireless
HopeLine® program, which is an exclusive phone recycling and reuse
program to benefit victims of domestic violence. Since 2001, HopeLine
has collected more than 5 million phones and awarded more than $5
million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations
throughout the country.
Burning Bush International Ministries
from Ypsilanti, Mich., were runner-ups, winning the $15,000 cash prize
and Atlanta West Pentecostal Church from Lithia Springs, Ga. won the V
CAST People’s Choice Award, which garnered them the $5,000 cash prize
at the event. The competition attracted nearly 10,000 people to
Atlanta’s Philips Arena.
Grammy-winning
songwriter and music director Donald Lawrence hosted the event and
GRAMMY-winning legends Marvin Sapp and Hezekiah Walker along with
actress Gabrielle Union judged the competition. –yvette caslin
For live video footage, please click here.
 Burning Bush International Ministries |
 Atlanta West Pentecostal Church |
