Decatur women witness with music across Southeast

Ruth Hutson and Deborah Sloan cling to Psalm 28:7, which states: “My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” Longing to share their faith and use their God-given talents, Hutson and Sloan formed Joy Ministries in Song, a Decatur-based Christian music duo that performs throughout the Southeast. This year, they are celebrating 10 years in ministry.
   
“Deb and I recognize a world crying out for help and are dedicated to presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to those people searching for true peace,” said Hutson, who delivered her first solo performance at age 4 at Elkdale Baptist Church, Selma, in Selma Baptist Association where her father served as pastor. 
   
“It is my fervent prayer that God will use Joy Ministries as a tool to present His gospel through music to a world crying out for the love, peace and happiness that He can only give,” she said.
   
Sloan was also drawn to music at an early age and began playing the piano by ear at age 4 and later the guitar. Despite these talents, she pursued singing, her first love. Sloan said God gives her the strength to do this ministry.
   
“I’ve often wondered why God started this ministry when we were in our 40s,” Sloan said. “We have both been through difficult times. Our testimonies give hope to people who are going through the same personal situations. I can’t tell you the number of people that have come up after the services and said, ‘You gave my testimony,’ asking for prayer. This gives people hope and that’s what God is all about”
   
Although Hutson and Sloan lived in the same city and married high school classmates, they didn’t meet until 1992 after Sloan joined Westmeade Baptist Church, Decatur, in Morgan Baptist Association where Hutson had been a member for a short while. They both sang in the church choir and ladies’ ensemble. 
   
Later that year, Hutson heard Sloan sing a solo at church during the Christmas season and thought their voices would blend well. She later approached Sloan about singing together, and the two began practicing a song to sing for Easter.
   
“We started working on ‘I’ve Just Seen Jesus’ for the Easter pageant,” Hutson said. “From there, we started singing more and more and in different places.” Encouraged by their minister of music, Bob Waldrop, they committed to full-time ministry in January 1995. 
   
In addition to working full-time jobs, Hutson and Sloan travel most weekends in the year to perform at church services, special events or programs, Christian women’s meetings, retreats, revivals and missions fund-raising events. 
   
“We personally have grown as far as our closeness to God with a deeper understanding of what we are doing,” Sloan said. “I’m just in awe when people come to the altar, and I know it’s nothing we’ve done. Our main goal is to win people to Christ and draw them closer to Him.”
   
The same year the two went into ministry, they recorded their first CD called “Reason to Rejoice.” Other projects by the duo include “Treasures of Joy,” “Touch the Holy One,” “Requested” and “He’s Enough,” which was released in 2003. They plan to begin recording another CD in early 2006.
   
“God just opened the doors for recording because we didn’t know anybody and we didn’t have any money,” said Hutson, who is currently a member of First Baptist Church, Decatur, in Morgan Association. “It was just meant to be. God’s the One that put this ministry together.”
   
In 1998, Hutson and Sloan went on a 14-day missions trip to Ukraine with a Southern Baptist evangelism team and sang at cultural centers and churches across the country. During the trip, more than 600 people accepted Christ and many were baptized in the Black Sea.
   
“It was an unexplainable experience,” said Sloan, who attends Shoal Creek Baptist Church, Decatur in Morgan Association. “We sang and they did not understand what we were singing. They did not know our language, but God was interpreting and tears were streaming down their faces. It was an awesome experience.”
   
And that is not the only miraculous experience they have seen in  this ministry, according to Hutson. In 2002, she wrote a song called “Esther” to the melody of “Great Balls of Fire,” and it hit the charts in Europe.
   
“God has evidenced to us His great power and how He can use all things for His glory,” Hutson said. “We commit to services on a faith basis usually through a love offering, with the church paying our expenses. We don’t ever want to close the door to an opportunity to share Jesus. We are ready to share Jesus with whoever wants us to come and sing for Him.”
   
Although the past few years have been difficult for Hutson, Sloan and their families with illnesses, deaths and other struggles, they know God has blessed them enormously. “We don’t schedule as many services as in the past, but I believe God has given us a spiritually deeper and more meaningful ministry,” Hutson said. “We’ve grown so much in our everyday walk with Christ, and we are seeing many more decisions made for Him in our services. It’s been amazing to watch God move in such a mighty way.
   
“I think our personal trials have strengthened us in this ministry because we have had to learn to lean on God. When we share our testimonies with others, they can relate to what we are saying, and it means so much more when they know other people are struggling, too.”
   
For additional information on Joy Ministries in Song, call 256-350-7870 or visit www.joyministriesinsong.com.