Hoover’s Hunter Street Church leads convention music

The program personalities at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting included Scott Allred and his musically inclined entourage from Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover.

Arriving with nearly 200 choir, orchestra and music ministry team members, Allred, Hunter Street Baptist’s minister of music and the SBC music director, said it was a “humbling and fulfilling” experience to be a part of leading the convention’s music and work alongside other churches and Christian artists.

During the two-day meeting, Hunter Street members performed alongside First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga.; southern gospel recording artists Brian Free & Assurance; Dan Odle of Highview Baptist Church, Lousiville, Ky.; Luke Garrett, of Broken Arrow, Okla.; and worship recording artists Paul Baloche Band.

Leading messengers in popular worship favorites from “I Am a Friend of God” to “How Great Thou Art” and “I Will Rise,” Allred said, simply, it’s about Christ and bringing glory to His name.

And that is why Hunter Street’s music ministry chose to take part, Allred added — to lead people to God’s throne and remind them why Southern Baptists come together in this way.

“It is important to have elements in the convention that refocus us on what we’re here for,” he said. “It’s easy to get off into business matters … and I think the worship elements, the inspirational music elements help to redirect us, refocus us to remember why we’re doing this.”

Whether through century-old hymns or today’s most recent worship songs, leading God’s people in worship should be for His glory and His renown, Allred said. “That’s why we do what we do.”

“All of God’s creation exists to bring glory to God, exists to show His glory, exists to mirror His glory,” he said. “But human beings, man, has the unique opportunity, the unique responsibility, the unique gift of being able and being called to and commanded to declare verbally His glory, to actually proclaim the message of the gospel and the truth about God.” (TAB)

To view a video that corresponds to this article, visit the video library.