Guenda Vincent spent more than five decades writing songs before the COVID-19 pandemic led her to put some of them out into the world.
The pastor’s wife has composed more than 1,000 songs over years of ministry, singing many of them with her family as they served churches pastored by her husband, Chuck. Then the pandemic confined the Vincents to their Alabama home.
“That’s when the Lord began to deal with me to try to find an outlet for my music,” Guenda said.
This year, she has worked with musicians and a video producer to make concept videos of three of her songs. The videos feature them played over inspirational images. One, “Wash Away My Sins,” has more than 58,000 views on Facebook.
“The internet’s wonderful,” the 77-year-old said.
Two follow-up songs, “I’ll Keep on Loving You” and “New Jerusalem Coming Down,” also have been turned into videos.
And Guenda is still writing.
“There’s almost a story behind every song, because the Lord inspires me,” she explained. “And sometimes I have woken up during the middle of the night with a song on my heart that I was singing.”
‘You can do more’
Throughout their ministry, Chuck pastored small churches, retiring at age 82 from Concord Baptist Church in Notasulga, Alabama.
“She was really a blessing in my ministry,” Chuck said.
Guenda sometimes wrote songs inspired by his sermons.
“I never did count them,” she said of those she’s written over the years. She knows it’s more than 1,000, although she said she probably only had 10 or 15 she considered really good. She tried to find a publisher at one point but needed a CD to make that happen — a process that was too costly for the Vincents.
“We always just sang in church and just used them for the Lord,” Guenda said.
She also led choirs for kids and youth.
“I’ve just been in the music right up to my neck,” she laughed.
The pair often led worship together with Chuck on guitar and Guenda on accordion.
“She didn’t tell you, but after she got saved she had a dream that she went to heaven,” he related. “And Jesus took her into a music room, and He gave her a golden accordion, and she played it there in heaven. Wasn’t too long after that her dad brought her an accordion home.”
Self-taught musician
Guenda, who plays piano by ear, is a self-taught musician. She records her songs in her bedroom and emails them to a recording artist. A production company specializing in gospel music, VCB Videos, creates the video from the finished product and publishes it on Facebook.
Her songs are testimonies to her faith in Christ, a faith deepened by challenging and sometimes tragic circumstances. Guenda’s sister and her family were killed in a car accident. The Vincents lost their oldest daughter when she was only 14.
“We’ve had a lot of tragedy in our family, a lot of loss,” she said.
But the focus of her songs is on the hope she has because of Christ. Her song “New Jerusalem Coming Down” is about heaven.
Guenda’s health also is a challenge. She suffers from fibromyalgia, a painful neurological disease. She was feeling poorly the day she wrote “Wash Away My Sins” and was resting when she heard the song in her head.
“I heard the words. I heard the tune. And I began to cry, and I felt the Spirit of God,” Guenda remembered.
She worked all day on the song that is a plea for people to turn to the Lord.
“I’m not in good health. I have A Fib (atrial fibrillation) and I’ve got a pacemaker, and I’ve got so many things wrong with me. But if I dwell upon those things, then I’m just going to be a basket case,” Guenda said. “And the Lord has shown me that I can do more.”
A new chapter
Several years ago, Guenda wrote a book chronicling her family’s life and ministry. “A Song for Life’s Journey” also includes several of her compositions.
“I need to put another chapter at the end of it,” she said. “Because I’m still writing music, and all of a sudden, God is opening doors for me that I never even dreamed about.”
The Vincents have a daughter and a son — their daughter is in a Christian singing group and plans to record one of her mom’s songs.
Amid the ongoing pandemic the couple isn’t able to attend church in person because of health concerns; but even in their confinement, they’ve reached more people than they ever thought possible.
“I don’t think God’s through with me or Chuck,” Guenda said. “We just want to do something for God.”
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