One of the most recognized faces in gospel music, Kirk Franklin, will appear in Indianapolis this month.
He is scheduled to participate in the Back 2 Church Conference sponsored by Uplift Cathedral, which will take place on Wednesday, May 12 and , Thursday May 13 at the Indianapolis Training Center, 2820 N. Meridian St.
Also appearing will be Minister Daryl Arnold of Overcoming Believers Church of Knoxville, Tenn.
Franklin is best known as a pioneer of contemporary gospel music. He has had numerous hits on the national gospel charts since 1993, when he and his choir, The Family, released the crossover favorites “The Reason Why I Sing” and “Melodies from Heaven.”
Other classics have included “Lean on Me,” “Revolution” and “Declaration.”
However, Franklin will be in Indianapolis to preach, not perform on May 12.
“Many people do not know that he is not just an outstanding artist, but also has a tremendous gift for preaching,” said Rev. Rodric Reid, pastor of Uplift Cathedral.
Reid added that he invited Franklin and Arnold because of their ability to teach the scriptures in an engaging way.
“I’m trying to reengage people into the love of preaching the Word of God,” Reid said. “That is the purpose of the conference. The Bible says we are saved by ‘the fullness of the preaching.’”
With Arnold’s help, Reid got in contact with Franklin.
“I told him we were a small, new church that didn’t have a large crowd and couldn’t give a whole lot of money,” Reid said. “He said he didn’t care what size the church is, and it would be a blessing to him to come and be a blessing to our church and community.”
The Back 2 Church Conference is part of the “back-to-basics” approach used by Uplift Cathedral, which officially opened its doors last July.
“We are going back to when the church has an emphasis on preaching the gospel,” Reid said. “We want to get back to where people loved and helped each other; when they had a covenant with the church, not just membership within the church.”
Reid, who operates the church with his wife, Tisha, is a minister ordained by the African Methodist Episcopal denomination. He is also an entrepreneur who owns a gas station at 25th St. and Keystone Ave., as well as a food court, learning center and real estate properties.
“Another goal of Uplift Cathedral is to help strengthen our community economically and build entrepreneurs,” Reid said. “As African Americans, we spend millions of dollars in cities across the country and have nothing to show for it. We can have our own restaurants, hotels and convention centers. That way, we can help provide stability during tough economic times and offer jobs to people so that they can get back on their feet and keep their dignity.”
For more information, call (317) 490-4171.
