Mar 01

Memphis Churches Raise More than $20000 for MAA’s Music Program

Paola Mora Zepeda

The Longview Heights Church choir takes the stage. By the end of the concert, MAA raised $22,665.

Xander Ordinola

Concert attendees join in praise during the MAA concert. Eleven churches from the Kentucky-Tennessee, South Central, and Gulf States Conferences came to support the school’s fundraiser.

Paola Mora Zepeda

A quintet from Aliento de Vida Church play a traditional Christian Spanish folkloric piece. During the concert, three languages were represented.

Xander Ordinola

The MAA choir sings “Awesome God,” led by their music teacher, Carlos Ortiz. The money raised during the concert will be used to support the school’s music program.

Paola Mora Zepeda

Memphis Churches Raise More than $20,000 for MAA’s Music Program

Ten Memphis, Tenn., churches from Kentucky-Tennessee Conference and South Central Conference, alongside one Mississippi church from he Gulf States Conference, united in a fundraising concert at the Longview, Tenn., Church on January 6, 2024. The event aimed to support Memphis Adventist Academy (MAA), and successfully raised $22,665 to enhance the school’s music program.

The concert became a vibrant blend of musical diversity, with participating churches and MAA’s choir contributing two songs each. The repertoire spanned English, Spanish, and Kinyarwanda, the native language of Rwanda.

“It is a beautiful thing, just working with all the churches,” said Fabian Reid, MAA principal. “I can tell you, all the churches put their heart and soul into making [the concert] happen. They are united in ensuring the success of the school.”

Beyond the musical display, the fundraising event had a profound purpose — to revamp the school’s music program. The $22,665 raised will be allocated toward acquiring new instruments and providing well-deserved compensation for the music teacher. According to Reid, MAA wants to prepare the musicians of tomorrow who will praise God.

Benjamin Jones, South Central Conference president, said he is proud of all these churches for coming together to support their local academy. MAA is one of the few schools in the division jointly administered by two conferences.

“The single most important thing that we can do as collective churches is to save our children,” said Jones. “The most effective, consistent evangelistic tool is Adventist education. This concert not only resonates across diverse cultures and churches, but also serves as a foundation for future collaborative endeavors.”

Steve Haley, Kentucky-Tennessee Conferrence president, also emphasized the pivotal role that local churches play in sustaining their local educational Adventist institutions.

“Our school’s existence is not possible without the support and investment of local churches,” said Haley. “Our churches are the lifeblood for our schools …. The celebration of the MAA concert demonstrated that although each of us come from different backgrounds, when God’s people come together in worship, and for the worthy purpose of supporting a common vision in mission and ministry, great things happen!”

Kentucky-Tennessee | March 2024