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The Word of God directs all who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior to become worshippers of the most high.  In song, dance, word and deed, we are instructed to exalt the name of the Lord and praise His holy name with a willing heart and knowing mind.  It is an unflappable message Minister Joe Pace has firmly adopted into his lifestyle and day-to-day routine.

It is clearly seen and measured, not only by his commitment to music excellence that has netted him several Gospel music awards, but also in his dedication to providing holy music for the body of Christ, whether at home or in the sanctuary.  In his recent publication entitled, From Performance To Praise…Moving Music Ministry To The Next Level, Pace passionately articulates the case for music to move beyond the hype and become a tool for intimacy between God and man.  Not stopping there, Minister Pace has also seen it as his calling to instruct and counsel others on the importance of being good stewards of both God’s music and industry.

The journey from Stellar award-winning artist to ordained minister has been ten years in the making, purging Minister Pace of any selfish artistic pursuits, for the higher calling of being an instrument for God.  The result is a very focused, very energized Joe Pace that has found his calling in a ministry that edifies and fortifies the believer through the power of music.

A few weeks ago, the third installment in an ongoing series called Joe Pace Presents Sunday Morning Service (Integrity) was released for public consumption.  The album is a music resource for the church, uniting the worshipper with the all-knowing, all-mighty God, through the unseen but discernable power of Praise & Worship music.

The album delivers an explosive mix of anointed, enthusiastic godly praise through compelling, soul-stirring melody and arrangements.  The style and message is by no means hazy or unclear at this stage in his career.  Rather, the epistle is sharp and lucid.  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  Come before His presence with singing.  Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

BLACKGOSPEL.COM recently spoke with Joe Pace about his growing burden for ministry, music and understanding one’s godly purpose.  His sincere testimony should serve as inspiration to those also given the gift and calling to perform sacred music.

Christopher Heron:  I’d like to start by going back in time to when it all began.  Who was Joe Pace before the debut of the Colorado Mass Choir?  And what were some of the critical things you were busy doing that prepared you for a life as an acclaimed, award-winning artist?

Joe Pace:  Well, I was doing what so many artists do before they begin this life.  I was working as a Minister of Music in my church.  I was writing material even then for the church choir and for ministries.  I think this responsibility was preparing me for what was to transpire.

CH:  How did you end up in Denver, Colorado?

JP:  My father was in the military and so the family traveled quite extensively, landing up eventually in Denver, Colorado.

CH:  Did you immediately recognize a wealth of talent in the Colorado area, sufficient enough to create one of America’s premier choirs?

JP:  I couldn’t say I instantly recognized the talent because oftentimes, you personally go through a period of time when you’re actually attempting to find yourself, artistically.  And so, I certainly wasn’t, at least at that point, aware or cognizant of the talent around me.  I was just trying to do what I believe I was called to do.  And even at that point, I didn’t know what was on the horizon, in terms of a career and the industry.  I just knew that God had given me some gifting in this area and I wanted to be the best steward of it as I possibly could and work diligently in perfecting it.

CH:  It’s been nearly ten years since the recording of your first album – Watch God Move (Verity/Zomba).  You’re considered a veteran by many at this point in your career.  What are some of the valuable professional lessons you’ve learned over the last decade?

JP:  I would start by saying I wish I did more of my homework.  It is now the rule I apply, which is what I teach others in workshops today, so that others don’t make the mistakes I made earlier.  I’m advising others to not just be satisfied with being there (in the industry) but to surround yourself with godly counsel and to avoid bad business deals.  Sometimes, it takes years to maneuver around decisions we make early on.  And I remember back to my early days, when things would sometimes happen so quickly, after the release of Watch God Move and Stir Up The Gift (Verity/Zomba) and things were happening so quickly...I can’t say that I was as prepared or as mature and savvy as maybe I should have been. 

So through the years, I’ve become a student of the industry and the ministry and the music, which has helped me tremendously.  On top of that, I’ve learned about consistency and faithfulness and, most importantly, calling.  I’ve learned that the only thing that’s going to be successful is what you’re ultimately called to do.  And in this industry, you can easily get caught up in trying to emulate others so much that you lose sight of your calling and of what God tells you to do. 

And so, for someone like me who was a novice ten years ago, I had to recall what exactly God told me to do.  So, I’ve spent my time sharpening the vision and making sure what the call is.  And believe it or not Chris, it’s taking me all this time, this decade, to finally understand my calling, to see where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to do.  My call to the church is exactly what the Joe Pace Presents series is all about.  It’s taken some time to develop this series that but we’re finally here.

CH:  Let’s talk about your most current album – Joe Pace presents…Sunday Morning Service (Integrity).  It certainly captures the spirit and essence of the church at worship in song.  What were you hoping to create and present in your latest recording?

JP:  Ultimately, I wanted to present the whole Sunday morning experience.  From my days as a music minister, I remember debating what songs we’d play for the offering or the right song for the invitation.  Praise & Worship is such a huge component for me but there are so many other aspects in music ministry that’s a part of the typical Sunday morning atmosphere and experience.  And so as an artist, I wanted to produce something that’s a resource and speaks to all those other areas well and is a tool for the body of Christ.  So God dropped on my spirit to walk through an entire Sunday morning experience, write new material from every aspect of that experience. 

So, the album starts with a call to worship then moves into praise and worship.  We wrote new songs for the offering, new communion songs, new invitational songs, even a choir selection, invited local pastors to provide interludes as though they were setting up the different parts of service on Sunday morning.  So prayerfully, the listener gets the entire experience.  It not only works as a ministry tool that will bless the people but also as a resource material to add to their repertoire as things ministers can do on a Sunday morning.

CH:  This album is somewhat of a departure.  Instead of working with your tried and tested Colorado Mass Choir, you opted to work with some very talented singers from Kentucky.  What led you in this direction?
 

Sunday Morning Service	Speak Life	Shake The  Foundation
August, 2004	July, 2003	July, 2002

JP:  I’m glad you asked that.  The whole vision of the Joe Pace Presents series is totally independent of the Colorado Mass Choir.  The series is to facilitate worship at the local level through songs that foster and enhance the worship experience at the church level.  God told me to take each project and record it in a different city, go to a town that doesn’t necessarily get all the hype or the exposure but still has a vital and vibrant ministry underway and expose it.  The first project, Let There Be Praise, we did in Mobile.  The second one, Shake The Foundation, we did in Birmingham.  This one, Sunday Morning Service, we did in Kentucky.  Incredible talents are there who embraced the project and concept so readily.  The choir is composed of members from 17 to 18 churches from that community, plus the frontline praise team.  With this project, as an artist you’re being genuine.  You’re not just talking about impacting the local church.  You’re actually giving the local church some ownership and a stake in what’s going on because you’ve recorded in their community.  We’re prayerful about where we go to record.  We consult with a lot of people.  It turned out to be a wonderful fit.  The town is not going to be the same.  Pastors have shared with me the transformations they’ve made to their worship experience.  If we can make that kind of impact and leave that kind of deposit in a city or town, then we’ve truly done what God has called us to do. 

CH:  Can we focus in on this phenomenon known as Praise & Worship.  It has swept the nation and has found a recent home in Black churches across America.  Your label – Integrity Music – has embraced it and is showcasing a number of artists who are at the forefront of this ministry, Stephen Hurd, Israel Houghton and yourself.  Is Praise & Worship more than a trend?  And if so, what is at the heart of this momentum that’s taken the church by storm?

JP:  Oh my God!  I pray it’s not a trend.  It’s been a part of service for many years.  It’s just recently manifested itself culturally, for us, in the past few years.  But it’s been a part of the church experience on the CCM side for many years.  But it’s starting to take hold in our culture right now.  At the heart of this embrace is the intimacy and relationship that takes place between the worshipper and the object of worship, which is our God.  No other music transcends the listener into His presence.  You don’t have to sing well to do that.  You don’t have to play an instrument well to do that.  You don’t have to be an artist to do that.  It’s a personal music.  Everyone can experience it.  We all need an encounter with the Father.  There’s a place for everything but people are getting tired of the hype.  They want a supernatural encounter that facilitates that experience like Praise & Worship does.  So, people are getting to the heart of it.  As I go around the country and teach the music, people are grabbing the vertical nature of the lyrics and what that affords them as a believer.  How intimate, transparent and personal that whole experience is.  My prayer is that artists will not grab at it just because it’s a wave.  Praise & Worship is a lifestyle, ordered out of who we are and what our relationship with the Father is.  I think it’s something you’re going to see more of, as churches take hold of it and the trend turns into a movement and a lifestyle and an all-out transformation.

CH:  I certainly recognize the overall impact of Praise & Worship music.  So, what do you believe will be the fate of other forms of Gospel music, whether it’s Quartet music or Urban Contemporary Gospel music or even Holy Hip-Hop music?  Do these formats also have a part to play in ministry?

JP:  Oh most definitely yes!  These formats are still the foundation and the bedrock of who we are.  I just shared a conversation the other day with someone about the importance of Quartet and Traditional Gospel music.  It will never die.  The music keeps us rooted and grounded.  There is a place for all of God’s music at the table, which is what makes this all so exciting.  Praise & Worship, I believe can cover the spectrum of music.  Instead of looking at it as a specific genre, you can take Praise & Worship and stylistically incorporate it into a number of other formats.  Your Praise & Worship can be Traditional.  Your Praise & Worship can be Urban.  Your Praise & Worship can be Contemporary Christian.  Your Praise & Worship can be Rock.  So there’s room for all these styles and there’s room for the edification of our industry.  I pray that everything would coexist and that people would not abandon what has gotten us to this point and just jump on a wagon called Praise & Worship.

CH:  Minister Pace, it’s apparent to me that you’ve added to your list of responsibilities and duties with the series of recent recordings, along with workshops and seminars.  So, why exactly have you opted to reside in the middle of a little town in the south called Mobile, Alabama?

JP:  (Laughs) Well initially, I did it to be near family.  Of course, Integrity Music is headquartered here in Mobile.  And, I do so much work for the label that it was prudent to be here.  That may have gotten me here.  Since then, the humbling and grounding that a little town like Mobile gives you is incredible.  After a while, if you get caught up in the hype, you’ll miss God and you’ll miss what you’re supposed to be doing.  It’s different for everyone but for me, a town like this keeps me rooted and grounded and reminds you of what and why you’re doing what you’re doing.  It reminds you of your calling.  Most people are not going to be on a stage before ten or twenty thousand people.  They’re going to do what they do in their churches and communities, working in the vineyard.  If I can remember that and remember that my calling is to facilitate that, then I know that my success will be that Joshua-kind of success because I’m doing what God has called me to do. 

And so being in this kind of town is still so special because the locals in the church don’t care who you are.  The church mothers aren’t concerned with your name.  They’ll say, “Joe Pace…we need a pianist…come play the piano.”  Locals are not moved by your stardom or by whomever you think you might be.  If they need a good church service and if you can help, they just want to know if you’re willing to come and help play the piano.  And that keeps one so humble and reminds one of why you do what you do which is so important.  We all need that constant reminder in our lives and in our experiences so we can stay true to task with what God has called us to do.