The Morgans to perform Sunday at First United Methodist Church
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Gospel music recording artists Phil and Pam Morgan will appear Sunday at the First United Methodist Church in Newton. They will perform concerts at the church’s 8:30 and 11 a.m. services, as well as at the 10 a.m. service at Park Centre.
The stop in Newton will be part of the musical family’s national “Gotta Keep Walkin’” Ministry Tour. In addition to being the title of their latest CD, “Gotta Keep Walkin’” also serves as a triumphant theme considering Pam was told she would never walk again following a horrific automobile accident in June of 2000.
The couple, both born of Christian families in the Kansas City area, had a storybook romance.
“We met as seniors in high school Nov. 29, 1985,” Pam said. “We were both part of the Kansas City All-Metro High School Choir when I was introduced to Phil in a music store by one of his friends after a performance.”
A couple of weeks later, Pam was stood up by Phil’s friend after a high school Christmas concert, so he offered to buy her a soda as consolation. She already was enamored with his musical ability and got lost in his blue eyes, so she quickly agreed.
Less than three years later, Phil wrote Pam a song, and on one knee began to sing, “Will you marry me?” They were married Oct. 20, 1990, shortly after Pam graduated from college.
But even before that, their musical ministry had begun.
“Easter morning, April 15, 1990, God called us both to make Him Lord of our lives,” Phil said. “God wanted us to get serious about living for Him. We accepted the call and entrusted everything to Him from then on, including our music.”
The Morgans began singing music full-time in 1996 with the recording of their first project, “Faith, Hope & Love,” in Kansas City. It was a collection of Phil’s original songs, which reflected upon life lessons the Morgans had learned up to that point.
“We hit the road about one weekend a month spreading God’s message with sincere hearts and a down-to-earth presentation,” Pam said. “The next year brought a much fuller concert schedule, a weekly radio program called ‘Sounds of Praise,’ and the release of ‘Gospel Favorites Live’ and ‘Merry Christmas,’ as well as the ‘Hold Me’ single.”
Pam’s full-time job in the insurance industry became a part-time job in 1998. And, in 1999, the Morgans say God opened another door for them, this one leading to Nashville and the opportunity to produce “What Matters Most,” another collection of Phil’s songs that focused on God’s priorities for each of us.
“We released two singles, ‘Under the Blood’ and ‘God Chooses Who He Uses,’” Pam added. “In March of 2000, we took a leap of faith at God’s calling, and I quit my insurance job to dedicate myself entirely to the ministry and family.”
By then, “What Matters Most” was getting national airplay and “Good Chooses Who He Uses” was steadily climbing the charts. The one weekend-a-month ministry had become a full-blown ministry with three or four concerts booked for every weekend in a 10-state area.
But that came to an abrupt halt June 4, 2000, when the couple’s van crashed into a bridge. Pam was ejected from the vehicle and suffered numerous injuries as a result of her 60 mph tumble down the pavement.
A broken neck left her completely paralyzed from the chest down. Top surgeons said she would never feel or move most of her body again. But the couple refused to give up, and turned immediately to prayer.
Much to the doctors’ amazement, feeling and movement began to gradually return to Pam’s body. Over the period of a year, she progressed from being wheelchair bound to walking unassisted.
Exactly one year after the accident, Phil and Pam walked into a Nashville studio to record a project titled “Living Proof.” The specialists still have no explanation for Pam’s miraculous recovery, but the Morgans attribute her healing to the power of God.
“When tragedy struck our family, God was the only one who got us through, “ Pam said. “My prayer is that through our story others will be motivated to walk with God everyday, no matter what life brings.”
Since returning to the musical ministry, traveling the country with their gospel music, the Morgans’ message of hope and encouragement has touched lives around the world through recent media attention. Their story has been told on Oprah, Montel, TBN, Discovery Health’s “Only A Miracle” andThe 700 Club, as well as in many national newspapers and magazines including Woman’s World.
“We continue to share powerful music and testimony that is reaching more people with God’s message of hope, love, and faithfulness than ever before,” Phil said. “Our journey has not been an easy one, but we rejoice that we can encourage others to press on through the valleys, trusting Jesus to guide them with His comforting hand. We firmly believe the best is yet to come.”
The couple has two children, 17-year-old Kayla Sue and 14-year-old Alisha Raye, who have become a part of the ministry’s musical presentation, as well.
A freewill “love offering” will be taken Sunday.
