Friday Flashback – Responding to a Changing Culture

October 28, 2011

[In 2011 Keynote celebrates 45 years of ministry. We thought we would use our Friday posts to look back on God’s faithfulness through the years.]

Throughout the mid-1990s, Keynote continued to respond to the changing culture with new ideas for outreach. In addition, partnerships with like-minded international ministries began.

In 1995 Michael Porter brought a different style of music to Keynote with the hip-hop group Dead Poet Society. Featuring Michael and Joel Wilson as Emcees and Nate Corrona as a live DJ, the group quickly made a name for itself and saw God do amazing things in the lives of students across the country and around the world. After a few personnel changes, the group became Mars Ill and finally, the blackSoil project with Michael (a.k.a. rahlo) as the sole performer and song writer.

Because of a desire to more effectively serve the Campus Ministry and Student Venture, Keynote launched new bands in 1996 and 1997.

  • Casting Lots, a guitar-driven alternative rock band was designed to engage students through well-known cover songs as well as thought-provoking original music allowing for conversations about God and His invitation to know Him personally.
  • After a successful outreach trip to Spain in 1996, the flutist and violinist from Counterpoint combined forces with a few rock musicians to form The Remnant, an acoustic alternative rock band designed to minister to college students, military personnel and young adults.

During the summer of 1996, The Convertibles, Vanguard, Dead Poet Society and other Keynote staff members traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to participate in “Love Southern Africa.” This annual conference provided training in evangelism and promoted vision for the goal of taking the gospel to the entire southern half of the continent below the equator by the end of the year 2000. Keynote provided praise and worship for both the adult and youth conferences, followed by evangelistic tours of South Africa and neighboring countries. Strategic partnerships that began in South Africa continue today.


Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: