By James Pruitt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
She was down a bit after the first round of dates was announced and her church, River of Life in Montpelier, wasn’t named. Miller trusted God would find something else for the church.
When Patty Miller learned legendary Christian singer Carman was looking for churches to perform for his upcoming Legacy Tour, she didn’t have to think twice about applying.
“I had written a letter of request in March and Carman’s team would pray over them,” Miller said. “The first of July they notified my husband (Homer) with a phone call. I saw him take the call and went and asked him what happened and did we win the lottery.
“My son-in-law said ‘close.’”
That’s when Homer told her the good news. To say it was shocking would be an understatement.
“People were blown away,” Patty Miller said. “I can’t explain it, it’s totally God.”
Carman made a name for himself playing to sold out stadiums drawing thousands to his concerts in the 1980s and 1990s. Miller, remembering her experiences in 1990s in Oklahoma trying to get into a Carman show at a packed Oral Roberts University, immediately thought about securing larger venues other than the 375-seat capacity church.
But Carman’s tour manager shut down those thoughts. The singer was aware of the size of the church and preferred the cozy surroundings of a local church.
“His life changed inside the church,” Miller said. “We will stay in the church,”
Carman will perform at 6 p.m., Sept. 16, at River of Life Worship Center, 14226 US-20 ALT, and Montpelier, OH 43543. Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
Carman is well-known in the Christian music circles for his story songs, many of which are based on sermons he has heard. In addition to being a singer and song writer, the artist is also an actor and evangelist.
“The purpose of my music is to engage the entire body of Christ, and the family, because my audience has always been a family audience. It has been my purpose from the beginning to do songs that would unite generations and denominations,” stated the artist in a press release.
Carman Domenic Licciardello grew up in an Italian family in New Jersey.
He hit the scene in the early 1980s and has maintained a presence in the industry ever since. He has branched out into acting and composing songs for soundtracks.
The Montpelier stop is part of his Legacy Tour. He wanted to take the emphasis off people having to give money to hear him sing, so he is not charging admission nor taking an offering.
VIP tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m., Monday, Aug.20. Those who choose to buy those tickets will be able to get into the event at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16, and be entitled to a meet-and-greet with Carman after the concert and also receive a “goody bag.” There are only 20 VIP tickets being offered at the price of $100 each. All others who choose not to buy a VIP ticket will be allowed entrance into the concert at 5 p.m.
Eicher’s Subs of Montpelier will be available for purchase. They will have a full menu and also beverages available.
1 Comment
I’ve always respected Carman’s heart in ministry. I remember being able to go a real concert when I was young because it was free. I was hungry for Jesus and Carman’s heart was set on God. It was nice reading this article and learning that he is choosing to perform in churches because the church is important -no matter what size.