August 5, 2002
BAYLOR RELIGIOUS HOUR CHOIR members Trey Lohse and Mandy Thomas share the gospel message on the streets with a Parisian student. (Rae Wright/Baylor photos)
BRH Choir ministers in Paris for a song
___By Brandon Kirk
___Staff Writer
___When the Baylor University Religious Hour Choir took the stage in Paris, France, the audience thought they were stars.
___Lately, gospel has become the hottest genre of music in France, a fact that helped the choir gain an audience on its summer mission trip.
___The BRH Choir, as it is known on campus, took 44 students and seven adult sponsors to minister to college students at universities in Paris. Working with missionaries Scott and Mentanna Campbell from the International Mission Board, the choir split into teams to spread the gospel and build relationships with students.
___The trip was part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas student summer missions program.
___"The need is far greater than I ever could have imagined," said Michael Castillejos, a vocal performance major from Dallas.
THE BRH CHOIR performs a gospel number with Matt Bryant as soloist. Because gospel music is popular in France, many non-Christians sang along.
___While the music resonated, students in Paris were difficult to reach with the gospel because of their cultural differences, explained BRH Choir Adviser Rebecca Kennedy. "It was very challenging, but God did some amazing things."
___Shasta Krumnow, president of the BRH Choir, agreed that the mission trip was a challenge, noting the students they met were different from those at Baylor.
___"They're very postmodern in their thinking, and they want you to prove things to them," she said.
___The way the Parisian students challenged the faith of the Baylor choir members helped them to grow, Krumnow said. She was struck by the question of a French student who asked her if she would be a Christian had she been born somewhere else.
___"It really made us stop and think about why we believe what we do," she said.
___Tiffany Hines, another choir member, reported a similar experience. "It was eye-opening to see people with views so completely different," she said.
___The French students expressed strong ideals of individualism and self-reliance, which meant many had not been to church since they were young, if at all, Hines said. "They see religion as something for the older generation, and think they don't need it right now."
___Castillejos discovered that atheism appears to be a culturally accepted identification in France much like Christianity is the cultural norm in America. One girl he met, Arelia, said she was an atheist but was "looking" at religion. "In talking to her, she was just lonely," he said.
BEN YORK, an International Mission Board Journeyman, and Michael Castillejos, BRH Choir member, speak with student in Paris.
___Many French students told the Texans they believe something is missing in their lives, and they told of ways they have tried to fill the void.
___"It broke my heart for those people," Hines said. "We need to encourage more people to go out there."
___In presenting the gospel to the students of Paris, the BRH Choir laid the groundwork for other evangelism efforts. Although they weren't allowed onto the campuses, they talked to many students who congregated around the entrances to the universities and in the lunchrooms. They talked to students, took surveys and made contacts for missionaries to follow up on.
___"What we were doing was just breaking the ice," Castillejos explained.
___Missionaries said they appreciated the help because the response was better when students' peers were there to break stereotypes and provide a positive image of Christians.
___The choir also invited the students to their concerts.
___"Our concerts were really successful," Krumnow said.
___Some audiences wouldn't let the Texans off the stage even after multiple encores, Hines added. The audience even sang along to many gospel songs they knew from the radio.
___"They would just go wild," Hines said. "It showed us that music is universal, and it tore down the language barriers."
___At one Friday-night concert, the choir experienced what Castillejos described as his "best musical experience ever," when members of the audience were touched by the performance of "Fairest Lord Jesus."
___One girl told him that she was amazed at how beautiful the hymn was. "I think that's why God gave us music," Castillejos said. "Being a part of what God is doing was really exciting for all of us."
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