Pastoral Recommendations
Pastor John Day
Pastor Stephen Henderson
Pastor Brian Kroll
Pastor Jaysen Brown
Pastor Eric Tastet
Pastor Stephen Miller
Pastor Emeritus Roger D. Green
Pastor Jon Stephens
Pastor Dan Hemmes
Pastor Stephen Curry
Pastor George A. Pirt
Pastor Mike McDaniel
This is a recommendation for McCormick Music Ministry. We were privileged to have the McCormicks on two different occasions at Ray Avenue Baptist Church. On both occasions, I believe our church advanced, and the cause of Christ was advanced.
The McCormick’s ministry impact was seen in several ways as they served with us.
It was EXCITING – From start to finish the team was excited about what they were doing. This excitement resulted in helping our people get excited about serving the Lord in the music ministry.
It was EVANGELISTIC – It was made abundantly clear throughout the sessions that the main objective of the choir/music ministry is to reach people with the Gospel. We were challenged over and over again not to view our service as something that just takes place within the four walls of our church but to share the Gospel out in the highways and by-ways.
It was EDUCATIONAL – The team took the time to teach individuals how to lead and conduct music both congregationally and as a choir director. They also taught choir members sight-reading, breathing techniques, and the importance of unity.
It was EDIFYING – The team met people where they were spiritually and musically. They sought to edify and help each member. None of our people felt belittled in any way due to their lack of musical knowledge. Our people all spoke of the help and encouragement they received from the choir revival.
As I look back on what God did through the choir revival, I see our church has already advanced much further than I had ever imagined would be possible. I whole-heartedly recommend this great ministry to you. I believe if you would have the McCormicks in your church that you too would see God bless your music ministry.
Until the whole world knows,
Pastor John Day
Ray Avenue Baptist Church
Salina, KS
(785) 825-4220
rayavenuebaptist.com
Dear Pastor,
Allow me to recommend McCormick Music Ministry to you and your church! They offer a very unique ministry that helps local churches in areas such as: the choir, song leading, how to welcome visitors, order of services, and teaching your people to seek the pastor’s heart. These areas are often overlooked, areas our people need training in, or areas our people need to hear a new voice saying the same thing!
As stewards of the gospel, we certainly should do everything within our power to preach the gospel to every creature, while also making it palatable to the hearer. Too many today are turned off by our spirit or presentation that they will never listen to the gospel we preach. Then, many of us just say they are rejecting the gospel, when they honestly did not even listen to our message. As we know, the Bible says in Titus 2:10b-11 “…that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
The McCormicks are very gifted in helping pastors and churches in these areas. As a former assistant pastor, Cedric has given his life to the ministry of helping pastors. Everything he thinks, does, and teaches is designed to help make the music ministry of your church everything God intends it to be. This will also take a load off of you, the pastor, allowing you to focus on your message more than how things are transitioning in the service. Cedric desires to train musicians, therefore, preparing the way for God’s message to be delivered!
He will teach your music director, assistant pastor, accompanist, and/or laymen to know what you as their pastor desire and how to accomplish this in a first class way. Statistics say that most visitors have their minds made up if they are coming back within the first seven minutes. (This is obviously before we ever preach.) Bro. McCormick will train your choir members and leaders how to be more effectively used by the Lord.
We know that young people today are leaving our churches and going to more contemporary style churches. One reason is because we have no life or joy in our music! We can make excuses for this or we can train our key people to make our music what the Lord intended! Music should be alive, exciting, and have the spirit of rejoicing! Hymns don’t have to be dead!
One of the main reasons I recommend the McCormicks is because they have a heart to teach and train people to love the Lord in their music, to seek the heart of and serve their pastor, and to do everything in a first class way! If you have them, they will be a great help and blessing to both you and your church. If I can answer any personal questions you may have, feel free to call. We would be honored to speak with you about them.
In His Harvest,
Pastor Stephen Henderson
Harvest Baptist Church
Manhattan, KS
(785) 539-8174
jointheharvest.org
It is with great joy that I write this recommendation for McCormick Music Ministry. I pastor Pacific Baptist Church in Hilo, Hawaii. The culture here is extremely musical, and music is a critical part of the church services here on the islands. Our church being so young, three years old, was in great need of help with our congregational song leading, as well as forming the foundation for a choir.
The McCormicks arrived in August and I can say they delivered above and beyond our expectations. Our church thought they were getting training with music. However, it was MUCH MORE than that. They received ministry training!
McCormick Music Ministry focuses on that last word: MINISTRY. Everything about Cedric, Tonya, Kevin and Titus revolves around others with a focus on ministering to people. All four have a burden for people and came to Hawaii with a servant’s heart to help this pastor be a better pastor. They delivered 100% on that.
The McCormicks started our choir and taught our church leaders the fundamentals of congregational song leading. Not only starting a choir, but a choir that can sing four part harmony. In just two sessions our choir made progress in leaps and bounds! We are looking forward to that first special, as we work on what was taught.
Our church was blessed to have them for two full weeks and our church family fell in love with each of them. Their special music is outstanding, and for the first time we had people hitting the altar before the preaching ever started. Their music moves people because they sing with HIS heart.
Pacific Baptist Church looks forward to The McCormicks’ return trip to Hawaii to expand on what was taught on their first trip.
‘Til He Comes,
Pastor Brian Kroll
Pacific Baptist Church
Hilo, Hawaii
(808) 238-4036
pacbaptist.com
As the Pastor of Victory Baptist Church in El Cajon, CA, we asked Cedric McCormick and his family to come to our church and help us in building and perfecting our music ministry and choir. While he was here he assisted and trained our music leader on how to properly and gracefully train and lead a choir. He showed us how to recruit and encourage our members to serve and praise God in the choir ministry. His great knowledge, enthusiasm and experience has given our church the building blocks and the confidence it needed to be successful in praising the Lord together.
Because of the efforts of Cedric McCormick and his family, our church has an established choir of 25+ people meeting each week for practices and praising the Lord every Sunday morning. Having the McCormicks come to our church has blessed us greatly and has completely improved and strengthened our church music ministry so that we may glorify God with praise.
I am so thankful for what the McCormick Music Ministry did for our church and would highly recommend them for your church.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jaysen Brown
Victory Baptist Church
(619) 590-0664
greatvictory.org
This past year, I received a phone call from a fella that asked if he and his family could stop by and be a blessing to our ministry. Not knowing who this guy was and not quite understanding what his ministry was, I was a little hesitant. That man was Cedric McCormick.
As a new church plant, I knew I could not properly take care of this guy and his family! I was a little embarrassed to tell him, but I had to. I said, “Brother Cedric, you’re welcome to stop by if you need a place to be that weekend, but I have no money and no way to take care of you, for this I am quite sorry.” Without hesitation, he said that it didn’t matter and that the Lord would take care of his needs, not us. So I told him that we would love to have him.
THANK GOD WE DID! Our church is young and our choir even younger. We had just started a formal choir this past year, but we were not as properly organized as we thought we were. When Cedric and his family came through and met with our little choir on Saturday for several hours, I was shocked at the results! This man single handedly transformed our singing capabilities! He truly motivated our folks and worked hard doing it. From philosophy to proper training on the various parts, our choir soon began to see its potential.
The McCormick Music Ministry is truly a unique and helpful ministry; especially to church plants like ours. It’s only been a few months since they left, and we are still as confident as the day he left us. We are truly grateful for the tools and insight Cedric and his family gave to us. And, to top it off, we have friends for a lifetime! Thank you Cedric, Tonya, Kevin and Titus for ministering to us. We are a grateful bunch!
Pastor Eric Tastet
Sierra View Baptist Church
Reno, NV
(775) 842-1905
svbcreno.org
To Whom It May Concern:
It was such a blessing to have the McCormick Music Ministry at Mountain View Baptist Church! We have never had a visiting Pastor, Evangelist, or Missionary come through that affected and helped our weekly ministry as much as the McCormick’s have! Their ministry is “music in the local church”, but they help in many other ways. They help & encourage the Pastor! Their energy and spirit is exciting and very catchy! We often do not realize the importance and power of music in our church services. Far too often this area of ministry is overlooked or “thrown together” and isn’t the high quality that it should be.
The McCormicks aid in every aspect of the music ministry. Tonya is an exceptional pianist; she spent time teaching and working with our pianist. Cedric worked with me, as the song leader, and tremendously helped me gain much needed confidence. As a result, the church pianist and I work much better together. They also train singers and help with special music.
They put great focus on the church choir, teaching and training the average church member to become a great choir singer. Their experience and knowledge is exceptional. They have lots of tricks and techniques that are easy to remember, but also very applicable and helpful. Our choir was struggling with an overall negative spirit and tardiness to practices, but since the McCormicks came I have seen a complete change in this area. A great help was noticing and expressing the need to lengthen our choir practice every week. It is amazing how much this has helped us. Our choir members are on time now and work hard the entire practice. The McCormicks worked with me to be clearer in what I expect from our choir, teaching me to lead them in a way they can better follow. The choir sounds much better and we have had several church members notice the difference.
The McCormicks also helped with the flow of our church service. We were doing many things, for no other reason than, “we have always done it that way”. There were also things that we needed to include in our service. The McCormicks have a lot of wisdom in this area. The entire service should build up to the preaching! They helped us rethink our weekly service. Streamlining our services has helped save more time for the preaching and has kept a general excitement and anticipation in the service. Many church members have expressed how much they enjoy and appreciate the new order of service.
Often in ministry we need someone to come alongside and give some constructive criticism and ideas to make our ministry the best it can be. We do not always see the need or the possible changes ourselves, but someone else, especially with the McCormick’s experience and wisdom, can help improve the music and overall effectiveness of your local church. I would highly recommend you invite “McCormick Music Ministry” to your church!
Stephen Miller
Assistant Pastor
Mountain View Baptist Church
Holyoke, MA
413-887-8030
mvbcholyoke.com
Dear Pastor,
This letter is written as a recommendation for Brother Cedric McCormick and his wife, Tonya and the ministry that God has opened for them. It has been my privilege to have them here at Grace Baptist Church. My people were blessed and I am sure you will be as well.
Brother Cedric is well gifted in holding choir clinics, leading the music and teaching groups to sing. He and Tonya sing beautifully together; that in itself will be inspiring for your people. They also can be used to lead the music in revivals, Bible conferences, missions conferences, etc.
In today’s music market, one must be so very careful. You will have no fears in using this good couple. They will complement your ministry. I encourage you to use them and use them often. This is how they make their living, support them and have others use them as well.
His servant,
Pastor Emeritus Roger D. Green
Grace Baptist Church
Middletown, OH
513-423-4658
grace-middletown.com
Dear Pastor or Music Director,
It is a great honor to be able to recommend the McCormicks to your Music Department. Tonya McCormick and I grew up at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown, NC, and it was there I knew God had blessed her musically. Cedric has worked in music ministry for as long as I have known him, and has a true heart for the right kind of music in churches.
They both have a great burden for souls and have lived consistent, separated lives that honor Christ. I have seen first hand the results from their musical abilities and our church was blessed to have had them. I have never seen anyone work with a choir for such a short amount of time and get so much out them. What a blessing they were to us!
Cedric and Tonya are confident that God has burdened their heart to be a blessing to other churches and assist them in good music. It is my pleasure to recommend on behalf of myself and our church family, Cedric, Tonya and Titus McCormick to your ministry.
By His Grace,
Pastor Jon Stephens
Victory Baptist Church
Bryson City, NC
704-467-1207
vbcbrysoncity.com
Dear Pastor,
I am writing to let you know how much of a blessing and help Cedric and Tonya McCormick have been to our ministry over the years. Their love and dedication for the Lord in the area of music is unsurpassed. As you know, good, Godly music is so much needed in our day. It has a way of preparing the hearts of people for the preaching of the Word.
We have the McCormicks come and handle the music for our annual July Jubilee. I highly recommend them to you for revivals, camp meetings, jubilees or just to help your choir or song leader do a better job with your music program. Tonya is a fantastic piano player and Cedric leads and the pair sing together.
I know many have good music programs, but I also know that we all can improve. They are great Christians and enjoy serving the Lord together and will be a blessing to you. Give them a call.
In the service of the Coming King,
Dr. Dan Hemmes
Manton Baptist Church
Manton, Michigan
231-824-6501
mantonbaptist.com
Dear Pastor,
It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend to you the ministry of Cedric and Tonya McCormick. I have had the privilege of knowing them for over ten years and know them to be faithful servants of our Lord with a heart for the things of God and a spirit of humility in all that they do. They are eager to serve God’s people in whatever way necessary.
In February, I invited Cedric and Tonya to come and assist us in our Winter Revival. We had much riding on this week both in our church family and in our community with our evangelist scheduled in all of our public schools and a large city wide rally on Thursday night. Bro. Cedric led our congregational singing for the week, directed and instructed our choir, and served me as a “staffer” for the entire week. Miss Tonya played the piano in the services, worked with our current pianist on some specials, and was a real blessing to our ladies. Their music was conservative, Christ-honoring, and Spirit-filled. All of their music was “on target” for the service and for the purpose that we were striving for. We saw many decisions for Christ that week and they were an integral part of setting the stage for God to move.
Both of them were eager to serve and get involved all week, even with a newborn in tow. They are faithful servants of Christ and will be an asset to your ministry no matter how you may need to use them. I know them and I know their heart, I believe. By their actions, attitudes, and testimony, they show a servant’s heart and a love for their Savior.
I have them scheduled to come and help us twice more this year. Our people have come to love them and their ministry. They will be with us in August for a series of meetings and then again in October for our Ladies Conference weekend.
I am thankful for our ability to serve the Lord together. God has used Cedric and Tonya here in LaGrange and I believe with all my heart, He will use them in your place of service as well. You may find others who are “more talented” than they, but you will not find others more submitted to God and willing to follow His direction.
If I can answer any other questions for you, or help you and your ministry in any way, please do not hesitate to call on me. Thank you for considering and praying about using the McCormicks. God bless you and your ministry there.
Until The Nets Are Full,
Pastor Stephen W. Curry
Madison Missionary Baptist Church
Minford, OH
740-820-2708
madisonmbc.com
To Whom It May Concern:
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I hope this letter finds you faithfully proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. My name is George Pirt. I am writing this letter on behalf of Cedric and Tonya McCormick. Cedric and Tonya have been instrumental in the ministry that God has placed me in. Let me explain how:
First, Cedric and Tonya provide Christ-honoring music to any service. We have had them for Open House, for Missions Sunday, for Revival Services, and for regular services. In each case, the music was conservative, uplifting, and Godly. It is such a blessing to see a family use their God given abilities for the Lord and for His glory.
Second, Cedric and Tonya provide training for the choir, soloists, and pianists. There have been many times that they were able to teach our choir not just what to sing, but how to sing. Cedric is very good at training the choir to reach their potential for the Lord. There are few, if any, pianists that are better than Tonya. She is a valuable asset for those who play the piano and they have a great opportunity to glean from her knowledge.
Third, Cedric and Tonya provide an extraordinary opportunity. At the church that I pastor, the music had to be changed into Christ-honoring music. We only have one pianist and it makes it difficult to coordinate everybody that sings to practice with her. Therefore, I asked Cedric and Tonya to come and play songs for us as we recorded them as a soundtrack for our people to sing with. Once again, it was better than I could have hoped for.
In conclusion, Cedric and Tonya McCormick can be a blessing to your ministry in many different capacities, and I am thankful for the positive impact that they have had on my ministry.
In Christ,
Pastor George A. Pirt
Westgate Baptist Church
Tampa, FL
westgate.org
Dear Pastor:
I am writing this letter to recommend Cedric McCormick and his wife, Tonya. Several months ago Cedric and Tonya came to work with our choir and did a wonderful job. Through their efforts and dedication our choir has improved dramatically. They were patient, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable in music and dealing with people. I know Cedric and Tonya’s character and testimony and I highly recommend them to you to help in any way possible.
In Christ,
Pastor Mike McDaniel
Currytown Baptist Church
Lexington, NC
currytownbaptist.com