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31 May 2005
Chris Kibbe
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“Not the Average Southern Gospel Singer” In an area where Southern Gospel Music doesn't thrive as it does down south, from Enfield, Connecticut comes a soloist who is not the average Southern Gospel singer. You may have never heard of Chris Kibbe, (Pronounced Kib-ee) but he has developed a unique philosophy about singing and ministering that sets him apart somewhat, from most Southern Gospel singers. In a recent interview with Chris, we spoke honestly about his ministry, his goals and his philosophy for ministering the gospel. ************************************************ JH: So just who is Chris Kibbe? CK: I am a 32-year-old family man/gospel singer from the heart of New England. I have been a Christian since January 7, 1992. I have a beautiful wife, Angie, and two children, Mary Rose, and Wilson Elijah, and another one on the way! I enjoy spending time with my family and I also enjoy music and Boston Red Sox Baseball! JH: So who are your influences personally and musically? CK: Personally, I've been influenced by many people. I inherited much of my musical ability from my dad. My mother was a big influence on me in that she sat me down as a child and made me listen to The Statler Brothers, Jim Reeves, Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins and Tom T. Hall and I'm very glad that she did. Some of my favorite singers and artists are Jim Reeves, Curt Davis (who used to be with the Whisnants and Perrys), Jimmy Fortune, Whisnants and the Statler Brothers. JH: So, how did you get involved in Southern Gospel Music? CK: I met my wife at the church we both attended shortly after I started going there, and she insisted that I could sing, and so we started a family ministry called “The Risen Gospel Band” which included her mother, Diane Ryan and her Uncle, Ken Berube. I will never forget those first days of singing and I'll cherish the memories of singing with my family forever. JH: What made you decide to become a soloist? CK: The Risen Gospel Band disbanded late in 2002 and the Lord made it very clear to me to begin a ministry as a solo artist and I really enjoy it. Every once in awhile I'll invite someone up to sing with me, like my wife or my brother Kevin, just for variety purposes. But all in all, it's been a lot of fun singing, arranging my own harmonies and singing all the parts in the studio, and then taking it on the road with my family. In a solo ministry, I'm able to take all of my family with me everywhere I go. JH: Roughly how many dates do you perform in a year? CK: I would say we're on pace to do 75-100 dates this calendar year. JH: Your ministry is much more than just about Chris Kibbe. There are several people who take active roles in your ministry. Tell me about that. CK: Our ministry is divided into 5 sections…Prayer, Pastor/Mentor, Music/Message, Product/Materials and Transportation/Safety.
The most important part of our Ministry is my wife's involvement. Angie has the gift of faithfulness, and is our prayer go-to person. She prays faithfully every single day. We urge people to see us after the show, and give us their prayer requests. We also get many calls by phone, email and letters with prayer requests as well. Angie prays for each person, on an individual basis, each and every day. People have called back with the answers to their prayers and have encouraged us so much with how God has blessed them, or helped them to deal with their issues. My brother Kevin also does some of our booking and promoting. It is because of Kevin that I was able to reach many churches in Vermont and Maine. Kevin is very diplomatic and is the Ministry's ambassador. He also acts as the Ministry Master of Ceremonies at many of our events.
JH: What are your goals? What do you hope to accomplish through your music? CK: My goal is simple. I wish to encourage people with my music. Especially people who don't know who Jesus is. You know, the guy who slips in the back of the church unnoticed and then leaves unnoticed. The guy who basically has never been to church his whole life and doesn't know one thing about religion. I want him to understand what I sing about. JH: Let's talk about that. You have a very unique philosophy about music and what you feel you need to do to minister with your music. CK: Before I answer this question, let me first say that I LOVE Southern Gospel music. I love the songs, the words, the message and the style. With that being said, I really think that nowadays a lot of artists try to play it safe. Lots of writers stick with a lot of the same cliché Christian lines and language that only a Christian would understand. But a lot of the people who don't know about Jesus are left confused and scratching their heads. If the great commission is to go and make disciples of all nations, then we better start speaking in a language they understand and not convoluting everything with religious language. I'm speaking mostly about people who aren't exposed to a lot of the Christian language and who are, to put it bluntly, turned off by it most of the time. JH: What brought about this idea? CK: Several things actually, mostly in my conversations with people who don't know Jesus. Someone once asked me "Hey Chris, I heard a religious song the other day that talked about blood being poured on all of us and cleaning us. I was totally disgusted!" Then another time someone told me "the minute I hear about Jesus and blood and nail pierced hands, I just turn the station". And it occurred to me that a lot of Christian musicians are simply singing to other Christians. There is nothing wrong with this per
se, because Christians need encouragement too. But somewhere along the line, we Christians developed our own language, our own code words that only we'd understand in a conversation. Phrases that seem natural to us, such as "Praise the Lord", or "Amen" can be scary to someone who doesn't know Jesus. Furthermore, it can push them farther away, because then they'll feel that they'd have to be like that if they ever believed. This is not to say that people cannot come to know Jesus if we use the typical Christian language and lines because I've seen it done. The Holy Spirit is VERY powerful. He
can make people understand things you never thought they would. But I still think we'd be better off speaking in a more simple and honest language and meet people where they are in life. JH: How has this changed your approach to your music and how you minister? CK: It has changed it in several ways. First, I've always tried to talk TO people and not AT them. Second, I give my testimony, and I don't blow it up. I've heard friends give their testimony and exaggerate it up for effect, and people aren't fooled, they can see right through that. Many people say, “I don't witness because I don't have a good testimony”, when they should be saying, “I witness a lot because my life story is a lot like most other people.” People demand honesty when they ask about God in our lives. I'm telling you right now that it's ok to have a boring testimony! It's okay that you had a good childhood, and never got into much trouble and that you've always tried to be a good person. There doesn't have to be a “smoking gun” that caused you to reach the lowest depths of your life to finally meet Jesus. I think that it's safe to say that most of the un-churched people we know live their lives to the best of their abilities, but without Jesus. But, there are some who HAVE gone through hell, and come to know Jesus, my brother being one of them. My point is to just be honest about who you are, and what your story is. JH: So, what is your story? CK: My salvation experience isn't really something I can put into words...I can only tell you the facts surrounding it. It took a very close friend of mine, someone who knows me as well as himself…someone who knew just how to put it to me so that I would understand it. I noticed very subtle changes in his innermost demeanor. Things I knew he could never change himself. I think anyone can change just about anything on the outside, but I feel that the things on the inside are the hardest to change. The only comparison I can make to how he changed is the word "contentment". He had such a contentment and peace about him that I'd never seen before. It was something that even he didn't notice until I pointed it out. This is how I knew it was here to stay and his life had truly changed. He never beat me over the head with it either. I'd ask him about the changes in his life and he told me that he had "accepted Christ". I had no idea what that meant and didn't think anything of it until the changes stayed. I was beginning to realize that this wasn't a fad, or a phase he was going through...whatever it was, was here to stay. Then, I asked for clarification. And it's hard to put into words exactly how he said it, but in the end, I understood that I couldn't get to Heaven by doing good things, because then I'd be trusting my own goodness to get me to Heaven and not Jesus. He then explained to me that "accepting Christ" is simply putting Jesus above everything else. Whether it's something you're deciding on, a financial situation, a problem with a family member, where to go next in life, a health matter, or anything…make sure your decision is something Jesus would approve of. He told me THAT is what it means to make Jesus the center of your life. And in order to get to Heaven, you have to acknowledge what he did on the cross and believe it, and make Him the focal point of your life. He made it very clear that I didn't have to wear certain clothes or talk a certain language or try and be someone else. He told me that Jesus will change me from the inside out as He sees fit and it's MY job to make the right decisions as Jesus makes His Will known to me. Then, in the Burger King parking lot in Springfield, Massachusetts, he prayed with me and it was very simple. I always knew that Jesus died on the cross for all of the things we've done wrong, but I never understood that I had to acknowledge and accept that and follow Him. I always thought that He died, so there...it's done…everyone goes to Heaven. But I wasn't basing my beliefs upon anything except my own way of thinking. I never realized what the Bible said about salvation, because I'd never read it. Upon asking Jesus to come into my life, I made two decisions…One, I was going to be with Him forever, no matter what and two, I was going to believe whatever I read in the Bible, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. Pastor Barry once told me about the Bible…if plain sense makes sense, then seek no other sense; on the other hand, if it doesn't make sense, look further. In other words, if you read the Bible and something doesn't seem right, then do some research on the history and circumstances surrounding it. Each time I've done this, I've found the answers I've been looking for, and found that the Bible is a magnificent book of accuracy and encouragement. It's everything to all people. JH: Your last recording had a very special song on there called, “After Life, We'll Meet Again” that your dad wrote. Tell me about that song. CK: My dad passed away on February 25th, 2003 from complications of a major stroke. Myself, and my 3 other brothers, Roger, Kevin and Mark all went down to South Carolina for the funeral. It was a wonderful time. We were sad on one hand because Dad was gone, but happy on the other hand because the suffering was over and he was with Jesus. It was normal for the 4 brothers to see each other on holidays or special family gatherings, but rarely any other time were we all together. We had such a wonderful time remembering Dad and catching up, that we made a promise the night of the funeral, that we would make plans to all get together again soon. Well, it's true what they say, how you're never guaranteed your next breath, because just 28 days later, at the age of 42, my oldest brother Mark, died of a massive heart attack. My dad wrote a song years ago called "After Life, We'll Meet Again", and we sang the song at his funeral and it was played at Mark's funeral as well. It's a touching highlight on my first CD, "He's Living Today". JH: You recently just released a new hymns recording. CK: Yes, I have. Many people at our shows have asked for us to record songs such as “Amazing Grace”, “Old Rugged Cross”, “I'll Fly Away”, “This World is Not My Home”, and some others. So, I released a recording called “Classics and Favorites” in February 2005. JH: What do you have in the works currently? CK: My next recording will be released by year-end 2005. It will feature 10 or 11 songs written by myself or close family members. It will be the first project to reflect my own personal way of presenting of the Gospel. The recording is going to run the gamut with a little something for everyone. Some songs may thrill you, while others will be dark and foreboding. It will be all-Biblical, and it will all be very honest and sincere. Some of these songs were written during some of the most desperate times of my life, while others were written at the peak of my elation for Him. JH: Is there anything else you'd like to add? CK: I'd like to thank my Ministry Team, especially my parents, Donna and Roger Costa, because without them, I'd be nowhere. And ultimately I'd like to thank God, for all He's done for me, and for directing me down this challenging path of presenting the Gospel to people in a more simple and direct way. ************************************************ You can find out more about Chris Kibbe Ministries by visiting his website: www.chriskibbeministries.com . 
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Chris Kibbe
 Written: 05/31/2005  Author: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Category:
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Other than booking and doing the music arrangements, the only thing I do in the Ministry is present the gospel through song. I have a solid team of dedicated people to ensure that the job is done, and done extremely well. My Pastor, Barry Andrusik, is not only my Pastor, but also my best friend and mentor. He has guided me, as a Pastor should, and helped me immensely with several decisions regarding this ministry. He is also there to give me a swift kick when I need it. Just because I go out and sing about Jesus on the platform does not mean I'm without wrongs myself. I have a great deal of things, which challenge me on a daily basis, and I couldn't see having a Ministry without a Pastor for accountability. 
My parent's, Donna and Roger, are also a key element. My step-dad Roger is a skilled driver, especially for long distances that require attention to detail and utmost safety. With two children aboard, it's imperative that we have a driver that really pays attention to what he's doing. He's also a great helping hand with bringing equipment in and out, and helping with our product table. Without people like him, this Ministry wouldn't function properly. It's always nice to know that I can go and have a good sleep while on the road, with him behind the wheel. My mom is great with our product table. She is a breath of fresh air to a lot of folks, and wherever we go, people love her and want to take her home with them!
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