Lake Region Conference mass choir debuted at the 80th anniversary celebration on Sept. 13, 2025. Various worship leaders united across five states, including Michiana's Ramona Minisee pictured here directing the "Prelude to Worship." [Katie Fellows]
Debbie Michel
September 24, 2025On Sabbath morning, nearly 70 voices stood shoulder to shoulder in the cavernous pavilion. Dressed in coordinated hues of red, white, and black, they belted out familiar songs such as “Faithful is Our God,” “Oh, It is Jesus,” “I Will Give Thanks,” and “Watch, Ye Saints.” The sound swelled to the rafters as the singers from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota experienced, for the first time, what it meant to sing as one.
![President Garth Gabriel's love of music influenced the decision to organize a multi-state choir. [Katie Fellows]](/build/image/15252.jpg?or=360&crop=%2C%2C%2C&w=480&h=480&s=1c2652f971cbd9f9379e86ba2f6b4e29)
A President’s Vision
For Lake Region President Garth Gabriel, music is more than a hobby—it is his second love. From 1973 to 1978, he sang bass with the Heritage Singers, and in his travels around the region as president he says he has heard “the best music and the best singers from different areas.”
He says he was impressed by God to bring together the most talented group of musicians, since he believed, “We have some of the best in Lake Region”
When the committee formed and singers began to be recruited, Gabriel was grateful for what he saw unfolding. “It was amazing how it worked,” he said. “The band sent out songs, people practiced, and even with just one rehearsal before the big day, I had a feeling this was going to work. What I heard was music from a lot of spiritually endowed people who are serious about the Lord.”
The sense of divine presence came through loud and clear in the testimonies that followed. “The biggest feedback I got,” said Enida Gabriel, chair of the mass choir committee, “was how excited people were to sing with others they had never sung with before. It was beautiful to see it all come together.”
How it Came Together
To make Gabriel’s idea a reality, a planning committee formed with representatives from each region: Enida Gabriel, Lyndsey Bryant, Zelda Solomon, and Ian Curly from Motor City; Enid Williams from Chicagoland; Avanel Dorant and Curtis Dominique Jr. from Illiana; and Ramona Minisee, Michael Gayle and LaShawne Suggs from Michiana.
For ten weeks, the group met online. Because the committee spanned generations, song selection reflected both traditional and contemporary worship. “I reminded them that we have all kinds of worshippers in the audience,” Minisee, an active member of the Niles Philadelphia church, said. “We need music that everyone can identify with, not just what we personally like. To their credit, they listened.”
Challenges of rehearsals
Rehearsals began in August, colliding with end-of-summer busyness—vacations, back-to-school prep, and full calendars. Most areas managed only two or three local practices.
In Chicagoland, where schedules allowed only one in-person rehearsal, Williams, a member of the Independence Blvd. church, leaned heavily on technology. “We literally taught songs via text message—sending YouTube links for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses,” she said.
One of the most difficult pieces was the anthem “I Will Give Thanks.” For many, it was their first time encountering an anthem—far more complex than a hymn and requiring familiarity with musical notes. “For our singers, this was stretching,” said Williams. “But I saw people whispering, ‘Follow this line, listen to me—we can do this together.’ That willingness to help one another is what made it possible.”
The climactic rehearsal and nerves
The first full-choir rehearsal didn’t happen until Friday evening at Camp Wagner. “We were all nervous because, you know, we wanted our area to be on point,” Minisee admitted. “We didn’t want the director, when they stood up, to say, ‘You guys are singing it wrong.’”
But the nervousness gave way to awe.. “What you heard had to be only the angels singing through conduits that were on the stage, because God knew our heart,” Minisee said. “He knew how hard we had worked.”
One man, who had attended camp meeting for 55 years, testified afterward that it was his first time ever on stage at Camp Wagner. “He said singing in the choir was such a blessing for him,” Minisee relayed. “He always thought the pavilion was such a huge place, but standing there singing, he realized it wasn’t so big after all.”
Reflection and future
Looking back, choir members knew their performance was not just the result of practice and planning.
“God knew our hearts, and He saw us through,” Minisee reflected. “What the people heard that Sabbath morning was nothing short of heaven lending its voice to ours.”
For Minisee, the project was both exhausting and rewarding. “I told the young people, in 10 years I’ll be 80. I don’t plan to do this again, so I’m teaching you how to carry it forward for the 90th celebration,” she said, laughing.
Williams agreed, noting the importance of passing the baton: “Seeing younger adults step up gave me hope. They’re ready to lead.”
As the final notes faded, the choir’s achievement was clear: this was more than a performance. It was a more than a recognition of Lake Region’s past, but also its bright future.
Debbie Michel is editor of the Lake Union Herald.
WATCH THEIR PERFORMANCE HERE.
