First lady of contemporary Christian music to sing in concert
Nancy Honeytree, called the first lady of contemporary Christian music, will appear in concert at Abundant Life Church in Uniontown on Saturday at 7 p.m. Honeytree became known through the Jesus Movement that swept the nation during the 1960s and 1970s. She has worked ever since, continuing to write music and play concerts.
“She was the pioneer of early Christian music along with Keith Green and Phil Keagy,’ said Todd Reagan of Connellsville, who is a friend to Honeytree and responsible for bringing her to Uniontown this weekend. “They began contemporary Christian music when there really wasn’t such a thing.’
Honeytree previously appeared in the area at New Life Covenant Church in Markleysburg.
A native of Iowa, Honeytree joined the Jesus Movement in 1970 just as the nation was also taking notice of this religious movement, which began in California during the late 1960s. She grew up as Nancy Henningbaum – her stage name was created from translating her German last name into English. After graduating high school, Honeytree visited her sister, who was in college in Fort Wayne, Ind. Here she met some Christians who were referred to as Jesus People.
“From my viewpoint, the Jesus Movement was about hippies getting saved,’ Honeytree said in a 2003 interview. “It was a revival about young people coming to Christ. Many had used drugs and protested the war. Some of us were musicians. When we became Christians, our influences were secular influences.’
Honeytree moved to Fort Wayne in fall 1970 and began working in a coffeehouse called The Adam’s Apple, where she played guitar and sang folk music. She opened concerts and Bible studies and started writing songs.
In 1974, the Myrrh record label released Honeytree’s first, self-titled album. She has been singing and recording music ever since, releasing songs such as “Clean Before the Lord’ and “Searchlight’ in the early days that audiences still enjoy today.
After the Jesus Movement subsided, Honeytree began a singles ministry in the 1980s when she released albums called “Single Heart’ and “Every Single Day.’
Honeytree married in 1990 when she was 38, and she and her husband, John Richard Miller, lost a son in 1995 who died a few hours after his birth. A few months later, they adopted a son, William.
Today, Honeytree is branching out to other cultures. She writes in Spanish as well as English and is doing concerts in Latin America as well as nations such as Pakistan.
Reagan said she is releasing an album within the next month that’s written in Urdu, the language spoken in Pakistan.
“The interesting thing she is doing now is Fishnetters, which is a ministry that sends her out to do ministry and music all over the world,’ said Reagan. “She’s gone to Pakistan several times. …She travels to Sri Lanka and knows personally many people and pastors in Christian music who were directly affected by the tsunami. She’s gathering funds because there’s such a need. The results have been wonderful. She’ll have a lot to say about that and her new album.’
Abundant Life Church is located at 1239 Brownfield Road, off Morgantown Road and Hopwood-Fairchance Road. The concert is free, but an offering will be taken. For more information, call the church at 724-425-9700.