Chicago Youth Leader Cherry Fondren Revisits Choir Hit

In a world besieged by senseless gun violence in the inner city, the perils of wars being fought in Ukraine and Israel, an ongoing migrant crisis, and persistent COVID resurgences coupled with homelessness and food insecurities facing our youth and the elderly, God’s people can find hope and reassurance in the promise of God’s restoration found in 2 Chronicles 7:14,  Chicago based youth leader and music minister Cherry Fondren gathered her family together to deliver a word of encouragement via God Said He Would Heal The Land, a new adaptation of the song recorded by the late Reverend Clay Evans and the Fellowship Baptist Church Choir with a timely message made relevant by the issues people are facing today.

“To say that we are living in perilous and even more unpredictable times is an understatement”, Fondren states.  “Scripture is being fulfilled in front of our very eyes every day, but we don’t live as those without hope. Although we live in times of desperation, God called us and equipped us with the Bible as our guide to seek Him, and He promised to heal our land.  I felt compelled to revisit this song, and I called on my sons, who are very involved in the music industry, and a few others to help me deliver this message. The Lord smiled on us with great favor, and this endeavor is now a reality.”

An educator, mentor, youth influencer, and music minister by profession, Ms. Cherry, as she is affectionately known, continues her lifelong passion for making a difference in the lives of underprivileged and at-risk youth as the executive director of Ascended Life Outreach for Teens (ALOT), a non for profit organization she organized in Chicago almost two decades ago.  “Working with young people gave me a real insight into the situations they encounter.  We have to invest in the future of our young people”, McMorris says.  “I am here today because someone thought enough of me to give me a chance, to challenge my creativity, and point me in the right direction.  Our youth are exposed to so much these days with the drug culture and the prevalence of violence in the streets and in our homes.  They need a safe space that encourages learning and inspires their creativity.  The youth and arts programs of days before are long gone.  We need a serious intervention, and we need to stop waiting around for someone else to do it when God calls us to do it.  The proceeds from the sale of this song will go to support our outreach programs as well as our mission work internationally.

Heal The Land is available on all digital outlets and streaming platforms on October 20th.