Youth for Christ Choir Cracks Billboard Top Ten

The Grammy-nominated, Youth for Christ Choir is making strides with the title-song from their third CD, The Struggle is Over (Emtro Records). Written by Baltimore’s own Jonathan Nelson (who penned Donald Lawrence’s Stellar award winning "I’m Healed" tune) and Justin Lee Savage, the congregational ballad (featuring lead vocals from both Nelson and singer Troy Sneed) has taken gospel radio by storm.

The project was recorded live at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. "I feel like this will be the biggest YFC project ever," says Sneed who assembled the 350-voice youth choir from a regional talent search that spanned three states—Maryland, Washington, DC and Delaware. As executive producer and mentor, Sneed worked tirelessly with the group to perfect the talented voices to the electrifying result displayed on the resulting product.

"With each YFC project, we go into the local communities and recruit young people ages 8-25 for our choir," explains Sneed, who conjured up this concept in 1999 and recorded the choir’s first CD with kids in Atlanta, GA and the second CD with youth in Jacksonville, FL.

Sneed sees Youth for Christ not just as a choir, but also as a movement of reconciliation. "One of the exciting things God has done with YFC is allow us to break racial and denominational walls," he says of its ability to bring together kids from different races and denominations (including Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Non-Denominational). Sneed continues, "I’m very happy and excited about what God is allowing to happen with this life-changing movement, Youth for Christ."