Channing Eleton - Stay At the Foot of the Cross

Channing Eleton - Stay At the Foot of the Cross

I had the privilege of speaking with Channing Eleton this month. Channing is a humble man that loves the Lord and has a burning desire to get the gospel message out to a lost dying world.

The style of the album is different that your stereotypical southern gospel recording. The cover art too is different, it doesn’t fit the mold of the dressed up, over sharpened touched up photos that grace so many CD covers today. The idea was Channing’s. The photographer had gone to an antique store and bought an old hymnal then tore out pages and hung them on a clothes line. The photographer came up with the idea to create a sort of venue, out in the woods with the hymn pages as a backdrop and chairs set around kind of like a performance. According to Channing, “I don’t know if people will get that, some people do, some come up with their own ideas about it. I like to leave a little mystery there let people come up with their own interpretation of things.”

The title Summer Rains Have Gone is a line from the song Harvest on the CD. The message behind that is “where we are in this whole thing.” says Channing. In the bible Jesus talks about the harvest being great and the workers are few. “Summing up where we are in this life. I feel that we’re living in the last days. Summer rains are gone, meaning we’re living right in the middle of the harvest.”

The whole song Harvest talks about that very thing. The story behind that song and how Channing came to write it, in April of 2008 the family was heading down to Florida for vacation. As they were heading south through Alabama, on a long stretch of highway there were a number of farms and the fields were wheat fields. “When you think of a wheat field you think of this golden field ready for the harvest, ripe for the harvest but these fields were rich and lush and green.” Not what comes to mind when you talk about a wheat field. Channing continues, “my mind went forward to about August, September or October; that field would be alive with the hustle and bustle of activity as the farmers are gathering the wheat before winter. I’m pretty sure they’re going to need all the help they can get. I began to think about where Jesus talked about the harvest being great and the workers are few.” When He said go into all the world and preach the gospel He was talking to all of us because “we preach a sermon every day when we’re out on our job. That person at the office across from us is looking at us seeing how we live our lives, how we live out our faith. We may be the only Bible they ever read.” Folks around us may have never heard a sermon, never heard a gospel song but “we’re planting a seed through our lives the way we’re living as a believer in Jesus. It’s preaching a sermon in front of our friends.” That song, according to Channing is kind of a challenge to all of us, He wasn’t just talking to the pastors when He said go into all the world and preach the gospel, He was talking to all of us.

Six of the ten songs were written by Channing. “The whole reason behind this solo ministry, most people know me as a quartet man because of my years with Poet Voices and my years with Gold City.” Channing has been a “closet songwriter” as he puts it always having his journal at hand to write down ideas or songs. It’s something he has always loved. He has wanted to share them at some point when he was found without a group Channing started getting invites to come and do concerts or to come and lead worship at different churches. He would always pull out one or two of the songs that he had written and people would come and ask for those songs. None of them had been recorded and he was wondering what to do with these songs. “I could pitch them to other groups, have them record them, but I thought these songs are personal, they’re reflections of my life I think I need to share them because I have so much I need to communicate, so much that I need to share. So I set out a few years ago and started to record this project.”

“People know me as a quartet pianist and folks now see this whole other side of me and it’s a little harder to accept once folks know you as a certain thing.” So now comes this slow process of folks finding out about this whole other side of Channing that he loves and wants to share with everyone. “Piano is a big part of me and it will never not be a part of me.”

Channing released a single about a year ago, Up On This Ridge, “it started taking off, people liked what they heard and people would share stories that it is very different and they like that. I’m not trying to radically be different, I’m just being me, it’s just me.”

Channing is focused on ministry and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and planting the seed. Channing won’t do a concert if he can’t lead into an invitation, “man we’re wasting our time if we’re doing something else.”

Channing is not a flashy singer, he is not showy, Channing has the style of voice that you can just set back and listen to. You can relax to his music and let the message and the spirit fill you.

Doors are opening and getting busier for Channing, with the opportunity to shoot a concept video for the single Up On This Ridge. Because of this video he received an invitation from a country station in Atlanta. The biggest country DJ in Atlanta, who is a Christian has a hymn every morning at 6:30 drive time. The hymn is usually one that has been recorded by a country artist. Someone sent the DJ a link to Channing’s video asking him to play it for his morning drive time hymn. He contacted Channing and asked him to come to the studio and do an interview and a couple of his songs live. Here is a gospel artist on a syndicated radio program throughout the south singing these songs to a primarily secular audience. From that introductory opportunity Channing has been invited back to be a regular on the show. This was in answer to a prayer to be “given opportunities to be in front of people who are un-churched, who are lost and who never give you any thought. The very next week that guy was contacting me.”

Channing is “really excited and it looks like the coming year is going to be even busier and I’m just loving it.” What’s up ahead for Channing? “I would just like to get in front of more people. My ministry is about people hearing the gospel. Music is a vehicle it’s a means to an end.” Music is what breaks down barriers, tears down walls so you can minister to folks. “People come out to hear groups perform or come to hear me and they don’t realize that they’re going to hear the gospel and a seed will be planted.”

Days is the next single to be released and has a powerful message. There are groups that start out ministry minded and focused on the gospel but the cares of going full time or their dreams of wanting to be on a certain stage take over and they begin working for the bus or toward winning awards so that their priorities or focus shift. The chorus says “One of these days it won’t matter all the nights I worked late or how high I climbed that ladder on the way to my big break. Those that love me are waiting in the wings as I work for the things that will pass away.” Channing says, “I’m not anti-following your dreams or anti being successful. I try very much every day to be successful in my goals and pursuits. What I’m talking about is having a good balance, being accountable not only to your family but to God.” Channing continues “Keeping your priorities in line #1 keep God first and foremost in your family, in your marriage and in your ministry.” All other things will fall into line. It’s a difficult thing to keep a good balance it’s a fine line that you walk in ministry.

Channing asked that I please be sure and tell y’all that he loves to stay in touch with everyone on Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook you can find him at http://www.facebook.com/channingeleton and on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/channingeleton he loves to keep up with folks on a daily basis. Also get over to his website and check out his video for Up On This Ridge – http://channingeleton.com/2011/09/up-on-this-ridge-official-music-video/

In closing, Channing told me the best advice that he ever received was from an old preacher, “Son, you stay at the foot of the cross. You keep your family at the foot of the cross. As you head out in to ministry the enemy will paint a big bulls-eye on you and he will try to destroy you, he will try to destroy your integrity, try to destroy your ministry and try to destroy your family. It’s very important, stay at the foot of the cross.” If we keep the cross as our focus, we will succeed.

For more information on Channing Eleton, visit http://www.channingeletonmusic.com.