Now and then, it takes a friendly reminder to look to the Lord during times of trouble.

Such is the message of Roy Hope, gospel concert and artist, who will join United Methodist Church in Brownsdale for a service at 9 a.m. Sept. 16. Hope, a native of Sinai, S.D., leads a recording and singing ministry that combines hymns, contemporary gospel songs and a measure of county western flavor.

“My greatest purpose is to be an encourager,” Hope said in a release. “Everybody has problems and they are seeking help.”

Hope has travelled to Brownsdale to perform at United Methodist once before, said Pastor Sharon Goetzinger. His last visit was in September 2010, shortly after Goetzinger started at the church.

“They do a wonderful job,” she said.

Last time Hope came to perform, Goetzinger said his reception among the congregation was high. Many wished they would have brought friends and family along for it.

“Oh, my sister should have been here. Oh, my neighbors should have been here,” she recalled attendees saying.

Goetzinger is hoping to curb that feeling of regret by getting more advertising out before the concert this month. The downside of that first visit was the church didn’t get the word out enough, she said, meaning some people who would have come missed out.

During the concert, two of Hope’s granddaughters, teenagers Cassidy and Lauren, will join him. The pair recently released their first recording, “Free to Be Me,” which expresses their joy in the Lord.

Goetzinger will start and end the day’s service with announcements, but will otherwise allow Hope to run the show.

“It’s wonderful to worship with them,” she said.

Hope has performed over 200 concerts a year since 1971, touring through the United States, Norway and the western provinces of Canada.

“I try to be realistic and practical in my music by sharing a part of my life to help point people to the Lord for guidance,” he said.

Hope began his full-time singing ministry after working with Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures organization, according to a release. There he arranged film premiers. He later attended the Billy Graham Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam.

Hope now lives with his wife in Sinai, where he grew up. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren in Minneapolis.

The concert is free and open to the public. A freewill offering separate from the church’s collection will be available for Hope Ministries to help cover the cost of gas and other expenses. Copies of Hope’s latest recording, “Goin’ Home,” will be there as well.

 

Roy Hope

What: Gospel performance during Sunday service
When: 9 a.m. Sept. 16
Where: United Methodist Church in Brownsdale