This is my same experience with their music and my own deconstruction. This rerelease and the story behind it is pulling at my soul in such an intense way.
Thank you for your honesty and for your being there for Michael. When I moved to live full time as who I've always been (a transwoman) I had to come out to so many people and as a result lost almost my entire friendship base. (My best friend of 30 years stayed around, and one close confidante from a former job, but everyone else either stopped talking to me and blocked me on socials or told me I was going to hell, that there was no way I could love Jesus and be a transwoman, that I will never find a woman who will love me because I'm a disgusting freak and will die alone, etc. A cascading wall of intolerance and hate.
Having been around CCM when everything went down with Michael, I remember the stories and rumors which were fed from record company staff, promotion people, etc. It's like the reveled in the chance to tear down someone who was an "abomination" (yes, that word was used.) All of that never set well with me, but I was never in a position to make any kind of difference. Ended up being fired from a CCM radio gig for having the audacity to have sin in my life. The whole time I walked that lonely dirt road alone being exiled from all things "Christian" I really kept wondering how they thought exile, exclusion and isolation some how would make me become "perfect."
Anyway, thank you again for what you're doing for Michael and other folks in the LGBTQ community.
(And on a side note, yes, we met back in the day when you were on radio tours. I remember you always having a kind spirit.)
This is huge, Melissa. Really a BIG deal! Thank you for loving and supporting Michael and Ty all our amazing LGBTQ+ siblings so beautifully. We who grew up in Gospel music, CCM, hyper evangelical PK world … well, we know what we know and we know what we’ve seen and heard. I thank God for our beautiful gay daughter [our firstborn] and her lovely wife and their beautiful life together. I am thankful for better theology, a heightened self-awareness, and a more glorious understanding of the love of God. And of course, I thank God for close personal friends who have walked me through my own journey out of toxic Bible Belt evangelicalism. I am so glad for Michael and for Ty and I pray huge blessings as you all TESTIFY to this beautiful love story. I believe our best days as Christ following people are yet to come! 💜
I cried listening to this new version on my drive to worship team this morning. And then I showed it to one of my best friends, a fellow queer person, as we practiced our set. Taking back this song for REAL is so healing, thank you for the work put in to make it happen. And for being a fierce ally.
I woke up on this Sunday morning to find a link to your Substack article on Instagram. I got teary-eyed as I discovered you and Michael’s story.
The Universe presents answers in its own way. Last week, after a conversation with my brother about the old Christian music we listened to as kids, I turned on a couple Avalon songs and internally wondered if anyone from this group was LGBTQIA like myself. This morning, I received my answer. My heart is so full to see deconstructed victims of Christian persecution finding their own healing. Thank you for sharing this story with the world. ❤️
Most of the time when I see artists I liked in different times, I'm end up more disappointed. This made me cry the best tears. I know words in these songs are often more aspirational than not, and that's fair. But seeing this song being lived more truly now? That's just incredible. Thank you.
Oh, my goodness. This is heart wrenching but the honesty and vulnerability you’re showing is so beautiful.
I used to play that song every morning as a Morning Show co-host at New Life 91.9 in Charlotte back in the early 2000’s. I have since done the same as you, Melissa! I walked away from a fear-based religion and now happily reside in the freedom and joy of a love centered faith.
I now host a podcast where I share journeys just like yours and would be so honored if you’d be a guest! It’s called Honoring the Journey. This is a journey that should be shared as often as possible. Please let me know if you’d be willing to be a guest! ❤️❤️ Sending you love!
I let Michael know , and I wanted you to know my sister Nicole and I were big fans of Avalon and testify to love , inside the walls of a religious cult getting sexually abused Nicole and I would sing from the roof top the song Testify to love.
Nicole ended her life 2 yrs ago after 12 yrs of service with the Boston police dept.
I came across the new release for testify to love and I cried , I guess this was Nicole’s way of telling me I needed this song.
I sang this song at 12 years old, alongside two of my childhood friends, dressed in white at our “crowning ceremony”, after having completed the missionettes stars program at our AG church. I’ve spent the last 5-10 years deconstructing and obviously view that experience through a different lens now. It stirs something deep within my soul to see Jesus followers who have come out of fundamentalist evangelical spaces reclaiming the music that shaped us as children, teens, and young adults. Thank you for this ❤️🩹
I might be the outlier. I am a Christian, a small group leader, and even chose to be re-baptized last summer.
I loved this song when I was growing up. So much. I forgot about it. And now it just all comes rushing back.
News of this release showed up in my Instagram feed and I went down a Google search journey to the GLAAD article, to your Instagram page, and then finally here. I listened to the song 3+ times, sent the article to my parents and other friends.
Every fiber of my being tells me Jesus would weep too. From the story you’ve shared to the lyrics and music now — at this time, in this moment of our lives — we are called to Testify to Love.
This Substack is terrible and deeply flawed. Everyone should check out Allie Beth Stuckey’s dismantling all of the flawed arguments coming from Melissa, who openly rejects scripture and church history, on YouTube and Podcasts. Christian history does not affirm same sex behavior and relationships. This has been consistent among denominations for centuries. The apostles did not affirm same sex relations and neither did their disciples. There is a reason orthodox Christians, Catholics, and Protestants have not affirmed same sex relations for centuries. God’s word is not a democracy. Humans can’t change God’s commandments on sexual immortality. Melissa refuses to acknowledge what her critics say. She fails to recognize that not all sexual activity and relations are the same. It is not “love” to affirm what is sinful activity. She also is now retroactively trying to rewrite history by claiming a Christian song from the 90s was pro “queer” when anyone around that time period knows that is not the case.
Just a little truth to add to your comment. The original writers of the song testify to Love have come out and FULLY support what we did. Ha. So the original intent ACTUALLY stands.
I have loved this song ever since I first heard Wynonna Judd sing it on Touched by an Angel in the 1990’s. As someone who has also done some faith deconstruction and who is a proud ally, I am deeply moved to learn this story and to see you and your friends and fellow musicians re-release this powerful anthem for a new generation.
Thank you for this. As a queer woman raised in the church, I sometimes go back to some of these songs that were such an integral part of my youth and can’t help but feel like there is more there than just nostalgia. Despite my having left the church years ago (with no regrets), there has always been a deep conviction that these songs are still for me. They always were.
I can’t wait to play Testify for my 4 year old on the drive to preschool today. She’s gonna love it.
As a kid who grew up on your music and loved testify to love then later deconstructed I can’t tell you how much this post meant to me.
This is my same experience with their music and my own deconstruction. This rerelease and the story behind it is pulling at my soul in such an intense way.
Thank you for your honesty and for your being there for Michael. When I moved to live full time as who I've always been (a transwoman) I had to come out to so many people and as a result lost almost my entire friendship base. (My best friend of 30 years stayed around, and one close confidante from a former job, but everyone else either stopped talking to me and blocked me on socials or told me I was going to hell, that there was no way I could love Jesus and be a transwoman, that I will never find a woman who will love me because I'm a disgusting freak and will die alone, etc. A cascading wall of intolerance and hate.
Having been around CCM when everything went down with Michael, I remember the stories and rumors which were fed from record company staff, promotion people, etc. It's like the reveled in the chance to tear down someone who was an "abomination" (yes, that word was used.) All of that never set well with me, but I was never in a position to make any kind of difference. Ended up being fired from a CCM radio gig for having the audacity to have sin in my life. The whole time I walked that lonely dirt road alone being exiled from all things "Christian" I really kept wondering how they thought exile, exclusion and isolation some how would make me become "perfect."
Anyway, thank you again for what you're doing for Michael and other folks in the LGBTQ community.
(And on a side note, yes, we met back in the day when you were on radio tours. I remember you always having a kind spirit.)
Thank you for honoring me with a bit of your story and for this encouragement. Sending love to you.
This is huge, Melissa. Really a BIG deal! Thank you for loving and supporting Michael and Ty all our amazing LGBTQ+ siblings so beautifully. We who grew up in Gospel music, CCM, hyper evangelical PK world … well, we know what we know and we know what we’ve seen and heard. I thank God for our beautiful gay daughter [our firstborn] and her lovely wife and their beautiful life together. I am thankful for better theology, a heightened self-awareness, and a more glorious understanding of the love of God. And of course, I thank God for close personal friends who have walked me through my own journey out of toxic Bible Belt evangelicalism. I am so glad for Michael and for Ty and I pray huge blessings as you all TESTIFY to this beautiful love story. I believe our best days as Christ following people are yet to come! 💜
It’s never a bad time to right a wrong. Love this.
I’m so excited to hear one of my favorite songs gets a glow-up! Thank you for being all that you are in the world, my friend. 🫶
I cried listening to this new version on my drive to worship team this morning. And then I showed it to one of my best friends, a fellow queer person, as we practiced our set. Taking back this song for REAL is so healing, thank you for the work put in to make it happen. And for being a fierce ally.
I woke up on this Sunday morning to find a link to your Substack article on Instagram. I got teary-eyed as I discovered you and Michael’s story.
The Universe presents answers in its own way. Last week, after a conversation with my brother about the old Christian music we listened to as kids, I turned on a couple Avalon songs and internally wondered if anyone from this group was LGBTQIA like myself. This morning, I received my answer. My heart is so full to see deconstructed victims of Christian persecution finding their own healing. Thank you for sharing this story with the world. ❤️
Most of the time when I see artists I liked in different times, I'm end up more disappointed. This made me cry the best tears. I know words in these songs are often more aspirational than not, and that's fair. But seeing this song being lived more truly now? That's just incredible. Thank you.
Oh, my goodness. This is heart wrenching but the honesty and vulnerability you’re showing is so beautiful.
I used to play that song every morning as a Morning Show co-host at New Life 91.9 in Charlotte back in the early 2000’s. I have since done the same as you, Melissa! I walked away from a fear-based religion and now happily reside in the freedom and joy of a love centered faith.
I now host a podcast where I share journeys just like yours and would be so honored if you’d be a guest! It’s called Honoring the Journey. This is a journey that should be shared as often as possible. Please let me know if you’d be willing to be a guest! ❤️❤️ Sending you love!
I let Michael know , and I wanted you to know my sister Nicole and I were big fans of Avalon and testify to love , inside the walls of a religious cult getting sexually abused Nicole and I would sing from the roof top the song Testify to love.
Nicole ended her life 2 yrs ago after 12 yrs of service with the Boston police dept.
I came across the new release for testify to love and I cried , I guess this was Nicole’s way of telling me I needed this song.
Thank you for releasing this song again
#SheMattered
I sang this song at 12 years old, alongside two of my childhood friends, dressed in white at our “crowning ceremony”, after having completed the missionettes stars program at our AG church. I’ve spent the last 5-10 years deconstructing and obviously view that experience through a different lens now. It stirs something deep within my soul to see Jesus followers who have come out of fundamentalist evangelical spaces reclaiming the music that shaped us as children, teens, and young adults. Thank you for this ❤️🩹
I wept. I’m so deeply moved. 🥹
I might be the outlier. I am a Christian, a small group leader, and even chose to be re-baptized last summer.
I loved this song when I was growing up. So much. I forgot about it. And now it just all comes rushing back.
News of this release showed up in my Instagram feed and I went down a Google search journey to the GLAAD article, to your Instagram page, and then finally here. I listened to the song 3+ times, sent the article to my parents and other friends.
Every fiber of my being tells me Jesus would weep too. From the story you’ve shared to the lyrics and music now — at this time, in this moment of our lives — we are called to Testify to Love.
Oh my goodness, I'm so moved by this. Love is for everyone!
This Substack is terrible and deeply flawed. Everyone should check out Allie Beth Stuckey’s dismantling all of the flawed arguments coming from Melissa, who openly rejects scripture and church history, on YouTube and Podcasts. Christian history does not affirm same sex behavior and relationships. This has been consistent among denominations for centuries. The apostles did not affirm same sex relations and neither did their disciples. There is a reason orthodox Christians, Catholics, and Protestants have not affirmed same sex relations for centuries. God’s word is not a democracy. Humans can’t change God’s commandments on sexual immortality. Melissa refuses to acknowledge what her critics say. She fails to recognize that not all sexual activity and relations are the same. It is not “love” to affirm what is sinful activity. She also is now retroactively trying to rewrite history by claiming a Christian song from the 90s was pro “queer” when anyone around that time period knows that is not the case.
Just a little truth to add to your comment. The original writers of the song testify to Love have come out and FULLY support what we did. Ha. So the original intent ACTUALLY stands.
Boooooooo
sad comment. May you feel the real love of Jesus .....
I have loved this song ever since I first heard Wynonna Judd sing it on Touched by an Angel in the 1990’s. As someone who has also done some faith deconstruction and who is a proud ally, I am deeply moved to learn this story and to see you and your friends and fellow musicians re-release this powerful anthem for a new generation.
Thank you for this. As a queer woman raised in the church, I sometimes go back to some of these songs that were such an integral part of my youth and can’t help but feel like there is more there than just nostalgia. Despite my having left the church years ago (with no regrets), there has always been a deep conviction that these songs are still for me. They always were.
I can’t wait to play Testify for my 4 year old on the drive to preschool today. She’s gonna love it.