Illinois – Mitch's Muse

Andre Lester Mobley
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Andre Lester Mobley, 46, a founding member of the platinum selling-ensemble, Shekinah Glory Ministry, passed away on Aug. 2 from blood clot complications.

“There are heavy hearts in Shekinah Glory Ministry and the Kingdom Records family today, “ says Kingdom Records President Joan Sullivan in a news release. “Another soldier gone.” This tragic death comes just weeks after another veteran member of the group, Pepe Epting, died in June. One longtime friend wrote on Facebook that Mobley was, “A man of a gentle, quiet and humble spirit.”

Mobley joined Valley Kingdom Ministries (the church home of Shekinah Glory Ministry and Kingdom Records) on April 5, 1992, when he played the organ during the 8 a.m. service. He played on three of Shekinah Glory Ministry’s hit recordings, including “Praise Is What I Do”, “Live” and “Jesus”. He did not play on the group’s forthcoming CD, “Surrender”, that was recorded live at Valley Kingdom in April and will be released nationally on Sept. 25. Mobley’s survivors include two children, Andrea and Avery.

Mobley’s viewing took place today at Callahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL. The funeral service takes place, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, at Valley Kingdom Ministries International, 1102 East 154th St., South Holland, IL 60473. The wake begins at 10 a.m. with the homegoing service starting at 11 a.m.

“I’m just a wonderful person who loves God and people,” Mobley once posted on his Facebook page. “If you don’t know me, I’m probably someone you would want to know.”

For more information on Shekinah Glory Ministry, go to http://www.sgmsurrender.com.

A dozen years in, the Chicago-based ensemble known as Shekinah Glory Ministry (SGM) continues to dominate and set the standard for urban praise and worship music. They’ve made chants such as “Praise is What I Do” and “Jesus” universally known tunes that choirs around the globe sing every Sunday morning. With five RIAA gold and platinum record and video certifications behind them, this coterie of psalmists, minstrels and banner-wavers are poised to strike gold again with their fourth original CD, Surrender (Kingdom Records), scheduled for a September 25, 2012, release.

Recorded this past April at its home church, Valley Kingdom Ministry International near Chicago, SGM delivered another set of soul-stirring original songs that kept the capacity audience on its feet most of the night with hands lifted towards the heavens in praise. The closing tune, “Surrender”, summed up the evening’s theme. SGM’s leader, Phil Tarver, with a heartfelt plea, prayed openly for God to break his spirit and give him a contrite heart prior to launching into the majestic declaration. “Lord, break me again until the tears pour out”, he whispered into his microphone. “Tonight the Lord says don’t throw in the white towel but wave the white flag,” he challenged the congregation as he implored it to look up and, “tell Him [God] I surrender to your purpose, to your plan, to your way.”

The 13 tracks all deal with some variation of concession to God’s will whether by turning one’s trials and tribulations over to Him on the up-tempo, Afro-Cuban seasoned “By Faith” or yielding to a call to worship on the dance-flavored, “Come On”. Aside from Tarver who leads three songs, there are several new SGM voices such as Brandon Alsberry, Joan Olander, Monique Miller, Jason Robinson and Danielle Nightingale Cargo who leads the new radio single, “Champion.”

Kingdom Records is a leader in African-American praise and worship music with hits such as Shekinah Glory Ministry’s 2001 breakthrough smash, “Praise is What I Do”. The million-selling SGM is not a choir. Instead, it’s a dynamic ensemble of psalmists, minstrels, and banner bearers who perform “under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Their Hebrew name means “the glorified presence of God.” Their CDs Praise Is What I Do (No. 5 peak Top Gospel Albums) and Shekinah Glory Ministry Live (No. 3 peak Top Gospel Albums – 103 weeks on the chart) were both certified gold in 2005 and 2008 respectively. They also have three gold or platinum DVDs to their credit and their 2010 CD, Refreshed By Fire, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. For information, go to www.kingdomrecordsinc.com.