Charles Billingsley

Discography

2000 Marks Of The Mission

1999 Between The Now And Then

(All releases on Pamplin Records)

Biography

We are the marks of the mission

We are the proof of all You've been through

The evidence of sin forgiven

All that we have we offer to You

We followed the call wherever it led us

It was worth every step of the way

We've come through the dark

Bearing the marks of the mission

From “Marks Of The Mission”

Charles Billingsley has known since he was a young boy that God was calling him into a very special ministry. He watched his father devote his entire life to pioneer evangelism, which placed Charles and his family in small town after small town, ministering where no churches existed. His father's heart and dedication to full-time evangelism was sure to leave a lasting impact on young Charles, who eventually grew into a man with a mission of his own.

Although his original intent was to become a preacher, it wasn't until a good friend prompted Charles to sing at a local church service that he first realized God might be moving in a different direction. It was no time at all until Charles was invited by other congregations and church organizations to sing at various services and events. Before he knew it, a ministry had been birthed through very little effort of his own. After graduating from Sanford University in Birmingham, Alabama, Charles began to actively pursue God's calling on his life. He soon found himself performing hundreds of concerts within a year's time.

"I finally realized that music was to be my own form of preaching," says Charles. "I knew how powerful music was, and that it could certainly be a strong evangelism tool. That's why it is so important to me to find songs that really communicate a message. I feel like God has given me a platform and I have to be faithful in using it to the best of my abilities."

With the release of Marks Of The Mission, Charles continues to build a loyal following of listeners who are moved by the powerful vocal dynamics of one of the most gifted voices in Christian music today. Marks Of The Mission is Charles's second release on the Pamplin Records label, and his signature style of inspirational crescendos mixed with pop-flavored rhythms creates a cohesive mix that is unique yet accessible.

Marks Of The Mission is the follow-up to Charles's 1999 Pamplin solo debut, Between The Now And Then, which produced the Top 10 singles "Can I See That Hand," "One Drop of Blood," and Trust In Me." Between The Now And Then was the first label project for Charles since his two-year tenure as a lead vocalist for the highly acclaimed vocal band NewSong.

Although Charles has continued to perform an average of 250 concerts a year over the past several years, his life changed dramatically with the January 2000 birth of his son Caleb. Charles and his wife, Shae, are overwhelmed by God's blessing through Caleb's arrival.

"We had lost a baby before, and it was a pretty traumatic experience for us," Charles shares. "I just began praying, and one night in a hotel room, the Lord told me we were going to have a baby. I didn't know if it would be a girl or boy, healthy or unhealthy—I just knew we were going to have a baby. And five months ago, we did. Caleb has changed our lives completely."

As Charles continues to expand his ministry, he still considers the church a large part of his mission. He explains, "I believe there's a huge evangelism field sitting in the pews every Sunday morning. I'm in a challenging position where I feel called to preach through music…but at the same time, I want to be able to entertain. There's certainly a balance you have to find. My goal as both an artist and a minister is to be able to somehow incorporate the elements of entertainment and worship into each concert."

In keeping true to his calling, Marks Of The Mission affords Charles the opportunity to offer listeners a stylistic tapestry of songs created with those specific goals in mind. The album's producer, Don Koch (4HIM), brought a huge element of musical expertise to the creative table, lending not only his own writing abilities but also searching out the "best of the best" in songwriting talent for this project. Writers including Dave Clark, Brian White, and Dave Moffet made major contributions to the album, while Charles himself shares co-writing credits on four of the album's cuts.

"Marks Of The Mission," the album's title song, is the project's first single and was co-written by Charles, Dave Clark, and Don Koch. "The idea for the song came from a sermon I heard one Sunday in a Birmingham church," Charles shares. "The pastor was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection, and he spoke of picturing Jesus walking down the streets of heaven, approaching the throne of grace with the nail scars in his hands—carrying the marks of the mission. I knew right then I had the song title. As we began to work on the song, it ended up exactly where I wanted it to go. The scars in His hands and the pierced side—those are the marks of His mission. But when Christ left this earth and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us, as believers, we are now the marks of the mission."

Other highlights on the album include "Freed," a beautiful statement of the power of Christ's saving grace; the worshipful "Settle Me Now," which encourages believers to wait on the Lord; and the fun, upbeat "Left of Nowhere." A special addition to Marks Of The Mission is the inclusion of "Finish Strong," a first-time collaboration between Charles and Dove Award-winning vocal trio Phillips, Craig & Dean.

"I'm more excited about this project than I have ever been about any other project before," says Charles. "These are songs I am so proud of, and I just pray that God will use them to speak to the heart of each person who hears. I am so blessed to be able to be used in a way that really brings me so much joy. My vision is to continue to be completely honoring to Him."