The ministry team at GracePointe Church in Meridian will host “Carman Live in Concert” on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

“We are so excited, and quite frankly, amazed that GracePointe will be privileged to host, ‘CARMAN Live in Concert,” said Randall Sims, pastor of GracePointe Church.” “I, personally, have enthusiastically followed Carman’s ministry since the mid-’80s.” Having attended several of his large concerts over the years, I know that lives being changed and new relationships being formed with Jesus are the norm for Carman’s concerts. And, if even one life is changed for the better, all the planning and preparation will be well worth it.”

About:

Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, throngs of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening. Admission was usually free, a simple offering taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings.

And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. In fact, Carman holds the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. If you take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallica, you’ll see that, as the newspapers noted, the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132. This is more than just an A-list artist – this man is a Cultural Phenomenon.

Among the greatest of Carman’s contributions to Christianity at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century is his bringing back a full force, worship revival – not just through song and music but also through dance and drama. Carman’s presentations, done with excellence to large audiences, revolutionized the arts and Christian music. Carman has brought much-needed encouragement to the arts in the church through the introduction of both male and female dancers, drama, and simultaneous video and live presentations on stage to unusually large audiences. From Madison Square Garden to national television, Carman’s delivery and style were truthful, bold, and uncompromising presentations of the gospel.

Today Carman has developed an original concept for ministry to a new generation called “Carman: For Real-For Now” which he is currently touring.

No matter what Carman does, it will be different, never seen before, and unusually original. This is exactly what we’d expect from a musical icon. It goes without saying that still, to this day Carman defies description and definition and remains a cultural phenomenon – a true American original.