Tauren Wells calls for unity at Dove Awards
The unity he asked for isn't held up by applause: it shows when no one is recording.
Tauren Wells called for unity, and he did it on the red carpet of the 57th GMA Dove Awards, on October 6 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. That's how he told it to The Christian Post.
The theme of the night was "Together For One," based on Colossians 3:14. Wells, an eight-time Dove Award winner and host for the fourth consecutive year, explained that the idea is to set differences aside and recognize that there is something that matters more. "The Church's testimony to the world is unity. They will know us by our love for one another," he told the outlet (Sígueme translation).
His phrase doesn't need a stage. That unity isn't signed by a trophy or produced by a photo-op collaboration: it's held up by Christ and the truth the church confesses.
«That unity isn't signed by a trophy or produced by a photo-op collaboration»
What was repeated on the carpet
Matthew West, nominated for his song "No Fear," told The Christian Post that the Christian music community works best when it thinks of itself as a community and not as competition, and that gifts are given back to the one who gave them. For him, the theme points to a single goal: proclaiming Jesus to a wounded world.
Seph Schlueter added that the genre's wider reach opens doors for the gospel, but he asked not to let go of the center: only Jesus changes lives. Josh Baldwin spoke of different styles and backgrounds united by a shared mission.
Nobody argued with the theme. The hard part is living it on Monday, when the artist you don't click with drops a new release and your first reaction isn't to pray for him.
The private leaks into the public
Mr. TalkBox, a member of TobyMac's Diverse City band, played with him again after more than a decade. He also took part in Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" and said that exposure has helped him talk about God with people who never set foot in a church.
His warning was direct: who you are in private spills into the public, and no makeup can cover it. Instead of obsessing over career details, he recommended preparing, praying, writing and leaving the rest in God's hands.
The theme of the night came from a letter Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae: "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:14, ESV).
The Christian Post reported that the ceremony debuted a community impact award and that the first honoree was God Behind Bars, a ministry that brings churches and discipleship to prisons in the United States. That is unity when no one is watching.
Watch it thinking about your own church
The ceremony airs Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (US Eastern time) on TBN and the TBN+ app, and also on SiriusXM The Message. You can watch it and get moved by the production. The test of "Together For One" isn't on the stage.
This week, pick someone from another church, another style or another generation and do something concrete with that person: invite them for coffee, pray with them, serve together in something. The unity Wells asked for isn't held up by applause, and it only shows when no one is recording. Does it show in your youth group?
