Good ‘Ol Boy Gospel

“A Schism in Gospel Music,” by Chuck Philips (Nov. 24), barely scratches the surface of the rift in the Christian music industry.

It has been my experience, as one of the handful of black executives in Christian music, that the attitude toward black performers is nothing compared to the attitudes that black and white executives are experiencing.

At the beginning of this year, I and my two partners (who are both white, Irish Catholics) took over management of an established 15-year-old record company that specializes in white, middle-of-the-road and instrumental Christian music.

We have experienced attacks on our heritages and religion from several key figures in the Christian music industry. It has been our experience that the “good ‘ol boy” network of Christian executives makes the key decisions that determine which products warrant their “blessing.” If you weren’t lucky enough to be born white, Christian and from the South, then no amount of hard work, determination or faith will benefit you.

As part of an organization whose existence is rooted in the teachings of Christ, I am hard-pressed to find people in the industry who practice what they preach. I can only be ashamed at the self-serving attitudes that pervade an industry whose true goal is to bring all men together.

WILBERT L. EVANS JR.

President

Bread ‘N Honey Records

Van Nuys