Reverend sings praises at church, on CD

Friday, May 4, 2001 | 8:46 a.m.

Ever have an experience so profoundly moving that you wished you could have bottled it and shared it with others?

Michael Lowery has.

The 32-year-old pastor of the Berean Christian Fellowship of Las Vegas was so moved by the enthusiasm of his congregation and the spiritual inspiration that arose during his services that he wanted to find a way for people to "take the service home with them."

The result: "Well Watered Worship," an uplifting live recording of gospel-style hymns sung by Lowery and members of his congregation.

The lyrics and melodies of the Biblical- and spiritually based songs were created during the church's worship services.

"The Lord would just inspire music on the spot," Lowery said. "Over the past three years we collected a catalogue of tunes. Our biggest challenge was to duplicate what we had done (in services)."

The other challenge Lowery faced was forming a chorus of singers from both the Berean Christian Fellowship of Las Vegas and the Berean Christian Fellowship of San Francisco, which Lowery attended while living in San Francisco.

Lowery taught the music to the California group separately, and last May members from both congregations sang together in Las Vegas for the first time to record the CD in one live session. Lowery said he plans to take the singers this summer on a 15-city tour to promote the CD. Proceeds will go toward building a sanctuary for the local Berean Christian Fellowship.

The spiritually based nondenominational church operates out of Centennial High School on Centennial Parkway, but has purchased land on North Martin Luther King Boulevard and is aiming to have a sanctuary built by the end of next year.

"I have a lot of vision," Lowery said. "I've just begun the race. Everything else was just warm-up ... the whole world has got to hear this."

For Lowery, sharing his faith is nothing new. At age 7, while living in New Haven, Conn., he would sit during church services with his Bible open, following along with his pastor word for word, often completing his sentences.

At age 13 he wrote his first book, "The Trouble with John Lumley," a metaphorical story of a monk facing adversity. Twenty copies were made and placed in school libraries in Connecticut, he said.

The following year he began ministering at youth revivals and other religious settings.

"Wherever there was a word being taught, preached, that's where I went," Lowery said, adding that he was called by God to preach the gospel at an early age. "I always wanted to minister. It was always a part of me."

Lowery and his family moved to Las Vegas in 1988. In 1998 he formed the Berean Christian Fellowship of Las Vegas.

Although he grew up around music (in churches and among his family, a group of gospel singers with whom he recorded a demo tape in 1988), Lowery says he has had no musical training.

"Well Watered Worship" is available at local Christian bookstores.

"Once you hear one song, it will be ... contagious," Lowery said.