The choirs and singers of Faith Hope and Love Church, Calvary Community Church and other churches of the African American Pastors Alliance will present a Gospel Extravaganza this Sunday.

“The event is a celebration of Black History Month, that’s what it is,” Faith, Hope and Love Church Pastor Mike Harris said. “A celebration of our history, a celebration of who we are, what we’ve done, what we’ve accomplished as a culture and it’s an opportunity for us to sing and enjoy ourselves and fellowship together.”

The Gospel Extravaganza will be held at Faith Hope and Love Church, 11401 State Highway 7 in Elizabethtown at 4 p.m. Sunday

Harris’ late wife Secenia and the African American Pastors Alliance started the Gospel Extravaganza in 2006, only going on a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said they wanted something from their church where all of the local African American churches could come together, sing and enjoy the Lord together.

“… the two years that we did it at the church, my wife was in a wheelchair so she couldn’t really do a lot. But she was the inspiration, we’ll continue that at least until I’m not the pastor there anymore and they can do what they want then,” Harris said. “But I do that as a respect and giving her the dignity that she deserves, so that’s why I do it.”

Churches that usually participate in the extravaganza include Calvary Community Church, Dayspring Church of God Apostolic, Second Baptist Church, Golden Harvest Community Church, Faith Ministries and Abundant Harvest Ministries. Calvary Community Church pastor Frank Griffin said the service usually begins with prayer.

The pastor from each church will announce their choir before they perform one or two songs. The Community Choir, made up of choir members from different churches, will also perform.

“Actually out of this extravaganza, this choir, I think we formulated the Community Choir,” Griffin said. “So before the Community Choir was formulated, we had this gospel concert once a year in Black History Month and then from that kind of decided to pull the Community Choir together. And the choirs enjoy it, Calvary definitely enjoys it.”

Most of the music featured during the service is traditional African American church music, though there are a few modern selections, Harris said. Griffin described the music as gospel and contemporary Christian songs. Attendance for the service has varied from year to year, but it usually brings more than 200 people to Faith, Hope and Love.

“It was packed last year,” Harris said. “We had to get chairs out for people, so it was big last year and a good crowd.”

Harris said anyone who wants to enjoy the Lord and learn about the Black experience, Black American history and how music ties into it is welcome to come. Both he and Griffin said that as the African American community doesn’t get to see each other as a group that often, it’s also a great time for everyone to get together.

“Even though it’s a small community, people are busy so this allows us to fellowship, to see one another, to enjoy the music from different churches and to praise God,” Griffin said. “That’s probably our number one objective is to give God praise.”