Downswell Ministries’ Realignment now a tour
FROM THE roof of the JN Financial Centre, Haining Road, last Tuesday, Kevin Downswell Ministries gave a taste of the anticipated talents on display at the listening session for Realignment – The Live Encounter, and the launch of Realignment Chapter 2 – Restored. Following last year’s success of the concert, the ministry has expanded into a tour covering three locations across the island.
With widening the reach of the tour, the budget for the production has ballooned. During his presentation, Downswell said that they are only at the halfway mark. “We are grateful for those who are on board, but we’re still not halfway. So we are still open for sponsorship,” he said.
In addition to sponsorship, Kevin Downswell Ministries will be accepting donations for charity. This year’s beneficiaries will be Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland, and the Hanbury Home for Children in Manchester.
Downswell attended Ferris Primary before moving to Kingston, and he noted that the institution had prepared him so well that he skipped grade three. Hanbury Home is a refuge for boys and teenage girls. It also serves newborn babies, whose mothers are allowed to visit with them, to reclaim them after getting themselves back on their feet.
KFC has signed on to the charitable effort to transform one room of the school into the Chickie Reading Room, and Sangster’s Book Store is on board to donate books. Dunswell added, “We are gonna rebuild the whole feeding programme of the school. Some of the children will come to school and look to the principal – hungry, white squall, eyes red,” relating the current state.
GOSPEL POWERHOUSES
The listening session brought out gospel power-couple Tommy Cowan and Carlene Davis, alongside the newest recruit to the gospel scene, Minister Marion Hall.
The night invited the talents of the next generation of gospel powerhouses. The performance stage was opened by the most recent (last Sunday) winner of the JCDC Children’s Gospel Finals, Janay McLymont, singing a strongbellied rendition of The Battle Is Not Yours. Flavia Beswick, one of JCDC’s 2017 finalists, pulled out an acoustic guitar for part of her performance of Lover of My Soul. JCDC 2017 winner Shaughna Lee Steele also performed, followed by newcomer Jim Radical, who will be featured on all three legs of the tour.
The first leg of the tour takes place on June 15 at The Manning’s School in Savanna-laMar. It then moves on the Manchester High School the following day, with the final leg taking place on June 23 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Complex in Kingston. The lineup for this year’s Realignment concerts include Jonathan Nelson from the United States, Ashaala Shanae, DJ Nicholas, Rondell Positive, the top 10 JCDC Gospel finalists, and other upand-coming artistes.