Reverend Bill Johnson and the entire church family will welcome the Forgiven Quartet to First Christian Church of Great Bend at 10:20 a.m. Sunday. First Christian Church is located at 5230 Broadway.
Forgiven Quartet has been spreading the good news of Jesus Christ through songs and testimonies since July 1981. They have performed all across middle America with an emphasis on the smooth harmonies exemplifying southern gospel music.
Current members of the group are Mark Brooke (tenor) from Bartlesville, Okla. who attends First Baptist Church; Mark Green (lead) from Owasso, Okla. who attends Central Baptist Church; Ryan Bilby (baritone) from Sapulpa, Okla. who attends Fellowship Free Will Baptist Church, and Stanley Johnson (bass) from Enid, Okla. who attends First Church of the Nazarene. Band members include David Buckingham, bass player and Rick Carpitcher, pianist.
The Forgiven Quartet is one of the most highly respected and highly requested regional southern gospel quartets in the nation, presenting more than 140 concerts per year typically in a 16-state area.
They have released 14 gospel recordings in the past 11 years.  Their singles include, “God’s Gonna It Again,” “Where The Battle Is Won,” and “But For A Cross.”
“God has truly honored our corporate prayer of 1 Chronicles 4:10 we’ve been praying over this ministry the past eight years,” Green said. “Just as He did for Jabez, God has provided outstanding ministry opportunities and allowed us the privilege of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with so many wonderful people! We give God all the glory! Our ministry is truly a labor of love!”
The group has appeared in concert with many of the top names in gospel music including The Mark Trammell Quartet, Legacy Five, The Cathedrals, JD Sumner and the Stamps, The Florida Boys, The Nelons, The Lesters, and Albert E. Brumley Jr.
In 2002, Forgiven Quartet was asked to be part of the South Texas Music Festival in Harlingen, Texas as the feature southern gospel quartet for the event.
They were selected as Grand Champions in the group competition at The Branson Gospel Music Association’s “Showdown 2002” Talent Contest in Branson, Mo.
The group routinely performs at Silver Dollar City and at The Mansion Theater in Branson, Mo. and has recently signed an exclusive artist agreement with The Song Garden Music Group in Nashville, Tenn. as a Garden Creek Label Artist and made a main stage appearance at the 2010 National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kent.
“I’m very impressed with their vocal capabilities and their incredible blend,” said Marty Funderburk, Daywind producer from Nashville. “Even more impressive than this however, is their commitment to ministry and to preserving the rich heritage of southern gospel music. These are Christian gentlemen of the highest order; obviously committed to spiritual and musical excellence. You can see it in their live performances and you can hear it in their recordings.”