Published: October 20, 1998
NEW KIRK FRANKLIN ALBUM WILL HELP NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES' BENEFIT FUND TO REBUILD BURNED CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES
"Lean On
Me" Track Features Franklin, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly,
Bono, Crystal
Lewis and The Family
Kirk
Franklin, Gospo Centric, and Interscope Records announced today that they
will contribute a total amount of $250,000 to the Burned Churches Fund
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA in anticipation
of the profits from Kirk Franklin's The Nu Nation Proiect set for
release September 29, 1998. Highlighting the album is a new song, "Lean
On Me," written and produced by Franklin, which features him performing
with Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Bono, Crystal Lewis, and his group, The
Family.
"This song will get the message of the Gospel to those people who have been turned off by this type of message in the past," states Kirk. "I was raised in the church. It is important that we support the churches and synagogues that have been burned or defaced. I couldn't help but help. Those churches are part of me." The Nu Nation Project will not only celebrate hope and compassion, it will help provide funds to restore houses of worship where hope and compassion are preached every day.
Said Dr. Joan Campbell, General Secretary of the NCCC's Burned Churches Fund, "By the end of 1998 the council will have assisted in the restoration of 156 burned churches. Sadly, however, churches are still being burned. We know. of at least 20 churches at the present moment which are trying to figure out how to rebuild. We will not be able to assist many burned churches and synagogues due to a lack of resources. Your kind offer comes at a most opportune moment."
Added Vicki Mack Lataillade, President of Gospo Centric: "We're reaching people with our message and at the same time Kirk and his fans together are helping to restore houses of worship when they buy the album. It's all about putting our message into action and doing the right thing."
As a Grammy-award winning artist, as well as musical mentor and producer, Franklin has achieved unprecedented success. Aside from producing and appearing on the self-titled 1997 album from God's Property, with sales of more than two million units (the biggest selling gospel album in history), his albums, both solo and with his group The Family, have been both critical and commercial hits, selling more than one million albums each. Kirk's artistry and faith have helped destroy the barriers between gospel, Christian, hip hop and rap music, while calling disenchanted kids to consider a new life in God.
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