Dale Sechrest performs at a past National Day of Prayer service.
The Republic file photo
He has played for everything from National Day of Prayer gatherings, church services, Good Friday gatherings, mainstream concerts, you name it.
But at the heart of the matter, singer-songwriter Dale Sechrest is an exuberant Christian aiming to unify believers of every denomination in passionate worship. Most recently, that has taken the form of a series of what he and his Peace Band have labeled Nights of Praise at locales as varied as Hamilton Center Ice Arena to The Commons.
He and the group — lead guitarist Mark Neafus, bass guitarist Mark Fisher, drummer Tony Garrison and soundman Brian Smith — return to the upper level of The Commons at 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus for an hourlong interdenominational celebration open to all at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 2. Wife Juli will handle the slides of projected lyrics.
“I have a really great team,” Sechrest said.
Assembling in everyday places familiar to people is part of the idea of meeting people where they are both practically and spiritually, as Sechrest sees it.
“My heart’s desire is that people see and hear not me, but that they would feel a connection with God, and that the music would minister to them, not just that day but throughout their journey,” Sechrest said. “When we enter into a time of praise and worship, Scripture says that we are in his presence.
“And in his presence is joy, peace, healing, restoration, deliverance, and I could go on and on. My hope and prayer is that this music can stick with people” after they leave.
Sechrest readily acknowledged that the last praise session in The Commons upper lobby attracted a rather sparse crowd. But he was especially fascinated with one aspect of the location.
“There were people who would just happen to wander in downstairs and they would then linger and listen,” he said.
One visitor was a homeless man who found encouragement — and also hope for a possible place to stay from an audience member linked to the local social service network.
The Rev. Andy Kilps, pastor of Hope Moravian Church where Sechrest leads Sunday morning worship, has seen how Sechrest can impact people’s praise.
“I don’t know of another person in the greater Columbus region who is better than Dale in leading a Spirit-filled and authentic worship service for Christians of all backgrounds,” Kilps said.
Plenty of people in the area music community know Sechrest’s voice as one with a deep enough timbre to convincingly sing classic folk-pop from artists such as Harry Chapin, which he has done — and with enough of a contemporary sound to easily make the latest worship anthem his own. He does precisely that regularly in Hope and also at services at Columbus’ Sandy Hook United Methodist, where he also leads worship.
He first tried this style of praise events as far back as 2007 during lunchtime at the original Commons downtown.
“That always went over pretty well,” he said.
His overall history at that structure stretches back to his first acoustic set concert ever in 1977 as an 18-year-old. But he humorously also recalled other hometown musical experiences that same year, including a bluegrass jam session with now-longtime upright bass player Andy Saurer — in the Taco Bell parking lot.
Ideally, in the future, he also would like to have an arts coffeehouse-style space for area artists presenting music, poetry, dance, whatever. For now, though, he’s focused on praise-oriented sessions at a mix of locales on the first Sunday of each month.
“The idea is to simply reach the hurt, the broken, the discouraged, or those who may be disconnected from church,” Sechrest said. “I know there are a lot of people who have walked away from church.”
Coming up
What: Interdenominational Night of Praise with Dale Sechrest and the Peace Band.
When: 6 to 7 p.m. July 2 as part of gatherings the first Sunday of every month.
Where: The Commons second floor, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
How to support space rental costs for the gatherings: On the Venmo app: @Dale-Sechrest
