By Helen Lenox
Staff Writer
Archived from May 2010
On stage, there were dreadlocks to up-do’s, and skin from the deepest ebony to the fairest white. The thing that remained constant was the joyful noise that came forth from the mouths of the diverse “New Nation.”
Begun with a prayer and introduction led by Katie Morgan and Brian Miracle, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)-sponsored gathering got underway on time on March 1. Beginning with a stand up, hand-clapping upbeat song by New Nation, led by Founder and Worship Leader, Cary Steward, the audience got moving.
The audience, equally diverse as the band, could not help but be on their feet; some with arms raised high and eyes closed. There were the occasional ‘hallelujah,’ ‘amen,’ and ‘sing it brother (or sister).’ Even the less than enthusiastic looking audience members could not stop themselves from swaying to the beats produced.
New Nation was founded by Cary Steward, while a student at Carson-Newman. A May 2009 graduate who is married and the father of two, Cary stated that he began New Nation because he and other students “had a vision.” He advised that he had not always been walking the “right path,” and founded the group as a way to “give back and share his excitement.”
While there were seven members on stage that night, Cary stated that New Nation actually has a couple of dozen members, with each group of about 7-8 students traveling to different venues to perform. “That way,” Cary said, “people take turns taking time from school without missing too much.” Carson-Newman administrators and faculty are extremely supportive Cary stated.
While occasionally off pitch, at TWC that night, the keyboards were superbly played by Antonio Gomez, with former quarterback Alex Good deftly handling the drums. Rachel Jefferson and Missy Terrell lent their throaty altos in beautiful contrast to the ethereal soprano voice of Afia Owusu-baafi.
At the end of their program, New Nation’s founder, Cary Steward stated “you don’t need to be bound by your past, but move forward forgiven.” The spiritually-charged, testimonial song “You Make All Things New” followed. The performance was a truly uplifting event.
