I accepted Christ in my senior year in high school. It was Christmas
1976. I went to my Cousin Steve Carter’s concert to hear his
band “Triad”. I was the only one who stood up in the entire place when
the offer was given to accept Jesus as my personal savior. Sadly it
didn't last too long. Peer pressure (wrong crowd), lack of Christian
fellowship and being a musician with my focus on becoming famous, it
was only about 6 months and I was done. What I had found somehow had
gotten clouded and I slid back into my old ways, only now I was
heading into a worse storm. When your house is cleaned, you are
required to keep it clean, if not the very spirits and junk that you
were delivered from come back looking to regain their territory, and
if that’s not bad enough, they bring with them 7 worse spirits than
themselves, so the state of that house or person is worse than before.
I can attest to that fact, I was worse than before and ventured into
drugs more than I had ever done in the past.
By age 21 I hit rock bottom. It’s sad when someone at age 21 no longer
wants to live.
“Jesus re-enters the picture (even though he was always there)”.
October 31, 1979 I was invited to a Bible study. I went and decided to
re-dedicate my life to Jesus. (This was not my doing, God had it all
planned out and was just waiting to spring it on me). Also, this is a
very short version skipping the drug scene and miracles that took
place bringing me back to the cross.
I was then invited to go to church with some of my friends. I sat in
the back row of this 1,100-seater. The power of God hit me and
literally knocked me to the floor. Mind you, no one was touching me
but God Himself.
At the time, I had a chronic smoking habit -- I was still addicted to
pot and cocaine. As God's presence filled my body, I was forced to the
floor into a ball and I couldn't move. I shook for 30+ minutes. When
it was all over, I was completely delivered from drugs, and I no
longer had a spirit of depression on me. It has been 24 years this
November since that deliverance. I have never been the same since;
and, I am even more on fire than I was then.
It was prophesied over me that I was an evangelist. Ringing true, I
went to the streets, rest homes, taught children, and preached
everywhere I went. I witnessed through music. (A special event was
going to happen, and I was to be a part of it). I shared Christ all
the time.
I witnessed to a rock band for the length of a year, all driven in my
spirit by the Lord and His motivating my heart. At the end of that
year of witnessing to this band, God spoke to my spirit that He wanted
an answer from that band, "they are for Me, or they are against Me,
choose this day who you will serve". So I went to deliver the message,
as in times before; but this was even more serious. I told this band
that they were a great band and that people would come to their shows
and think "what a great band", but after the show, they would go away
the same as they came, and they would be just another band. I said, if
you dedicate your lives to Jesus, people will still come and
think "what a great band" but they will leave changed because the
Holy Spirit will touch their lives through your music. I said that’s
what
God will do with your band if you serve Him.
So I then proceeded to tell them what God had told me to share with
them, "You are for Me, or you are against Me, choose this day who you
will serve". They knelt down in their garage and prayed and asked
Jesus into their hearts, and rededicated their lives to Jesus. They
then changed their name from Roxx Regime to "Stryper".
2 years later they asked me to tour with them as their keyboardist,
but my real job was their (Stryper’s) on-site evangelist. I was able
to reach 100's of thousands of kids while I was touring with them. I
toured with them 1985-1986 and then left the road to stay home and
raise my family.
After Stryper, I have been in youth ministry since 1986; I have been
involved in worship since 1979; I was Ordained into the ministry as an
evangelist in 1991; I have a B.A. in Theology; I am an event speaker;
youth camp speaker, and I have been in youth ministry since 1986 along
with my wife Evie.
Evie and I served for 1 year as youth pastors under Leon Patillo
(former lead singer for Santana). We did this until Pastor Leon
relocated the church to another state.
My Wife Evie and I have been married 23 years (as of Oct. 17th 2003)
and our children are now grown and passionate for God. They too are
making their mark in this world for Christ.
Our Covering is Jesus Christ.
Our Spiritual Father is Evangelist Jack Willis of "The Rock of
Roseville", Roseville California.
Our home church covering is "Harvest Chapel", Upland California, under
pastor Dan and Sylvia Pergrin.
Evie and I were Licensed as Evangelists with full privileges in 1991.
I was ordained by Southern California Community Bible College of
Norwalk, California in 2000 when I received my B.A. in Theology.
Evie and I were together ordained (again) in 2001, by Pastor Leon
Patillo of the "Rock House" ( and Leon was ordained by Pastor Chuck
Smith).
Evie and I continue to IMPACT everywhere we go with the message of
Jesus Christ.
That in brief, is my testimony.
26 years later, as I look back now, Jesus changed a drug-filled loser
and gave me hope in Him, and I have never been the same. I am more
radical than I was November 1979. And rather than just building up my
ministry, I have the opportunity to help build the ministries and
lives of many. Isn't God cool!
Blessings
Kenny Metcalf
8-29-05
