There are certain times in your life when you realize that you're witnessing history.

Some of these times hit you after the fact. Two dates from 2001 that will be forever etched in my memory. One is September 11, the second....October 26. On this historical

Reaction from the Gospel Industry

The Reunion was attended by fans that included some of the industry's most well-known figures, we've gathered some comments by notables, included some supporting players who were on stage with Commissioned during the live recording. Click below. Gospel Industry Reaction to the Reunion

evening, we witnessed the Commissioned Reunion, the repercussions of which will be felt throughout the music world for a long time to come.

This was not just another live recording, it was truly history. On this night, we witnessed worlds coming together in fusion of the past with the present, both which shined the light on an extremely promising future.

The Commissioned Reunion saw so many things happen. Hard as it is to quantify it all, I'm going to try.

It was described by the group members themselves as a family reunion, an event that brought together the Commissioned family. Past and present members of Commissioned joined forces, yielding a simply awe-inspiring experience. The stage was simply amazing, as has been described elsewhere (Full Concert Report). What I'd like to do is try to describe some of the intangibles of the evening.

Unity
Anytime a reunion occurs, there are always general fears. Will everyone be able to co-exist and work together as a unit? After all, in this Commissioned reunion there were original members and newer additions to the family all present. Perhaps attitudes and issues would have permeated other reunions, but not for Commissioned. They were as unified as a family can be. One might say that they were "thick as thieves".

From the press conference to the performance to the final embrace, it was obvious that this group loved each other and loved what they do. As one member would sing lead vocals, you could see the other members egging them on. Marcus Cole and Marvin Sapp were like two brothers that hadn't seen each other in years and pushed each other to heights that probably even surprised themselves.

The unity was so great that there were two drummers playing separate sets simultaneously. Michael Williams, Commissioned's original drummer, and Marvin McQuitty, RFC's current drummer, played together like a well-oiled machine. You actually had to look to see that there were two seperate drummers in the midst.

This reunion saw Fred Hammond's extended family (RFC, MoHorns) unite with his original musical family (Commissioned) with joyful harmony. In a time of war, it was an awesome example of the beauty of unity within the industry.

Professionalism
Commissioned's hallmark has always been their level of professionalism. Having attended concerts from Commissioned and their alumni, they have the reputation of never starting a concert late. As it would hold true, the reunion concert began on time. In addition, they never had to stop to make an adjustment. The concert moved so smoothly that it was really easy to forget that a recording was occurring. That was ideal because the result was a genuine energy that can't ever be recreated.

Time Warp
Karl Reid, Commissioned vocalist, said it best at the Reunion press conference: "...music is associated with emotions and emotions are associated with music."

Those words rang so true as the group began each song, we were literally transported to a time where the song impacted a particular event in our lives. As I heard "Back in the Saddle", I remembered the day that I bought the "Ordinary Just Won't Do" album from a bookstore in Washington, DC. Each song carried a memory and reminded me of how much Commissioned impacted my life. On that night, I revisited high school, college, and even my wedding day last year all through the powerful music of Commissioned.

Reality
Of all of the things that moved me the most, it was the reality and the authenticity of Commissioned's feelings that touched a soft spot within me. At the press conference it was evident that Commissioned realized that history was happening. I was amazed at how each member of the group was a bundle of nerves prior to the concert, and said so. For the original members, it was the realization of the impact that they have had on a number of lives and returning to their first love. For the newer members, it was the sheer amazement of being a part of a group that they have respected and looked up to so much through the years.

Ministry
Ministry has always been the core of Commissioned. No matter who was in the group at the time, they always aimed to reach people. They had a unique ministry aimed towards men. Through their outstanding examples, they showed the world that men can come together, live godly lives, and take their roles in the kingdom as leaders. Commissioned showed men how to be men and showed women that men can still be men. They continued to display those qualities in their reunion.

Other Commissioned Reunion Features

Full Concert Report Related Interviews and Reviews Commissioned Reunion Digital Postcard Commissioned Discography A Musical Analysis of Commissioned Commissioned Tribute 1 Commissioned Tribute 2 Commissioned Tribute 3

Their songs were always written in a prolific manner, offering relevancy to life issues. This trait was innovative within the Gospel industry. After all, prior to Commissioned, most songs were "churchy" and often didn't address the issues that we faced daily. However, Commissioned addressed heartache, love, failures, and fears and offered solutions in those areas.

As we were transported in our time warp on October 26, we were ministered to all over again. Keith Staten said that we would see "grown men cry" that night and it was true. I watched as industry excecutives, artists, and members of the media were reduced to tears because of the awesome ministry of Commissioned. It was absolutely awesome.

Impact
The impact of this group has been felt all throughout the world as folks from England, Canada, and all over the U.S overcame airline fears and found their way to the Straight Gate Church for this amazing reunion. As lives were changed and inspired, the reunion has become the topic of conversation everywhere.

I sat in an airport on the way home after the reunion and had an amazing conversation with a middle-aged woman. As we talked about our reasons for being in Detroit, I shared the Commissioned Reunion with her. She was so inspired that she's going to buy the album in March of 2002. Keep in mind that prior to our conversation, she had never even heard of the group. However, because of the impact that they have had, they are still gaining new fans.

This group is responsible in part for the mere existence of Gospelflava.com. All of us here were inspired to do what we do because of the impact of Commissioned. To be able to cover the Reunion as a member of the media was a dream come true for all of us. We mentioned to ourselves a number of times that we could not believe that we were witnessing the Commissioned Reunion as it was happening. The line between being fans and being media became real blurry, because Commissioned impacted so strongly on lives. I'm sure that we're not the only entity that has been impacted or inspired by this amazing tandem.

The Future
What is the future of the group who has inspired musical entities from Boyz II Men and 112 to Brandy and seeded the beginnings of what we do here at Gospelflava.com? Well, in their own words, "we'll have to wait and see". The group will tour if the interest is there. Certainly, I couldn't see them not touring. However, if October 26 was the last time we'll see them in concert, I was honored to be a part of history. It was a night where all was right with the world again. Keith, Fred, Michael and Marvin were back. Marcus Cole fit in like an old member of the family. Karl and Mitchell, well they’ve been rock solid from the beginning and that hasn’t changed.

There was no war, no Taliban, no Bin Laden that night. There were no denominational or color barriers that night.

In March of 2002, you will have the opportunity to relive the night that changed my life and impacted the Gospel world in an unreal world. On that night, time stood still and all was right with the world.