Psalm 98 boldly commands readers to “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth!”

With their newest gospel album, “He Is,” Central Baptist Church Choir of Dunn seeks to do exactly that. Together with friends and other artists, the CBC has recorded an album of original songs and a few classics to delight their fans and those who may be new to their music.

Released on Jan. 6, the album is a “dream project” of Central Baptist Church’s Worship Pastor Darren Hughes. Featuring acts such as The Mylon Hayes Family, Soul’d Out, Suzanne Hise, The Ben Rochester Family, Roy Harris, and the Nelons — a personal favorite of Hughes —“He Is” is a labor of love years in the making.

“It took some time and persistence to get them all involved, but all of them were very accommodating and kind to be part of this,” Hughes shared with Up & Coming Weekly.
According to the church’s official website: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is available for anyone at any age.” This record is a “reflection of our intentionally multigenerational church allowing kids, millennials, grandparents, and anyone in between to worship God.”

A beloved mainstay of the region, the Central Baptist Choir, which boasts over 100 voices, has been stomping feet and clapping hands since the mid-1980s, continuing the powerful tradition of downhome southern gospel music.

While Hughes admits it’s a large undertaking to guide a choir of such size together in harmony each week, he feels incredibly rewarded when “people are engaged in singing to and worshipping our God.”
Hughes, who’s been the Worship Pastor for CBC for the past six years, also wrote three of the albums’ songs (“Come Expecting,” “The Way, The Truth, The Life” and “Choose Jesus”) and is excited to see his work and that of his peers come to life through the production process and potentially influence people’s lives.

In addition to the album’s original titles, songs such as “I’ve Never Been Sorry” and “The Great Physician” are sure to ring a bell for some. In a nod to the generational diversity within the CBC, listeners will even be treated to an appearance by the children’s choir on one of the tracks.

For some, the album’s enigmatic title might be puzzling, but its ambiguity isn’t an accident. While “He Is” is a complete statement, the unfinished declarative leaves room for Him to be whatever is needed.

“The album is called ‘He Is’ which may initially sound incomplete, but the reality is — He is everything good and holy,” Hughes said. "He fills any need any of us has, and the album just scratches the surface of all He is.”

The album is available to download in its entirety on Amazon and iTunes, and the CBC’s music can be found on popular streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube. The next single, “The Way, The Truth, The Life” featuring Soul’d Out, began streaming in January.

Physical copies of the album are available for purchase on the church’s website at https://cbcdunn.com/music/.