GOSPEL MUSIC PROFILES
The following article is found in the Spring 2002 issue of Gospel Music Profiles on page 11. For more information and how to subscribe to Gospel Music Profiles you may visit their website.
March Forth
Taking His Command to spread the Word of Salvation
On March 4th, 1999, lead singer Brian Rosenbaum, baritone, Dan Harmon, first tenor Doug Koch, and bass singer Bill Hamm got together where they met at a local church in Dillsburg, Pa. to pray and see where God ws leading them. After a couple of practices they performed a concert of special music on April Fool's weekend and performed their first concert on Mother's Day weekend.
"Brian thought we should come up with a name before our concert and thought that since we got together on March 4th that March Forth would be a great name," Doug Koch recalled. "We all sort of said 'no' and went on about our business. A week passed and it sort of grew on all of us. So now we take His command to March Forth and spread the Word of His salvation."
Today, the group includes Richard Hudson who joined the group in August of 2001.
The first and foremost goal for the music and ministry God has given March Forth is to reach as many unsaved souls as possible. "We praise God for everything that He has done with the ministry so far and look forward to what He has in store for the ministry in the future," Doug said. "No matter what we accomplish with this ministry, if it is done without Him it is futile. He has done more already than we ever imagined - from going to special music to almost a full-time schedule is amazing. We prayed the first year of ministry that we would have 12 concerts from May to December. We exceeded that before December and He continues to open doors. Sure, as many gospel groups desire, it would be nice to be traveling full time and only if He leads, but we are already in a full-time ministry with each and every person around us. As for the music, we give God the best we can. For us not to do our best, whether we are nursing a cold, not feeling well, or just down in the dumps, would do God an injustice. He's not asking us to be perfect, but to just do our best."
March Forth performs approximately 150 concerts per year and travels as much as God allows them to-mostly in northeastern United States with some trips to the central part of the country. "As to our performance, you can expect to laugh, cry, praise Him, and leave desiring to keep, renew, or even for the first time, seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Brian laces the songs together with words of thought and we move from an upbeat beginning to a sincere ending."
March Forth's projects include On a Journey; Marching Forth, which saw the addition of a fifth singer, Jim Springer; and their latest release entitled Standing On Holy Ground. "Our latest project is probably the one that is most typically southern gospel. With the addition of our new bass singer, and the retirement of Bill and Jim, it added a new style."
One of March Forth's most memorable events took place at a Salvation Army in East Stroudsburg, Pa. "Two Salvation Armies combined for the evening and the average age was probably 24 years and most of which was a contemporary aptitude, "Koch said. "Well, we figured and prayed on how to handle this and we started with some very upbeat songs and wound it down with some of what we call heart songs. Until the evening was over there were more people at the altar than in their seats. The altar was so full that it strung down the middle, both sides and the back of the auditorium. An elderly man came up to me as I made my way to the back of the auditorium. He was sobbing tears of joy as he came up to me and said that his wife made her way to the altar. It wasn't another two minutes and he came praising God again and said that his son, about 24 years old, had also made his way to the altar. Isn't this what it is all about?"
