The RenewaNation Review 2020 The Collingsworth Family Special Edition | Page 13

By Dr. Kimberly Pennington
The Collingsworth Family’s initial appearances were at
churches already familiar to them. “Most were churches we
had been to previously,” Phil said. The group also released
its first album in 2000, which spread their music beyond live
concert appearances.
Crowds grew, and invitations came from larger church-
es. By 2005, the group caught the attention of Gloria
Gaither, who invited them to perform at an event for her
bookstore, Gaither Resources. This led to regular appear-
ances at Gaither concerts across the U.S. and Canada and
on Gaither Homecoming videos. Wayne Haun became the
group’s producer. Sales of their music products increased
rapidly, and live performance videos became standard fare.
Requests poured in for appearances at multi-group music
festivals across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and the U.S.
Department of Defense invited them to do a Christmas tour
in Kosovo in 2003.
The Collingsworth Family has now been represented for
several years by booking agents in Nashville and by Haun’s
record label, StowTown Records. The group’s social media
reach has expanded rapidly in recent years resulting in
young families regularly attending their concerts. In 2019,
the Collingsworths made appearances at The National Day
of Prayer opening banquet in Washington, D.C. and at the
White House during a Christmas event for federal employ-
ees and their families.
For Phil and Kim, God and family have always come
before ministry. For years, they have prayerfully consid-
ered which performance invitations to accept, intentionally
controlling the tour schedule to allow time for them, their
children, and grandchildren to rest at home and pursue
skills and interests in areas other than music.
Having been raised in a family where his mother followed
the Lord while his father did not, Phil learned about the
important role fathers have in their children’s lives. “Fathers
should spend every minute they can with their children,
being genuinely interested in what the kids are interested
in,” he said. “That time with them will pay off dividends
you cannot fathom while it’s happening. It creates in them
a sense of self-worth like nothing else can in a child, and
it gives them a healthy mindset as to the character of their
Heavenly Father.”
“When raising children, you only get one chance at it.
When fulfilling God’s calling on your life, you only get one
life to fulfill it,” Kim says. “How to manage all of this and do
it well is the age-old question only God knows the answer to.
That’s why we desperately need His wisdom.”
As Phil and Kim now watch their young adult children
raise families of their own, they remain committed to seek-
ing God’s will for their personal lives and for the ministry.
“When it’s all said and done, The Collingsworth Family has
some exciting plans for the future, but in the end, it is the
Lord who directs our steps,” Kim said. “There could always
be a change of plans from His perspective, and I’m totally
okay with that. I trust Him. I’m just along for the ride, and
what a ride it is!” ■
Kimberly Pennington is the Director of Music Promotion for StowTown Records and IMC
Concerts and also a freelance writer who resides in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a Ph.D.
in Christian Ethics and Philosophy of Religion from Southwestern Baptist Theological Semi-
nary and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute. She has previously served in
Christian higher education and on church staff in women’s and children’s ministry.
“WHEN RAISING CHILDREN, YOU
ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT IT.
WHEN FULFILLING GOD’S CALLING
ON YOUR LIFE, YOU ONLY GET
ONE LIFE TO FULFILL IT.”