CANADIAN-BASED RECORDING ARTIST STEVE BELL WILL HEADLINE BENEFIT CONCERT IN WHEATON FRIDAY NIGHT

Top Canadian-based recording artist Steve Bell will give a benefit concert at Gary United Methodist Church, located at 224 North Main Street in Wheaton, IL, on Friday, June 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The concert--which will also feature traditional Native American music--will be held in conjunction with the three-day Symposium on Indigenous Mission and Theology that kicks off tomorrow at Wheaton College. Proceeds from the concert will help support the work of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS).

NAIITS is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to encouraging the Native North American community to develop and articulate their own perspectives on theology and practice. The organization aims at accomplishing this goal by encouraging mentored theological and biblical research; developing writing and study programs which address missional, theological, and biblical issues from the perspective of Indigenous Christians; and working cooperatively with Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners such as institutions of higher learning, mission societies, and others committed to realizing the leadership potential of Indigenous people in the United States and Canada.

Symposium attendees and event coordinators alike are thrilled that Bell signed on to be the featured performer for this concert. “Steve Bell is an award-winning composer, musician and recording artist who has played sold-out venues with the likes of The Toronto Symphony Orchestra. It’s a pity he’s not as well known here as he is in Canada!” says Dr. Gene Green, a professor who works in Wheaton College’s Biblical and Theological Studies Department and is a member of the planning committee for the event. “The Native American musicians in the program will be a special bonus; the evening’s going to be truly unique.”

Since 1989, Steve Bell has performed more than 1500 concerts to over a half million people in 15 countries around the world, including the United States, Ireland, India, the Philippines, and Ethiopia. During his career, Bell—who began playing guitar when he was eight years old—has released 15 solo CDs and received several music industry awards including two Juno Awards, Canada’s equivalent of the United States’ Grammy Award.

You can purchase tickets for the concert when the doors to the church open at 6:30 p.m. the evening of the concert. For more information about the event, please call at (630) 668-3100.