All THE GLORY BELONGS TO JESUS

     “I believe that most of our service for God we may never see the results.” – Michael Gardner

     Michael Gardner is a solo artist from Tallmadge, Ohio. You will certainly enjoy his smooth voice and encouraging spirit as he ministers in song.

     As a gospel singer, he has shared the Gospel in many places to provide encouragement for pastors and to promote their ministry.

     Michael was saved at 11 years old. Music was in his blood; his grandmother as a piano player, was one great influence in his life another was a song director. He fell in love with southern gospel music. He attended Kent Baptist temple at the time. The Cathedrals just braking away from the Cathedral of Tomorrow came to the church and sang.  The church had Sunday afternoon sings from 2 to 4 pm once a month. Groups like the Calvary Men, Privite Family, Wagner Family, Gospel Tones, Tony Brothers and many others. Through these concerts and listening to the groups, his love for southern gospel music grew.

     Michael shares, “On one afternoon, I got a call from a young man. He told me; you probably don’t remember me. I’m calling to thank you for leading me to Jesus Christ, when you were my youth leader.  For several years, I had not taken my salvation seriously.” The call continued, “I wanted you to know that I have completed bible college and am taking my first church”.

     Michael says that he loves singing the gospel and see its power. He had the opportunity to sing for a new church. Arriving early, he walked across the street to get a snack. He entered a hardware store and met the owner. He invited him to come to the Saturday evening service for a time of singing. The owner came over to see what was happening and stayed for the service. At the end of the service he accepted Christ as Savior. On a later visit to the church the hardware store owner wrote a song and asked him if he would write music and sing it for him. Michael did and recorded it on an album. The store owner later became a deacon and gave his business to his son then went to bible school and pastored several churches.

     Michael has helped several local churches by leading music or singing when they had lost their pastor or song leader. He enjoys holding services in nursing care facilities. Many residents still remember the old hymns and sing with him smiling and enjoying some precious memories.
His then Pastor Frank Neal, loved singing. He encouraged having all the youth join the choir. He would call out your names on a Sunday night and say “here is the special music for tonight”.  About that time, Michael started piano lessons around 12 years old and was blessed by his youth director with some sheet music for him to play. “Sheltered in the arms of God” was his first southern gospel song.

      Michael finished high school June 1969. In that year, three kids in the youth group asked him to join them to sing, mainly play the piano for them. Michael said he would try to play for them. Their first time singing outside out church was Black Horse Baptist Church. Michael remembers playing the piano for the song “IS MY LORD TRULY SATISFIED WITH ME?” starting out good and getting faster and faster till the end, he was too nervous.
Kim Nickerson named the group, “THE SOULSEEKERS”.  Starting June 1969 through 1990 they traveled and sang, and cut 6 records. Through those years there were 35 personnel changes.

     In 1991, he started a group at Grace Baptist Church he called “REDEEMED”.  The group enjoyed a long run of singing till 2019. When he put together this church group, he incorporated people interested in singing. He was able to teaching them how to sing the different parts, all the while singing and playing piano.

     Michael also worked with Jr. Church singing and teaching. Through those years he prayed with many to received Christ as their Savior. Michael was blessed to have one call him and share his testimony.

     Over the years with the Soulseekers and Redeemed groups in addition to being a solo artist, singing gospel music has taken him all over Ohio as well as to South Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Kentucky, and New York.

     Michael began a solo singing ministry that overlapped with Redeemed.  The Michael Gardner Music Ministry has been proclaiming Christ through song since 2000 through the present with 8 projects and traveling many miles to minister at churches, conventions, singing events, nursing homes, and other special events.

     For the past forty-years to the present, he has been commissioned to sing at his home church every third Sunday.

     Michael may never know how many lives have been touched by the ministry of his music.  Yet he knows that the musical talent that God gave him has been used to share the message of a loving redeemer and friend and for Jesus to receive all the Glory.