“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” — Colossians 3:16, New International Version

In an instant, by a chance meeting, something that seems like it’s taking a long time to manifest can suddenly come to fruition. 

More than two years ago Penny Colwart — Penny Lane to KANE AM-1240 Radio listeners — started moving toward producing a gospel music show for Sunday mornings. Not until earlier this summer did the show sponsors step up to the plate, the on-air personalities materialize and grow into not just a one-hour format, but two hours of prerecorded, soon to be live on-air, programming come to the listening audience of 1240-AM.  

“My husband lost his wallet and that’s how we met Penny,” Claudia Lofton Boelte, a self-professed song receiver living on the bank of the Bayou Teche, said. Boelte, along with husband Bill, are committed sponsors of the show. 

“I’m a cheerleader for these guys who are out there doing it,” she said.  

Underwriting for any worthwhile endeavor takes the support of others. Helping to grow the audience and opportunity to reach more local listeners as well as international streaming through the website takes invested sponsors. While others are in the wings soon to sign on, at press time financial and ministry partners include the Rev. Zack Mitchell with Word of Hope World Outreach Church; the Rev. Wilford Johnson at Little Zorah Baptist Church, and P.U.S.H. A New Chapter Transitional & Mentoring program, the Rev. James Broussard with the Philadelphia Life Center and member of P.U.S.H. community action coalition, congressional candidate Larry Radar, Stephen Etienne with the Iberia Men’s Shelter ARCH and District 2 City Councilman, barber shop owner, Marlon Lewis.  

Broussard and evangelist Donovan Davis, also part of P.U.S.H., are the on-air personalities sharing their faith and enthusiasm for what God is doing in the Teche Area community of faith. Jeff Boggs is the show’s producer. 

With time and training, the station expects to take the show live with area musicians as well as preachers and interviews with gospel artists and worship teams. 

“(Boelte) had given me some of her music and I told her then I was starting a gospel show. I asked, ‘would you by any chance be interested in a sponsorship?’ Now we’re playing her music on our radio show,” Colwart said. “The idea started two years ago but when it came time to sign, no one did. The station owner was interested so I finally called Zack Mitchell because he’s a man of the community and gets things done. I said, ‘Zack I have one question for you. Would you be willing to sign?’ Claudia, same thing. Rev. Johnson, yes. He’s come on full tilt for his church and organization (P.U.S.H.). Mr. Etienne, he’s come on board. I don’t care if it is the church or an organization, in fact, I expect the show to grow and grow.” 

Colwart said previously there was not a relationship built to bridge the black community with the station and, yet, the foundational truth of the number of musicians and internationally known singers with roots in Christian faith, is in the majority. Without the sponsorships, there would be no opportunity for a local gospel show. 

“Most of the great artists in the world will tell you their roots come from gospel and it is still part of them,” Colwart said. “I’ve seen a map showing 1,500 known groups or singers from South Louisiana. (Blacks) comprise 35 percent of our community and less than 5 percent are business owners. The majority of them are in the churches where they find solace and profess their faith. These are the guys that are really in the trenches. They’re the ones to be lifted up, who want to bring the Word of God and do the dirty work to bring the Gospel to the disenfranchised for the kingdom.”  

Colwart is from New Orleans, where the Zion Harmonizers, a multi-recorded Southern Gospel group, performed for a festival she produced. She also has experienced one of the most popular stages at The Jazz Heritage Festival. 

“The place you want to be at Jazz Fest is the Gospel tent. They raise the roof off of that thing,” Colwart said. “It is a lot of fun, but it also is where you see the black and white community together. When I thought about the gospel show, it was to be a conduit for the black and white community here in New Iberia.” 

Throughout the week KANE plays Zydeco music and Cajun music as well as country and talk show formats. The new program is designed to bring the city together by faith. 

“Community is ‘with unity’ and that’s why I showed up in the first place,” Boelte said. “I don’t see the black community and white community. It’s with unity through the body of Christ. Because of Christ, we are one.” 

“When you hear gospel music, you don’t have to Baptist, or Catholic, you don’t have to be anything. It’s Christian, the only thing. That’s what the gospel does, it brings people together,” Colwart said. “It brings something different to the station. You can find it in almost every place in Louisiana, regardless of what they play the rest of the week, on Sunday mornings while you’re getting ready for Mass or church, you can listen to Gospel. We’re going to continue playing Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, but on Sunday mornings, you can find a gospel show.” 

The Gospel Show is on KANE Radio 1240 AM from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sundays, soon to be simulcast on 107.5 FM, streaming live 24/7 at  www.kane1240.com. The producers are actively looking for locally produced CDs from church worship teams or independent artists. 

For more information, to submit music for the show or to become a sponsor, call Colwart at 365-3434.