A new recording of a popular Christian song from the 1990s has been circulating online, prompting a lively conversation about sexuality and inclusion in the church. 

In 1998, Avalon’s “Testify to Love” topped the US Adult Contemporary Christian Music charts. Five years later, the band quietly removed one of their founders and lead vocalists, Michael Passons, because he is gay. 

Today, the song has taken on a new life, re-released by two gay musicians: Passons and Ty Herndon. Many who have been disillusioned with the church over the years, find in this new recording a sense that they now belong.  

“Testify to Love” was a staple of my teenage years. I remember listening to it in my basement, at youth group, at church events, and on the radio. Though it had been a long while since I last heard the song, I can still sing along with ease. 

The new release prompted me to do some research. Initially written by a Dutch and British team and released by Dutch singer Ralph van Manen in 1996 on his album Language of Love, the song was released by Avalon soon after.

Topping the charts in 1998, Avalon’s recording of “Testify to Love” won the 1999 Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year. Wynonna Judd also recorded a version which aired on 90s TV show, Touched by an Angel. When Avalon released their 2003 Greatest Hits album, “Testify to Love” was the title track.

That same year, 2003, Michael Passons left the band with little explanation. It took 17 years for the truth to emerge. In 2020, Passons addressed the reasons for his departure, explaining that he had been pressured to participate in conversion therapy. When he refused to continue, the band forced him out.

The Christian music industry’s darker undercurrent was revealed. Songs proclaim God’s love, but the industry and broader Christian culture often hold a narrow understanding of who truly belongs. Over time, these narrow views have driven many away.  

Passons was pushed out, but another former Avalon member, Melissa Greene, chose to leave. She later worked as a pastor but has since left the church. Now, Greene is featured in this new recording alongside Passons and Herndon, beautifully bringing the story full circle. 

The easygoing, breezy Christian pop music of my teenage years still feels incongruous with the anti-gay messages that prevailed in almost all evangelical churches. But, in fact, the two almost always held together. 

For many of us who grew up in churches that had a limited sense of God’s love, this new version by artists committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion is powerful. A friend who first shared it with me said “I just thought it was so heartwarming and healing.” My cousin recalled how “that song was one of my favourites back in the day” and this new version is “such a great surprise.” 

The outpouring of appreciation for the new recording is also widespread online. Clay Aiken, Kristin Chenoweth, Derek Webb, and others have all expressed support. More touching are the many comments from everyday listeners recalling painful experiences in evangelical churches and expressing deep gratitude for the new recording.

On Instagram, Passons shared, “This has become an anthem for people who were told they didn’t belong in faith spaces. I hope that this is a reminder that there is room for all of us at the table of the divine.” Though not everyone appreciates Passons’ remarks or recording, the original songwriters gave their blessing to the new recording.

The words of the song, consistent with the original, bring the message home. 

“Testify to Love”

Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the hope in every heart will
Speak what love has done

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I’ll be a witness in the silences
When words are not enough
With every breath I take
I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

This new recording brings redemption to many. A song once from a culture that excluded Michael Passons and others like him, has now become a vehicle for healing and welcome.