By SHELBA NIVENS / Community Columnist

When Teresia Kendrick walked into church the first Sunday her son Allen was home for the holidays from school in Texas, she had no idea that he was about to sing a song he’d written for her.

“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place (New Life Assembly of God) when he finished,” she said.

A lot of people will recognize Allen Kendrick from the Christian band, Till Death Do Us Part. He and band members Josh Higgins, Chris Copeland, Jake Epperson and Andy Browning, began playing in public around three years ago.

Growing up, he and his buddies wanted to play music really, really bad, Kendrick said. About six years ago, he asked his mother if he could have a guitar and she bought him one for Christmas.

The next year he began taking lessons and a few months later he played in church. Then he and his buddies decided to form a band.

Other than churches, Till Death Do Us Part has played, among other places, at the bar High Note and Matthews Bar and Grill, both in Birmingham, and at The Fish in McCalla. They have also played in Mississippi and South Carolina.

Even in the bars, they played Christian music, Kendrick said. “Music is a talent God blessed me with and I want to use it to minister to people. I want them to hear about Jesus any way they can. We’re the only Bible some people ever read.

“Everything I write is channeled through God,” he said. “I want to give people hope. I know it gives me hope. I enjoy playing for God, and I love music.”

The Chelsea High School graduate attends The Oaks School of Leadership in Waxahachie, Texas. He’s majoring in church ministries with a music/worship internship. During Christmas holidays he helped with music at New Life church.

The song he wrote for his mother is titled, “A Little While Longer.”

It speaks of watching his mom and sister weep after the death of his father when he was still a child. In the words of the song, “We prayed to Jesus up above, craving warmth of a father’s love. Your tears connected God’s heartbeat to mine.”

The song speaks of how she would sing to him to help ease his grief, and now he sings to her.

For a CD of the band’s music, contact Allen Kendrick at 503-1680.

Shelba Nivens can be reached by e-mail at Shelbasn@juno.com.