In 2005, when Smokie Norful began planting a church in his hometown, it was not the most obvious career move. At the time he was already a multiple Grammy and Stellar award-winning Gospel artist, with an active touring schedule and gold-certified sales for his critically acclaimed releases, I Need You Now and Nothing Without You. As if that weren’t enough, he and his wife Carla were the proud---and busy---parents of a growing family.

…But for Smokie the call to pastor on a local level was undeniable. So, a ministry project, which began as a simple bible study with 20 people, grew into a bona fide congregation. On September 20, 2005 Smokie Norful, a pastor’s son, became a senior pastor himself officially opening the doors of Victory Cathedral Worship Center in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL.

Five years later that personal passion has become a thriving, active community of Christians with more than 5,000 members in two locations---the original church, now known as the West Suburban Campus, and a second location on Chicago’s South Side. And the artist known as Smokie Norful, while continuing to record and release top-selling solo projects, is glad to be known simply as “Pastor” to his faithful congregation.

What would be a more than happy ending for most people is simply a starting point for a visionary like Smokie Norful.

Combining the best of both of his successful careers, Gospel’s premier male vocalist formally introduces the music world to his very own church choir with the release of Smokie Norful presents The Victory Cathedral Choir. Recorded live in Chicago, the ten-song collection captures the essence of the weekly worship experience at Victory Cathedral Worship Center. The high-energy project is also the second album from the new label TreMyles/EMI Gospel, a joint venture between Smokie and the label that has been his recording home for nearly a decade.

Smokie’s vision for his church choir is steeped in the rich tradition of Chicago’s legendary choral ensembles, with one major exception: “Most of the Chicago choirs have been community-based,” Smokie explains. “The Victory Cathedral Choir is distinct in that these are regular, lay-choir members who are not professional singers. The majority of our singers are regular church-going people who do not have a professional musical background. They’re just excited to be able to serve in the ministry.”

In fact, the commitment to service is a core ideal for the choir. Members of Victory Cathedral Choir are required to serve in other auxiliaries in the church in order to be eligible for choir participation. Fully embracing that notion, choir members can be found at the helm of many of the community outreach activities that have come to define the active congregation at Victory Cathedral Worship Center. Their participation extends to meal and clothing programs with shelters for the homeless and battered women, as well as ongoing outreach efforts to college and high school students and their faculty in the communities surrounding the church’s two thriving campuses.

“The reality is they are not just a choir who sings. This is a choir who serves,” Smokie says. “That dynamic is very exciting for me as a pastor. What a wonderful thing to be able to marry both of my passions---music and ministry---without comprising the integrity of either one in any way.”

While the music in this collection reflects the spirit of worship at Victory Cathedral Worship Center, Smokie also intended for this album to be a launching platform for a few new artists, writers and worship leaders. To that end, the project spotlights the songwriting and choir vocal arrangement skills of Martin Woods, the vocal and choir directing expertise of Moiro Konchellah and the distinctive lead vocals of Keshia McFarland. All three are prominent ministry leaders within the Victory Cathedral family and have served as key members of the touring team for Smokie’s artistry.

“It’s a natural progression for my wife and me to be able to empower others to achieve the kind of success we’ve accomplished within such a short period of time,” Smokie says. “We’re literally positioning other people---other creative and business people---to learn the music business and to take their careers to other levels.”

Through artistry, the church and now his vision for his record label, it’s clear that Smokie Norful is committed to worship, committed to ministry and committed to relationships. The mission statement for the church reads as follows: “Victory Cathedral Worship Center exists to edify, equip, and empower the body of Christ through the inspired Word of God, authentic worship, and loving relationships that will win the world.”

The spirit of those words is now captured in this project.