You can play a huge part in spreading the Gospel through the fine arts by helping us produce two performances of "Hinds' Feet on High Places," the beloved story of Much Afraid and her exciting journey to the High Places.

A musical dramatization based on the 1955 book by missionary, Hannah Hurnard, "Hinds' Feet on High Places" is an allegory of longing, hardship, redemption and transformation as Much Afraid travels with The Shepherd towards the Kingdom of Love.

"For some years Much Afraid had been in the service of the Shepherd, whose great flocks were pastured down in the Valley of Humiliation. She loved her work and she loved the Shepherd, but she suffered from a secret shame --  she was a cripple and she was disfigured and ugly. 'How can the Shepherd be proud of me,' she wondered, 'when I am not strong and beautiful like his other servants?'

"If that were not enough to endure, there was her family, the Fearings, who were everywhere about her and who never missed a chance to tell her how much they despised the Shepherd. It made them furious that one of their own should work for Him, and they tormented her constantly with reproaches and sarcasms.

"Her one great dream was to escape, to journey to the High Places with the Shepherd and dwell forever in the Kingdom of Love. At last, she dared tell Him of her hopes. To her surprise, He answered that He had waited a long time for her to ask this and that He was willing to take her there Himself. It would be a hard journey, and she could expect many changes in herself, both wonderful and frightening." (Quoted from the official "Hinds' Feet on High Places" score.)

You will be able to relate to Much Afraid's experiences of pain, sorrow, suffering, loneliness, fear and doubt as she is confronted at every turn by hardship. The story portrays that the Christian life is often challenging, but that Jesus, our Great Shepherd, will be with us always. Most of all, heaven is awaiting us, all sorrows will be left behind, and we will live forever in peace and joy.

Much Afraid's relationship with the Shepherd mirrored my (Jerry's) own experience. Years ago I also had to walk through the "Valley of Loss" and somehow keep going. That's when I read "Hinds' Feet on High Places" for the first time. It wasn't long until I heard 2nd Chapter of Acts' performance of "The Roar of Love," a work that recounts the story of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," by C. S. Lewis. I was inspired greatly by Hannah Hurnard's book and the idea of telling the story in song. I wondered if my brother, Mark, and I could write six or eight songs to portray "Hinds' Feet on High Places." He agreed, and that began a process that became this much bigger work with 23 songs!

The Oratorio (or Musical) was composed between 1980 and 1982. Several performances were conducted under the direction of Dr. Mark Clark at Malibu Presbyterian Church and California Lutheran College in California. It was substantially revised between 2006 and 2010 by Dr. Rachel McInturff. It was then performed in Austin, Texas at Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ and Hope Chapel. The current version was thoroughly revised between 2021 and 2024 under the oversight of Dr. Joseph M. Martin.

These will be grand and moving performances. The narrator will be Mr. Rod Fletcher from the Grand Ole Opry and a member of The Oak Ridge Boys. Foremost among the soloists are Sarah Whittemore (Much Afraid), of the Voctave vocal group, and Scot Cameron (The Shepherd), an Irish tenor. All the principals will be backed up by 75-100 talented singers and musicians.

The first performance will be at 1st Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida on August 17, 2025. Our budget for this performance is $32,500.00, a figure that surprised us greatly! We had no idea what it would cost for the singers, musicians and all that goes with producing something of quality. We need to raise this amount by August 1, 2025.

We plan to have the second performance in 2026 in Austin, Texas, with the date to be determined.

We have never taken any money personally from this project. Our goal has always been to bless anyone who sees the performances, and possibly lead them to seek the Lord with all their heart.

To God be the glory!

Jerry and Mark Shipp