News

February 1, 2004 - From Home, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Last week was our last at Clearview Baptist for a while. We loved the time with Pastor Kent and the rest of the Shirley clan. It's a great church.

We spent Sunday at The Church at Battle Creek here in Broken Arrow. I think for a while I am just going to concentrate on being a dad and a husband and try to enjoy just being part of a congregation for the kids high school years. I suppose if something full-time opens up that I would consider it, but I don't want to miss these years with the kids in youth group and going on spring and summer missions and finally developing an interest in music. They have always followed me willingly from church to church. I just think it's time for a rest. I've already started working on two new songs this last week. It's amazing what happens when you have time to allow the creativity to flow. I've also started to seriously work on the plans for the next recording, Lord of My Life. Maybe I'll even travel a couple of weekends a month and minister.

September 7, 2003 - Clearview Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

I completed the interim at Bethany last week. What a great congregation! Pastor Randy Wilson is such a wonderful pastor. I really had a good time filling in for them for the past two months. Now it's off to Clearview Baptist to work with Pastor Kent Shirley. We are very excited to again have the opportunity of ministering with Kent and Terri to the congregation at Clearview.

July 6, 2003 - Bethany Free Will Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

This will be my first Sunday at Bethany Church as Interim Worship Pastor. Their former Worship Pastor, Scott Bullman, has built a great program at Bethany and I am looking forward to the opportunity of working with one of the most talented worship and music teams in our area. Pastor Randy Wilson is a really great pastor to work with and I look forward to the times we will have together.

June 29, 2003 - Life Christian Ministries, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

It was my last Sunday as Worship Pastor at LCM. I will miss those guys a lot. Serving with Shon, Dwight, Paul, Vernon and Tom were some of the best I have ever experienced in ministry. Eddie, Jeff D., Jamie, Paul E., Chris, Ricky, Michelle, Susan, Joyce, Kathy, Jeff and Tammy C., Donna, Raelene, Carmen, Emily, Dustin... I love you guys! You are the best! Ron and Tonua, and Patty... Thanks for your constant encouragement and friendship. You'll never know what it meant to us as we've walked this last year out. Teresa, Debi, Joy and Pat... What a great team you were to be around. I won't forget the kindness you showed to us.

April 14, 2002 - Life Christian Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I will be leading worship again at Life this coming Sunday. They really have a wonderfully gifted praise team and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of working with Pastor Shon again. Those of you looking for great Children's Worship resources should check out Pastor Tom Toney's CD's available from this church. Here's their website Life Christian Center.

April 7, 2002 - New Heart Fellowship, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

I sang two songs from the House of Praise recording at Pastor Charlie Jackson's church.  I love visiting this congregation.  Pastor Charlie has such a wonderful way of bringing practical application to Biblical truth, and the congregation is so musically oriented.  You just sense the Joy of the Lord when you're around them!

March 31, 2002 - Life Christian Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We had two great services at Life on Resurrection Sunday. It was a blessing to get to work with their praise team. Jennifer and I both really enjoyed the fellowship in this congregation.  

March 18-19, 2002 - Mizmor.com Featured Artist

I was a featured artist on Mizmor.com. Thanks to all of you who stopped by and listened to the music on our site there: www.mizmor.com/montehorton. We've actually started seeing some purchases come through our music store, Fat Angel Music Store, on the Mizmor.com site.

March 16-17, 2002 - Cornerstone Fellowship, Tahlequah, Oklahoma

We had a great time our "home" church leading worship for all three weekend services. It was really good to see all of our friends and family at Cornerstone! It's nice to have a "family" like we have in that congregation. What a treasure!

March 1-3, 2002 - Love Gospel Church, San Antonio, Texas

I had a really wonderful time in San Antonio at Love Gospel Church! What a joy it was to meet Pastor Richard and Nellie Boyd and get to teach on worship as a way of life for three services. I was also privileged to share with the praise team at the church on Saturday afternoon. If you live in San Antonio and haven't been to Love Gospel, you need to stop by and check out their services. They will definitely impact your life. David Fulmer, my friend and future ministry coordinator, accompanied me down there. We both really enjoyed the fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Love Gospel congregation. Thanks to Rick and Jeannie and Jim and Alma for spending time with us and getting us to and from the church. I look forward to a return trip later this year or early next year.

February 17, 2002 - You Are Our God CD Release, Glenpool, Oklahoma

It was an awesome evening at Family Fellowship Church as we celebrated the release of Robin McCollum's new CD, You Are Our God. Robin and the team did every song from the recording live and even introduced some new material which will be on the next recording. Pastor Barry Hall graciously offered his facility and hosted the event. The place was packed and the music and ministry was great.

February 10, 2002 - Hope Chapel, Glendale, Arizona

I really enjoyed the ministry at Hope Chapel with Pastor Randy and Bethany Helm.  I sang Sunday morning and led worship on Sunday night for a praise and worship night at their church.  It was good to finally get to do a musical event with my brother-in-law, Don Wilcox. We have been wanting to for years and it finally worked out. It was also good to have the Phoenix part of Jennifer's family in attendance as well.   I am looking forward to attending the pastors conference at Phoenix First Assembly this week.

January 27, 2002 - Faith Tabernacle, Aurora, Colorado

It is always good to go home.  For me, Faith Tabernacle in Aurora, Colorado is just such a place.   The church is pastored by Bruce and Pam Chambers, who have been my spiritual mentors since I was a teenager.  I love no two people any more than Bruce and Pam.  I enjoyed being able to be with them Sunday night, leading worship at Faith Tabernacle.  It was also good to see some old friends, who I've known since 1976.  It is good to have a spiritual heritage.  We had a great service Sunday night.  Pastor Bruce preached a wonderful, passionate message and then prayed for each person in attendance.  We saw some breakthroughs in the lives of those present.  God is so good!

January 27, 2002 - Faith Presbyterian Church, Aurora, Colorado

I had a great time singing at Faith Presbyterian Church.  I met their Minister of Music, Dan McGowan, on the church-music email discussion list sponsored by Bill Rayborn's Church Music Report.  We exchanged some emails and Dan invited me to sing at his church after I told him I would be in Denver ministering at another church on Sunday night.  I sang songs from House of Praise in both of their morning services.  Dan is a pretty diversely talented guy.  He's been published in Worship Today and has developed and distributed a children's video series called Doodle Maps.

January 2002 - Featured Artist on www.ShareSong.org

I was a featured writer on www.ShareSong.org.  Some of the charts for songs from the House of Praise recording are available for free download from this site.  Please consider incorporating these songs into your congregational worship repertoire.

January 6, 2002 - Claremore Christian Fellowship

I enjoyed the opportunity of playing keyboards and sharing four songs from House of Praise at Claremore Christian Fellowship in Claremore, Oklahoma. It was a blessing to get to work with Pastor Ted Estes and to meet members of the congregation where my friend, Chris Belcher, serves as Worship Pastor.  I also enjoyed the ministry of Jerry Mason who led worship for the service.  Jerry's a great writer and guitarist who came out of the Anaheim Vineyard and worked with Andy Park.   His song, I Desperately Need You, really resonated with my spirit.

January 4-6, 2002 - Featured Artist on www.Mizmor.com

I was a featured artist on the new www.Mizmor.com web site.  Please stop by and listen to the music available at the site and visit our online store, Fat Angel Music Store.  One of the ways you can get involved with supporting Declare His Praise Ministries is by purchasing copies of our CD's.  Worship music CD's are also a good way to give the gift of ministry to your friends or family.  Any of the sites on our home page are secure order processing sites which are always stocked with our products and ready to ship within 24 hours of your purchase.

Christmas 2001

House of Praise Songs on KNYD-FM The Oasis Network

Rumor has it that four of the songs from House of Praise recording will be played on the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma based Oasis Network.  If you get a chance, check out the radio logs and see when the songs will be playing.  You can catch them on the World Wide Web at the Oasis Network website.  Also, please leave a note for Program Director David Warren thanking him for playing those songs.  I have heard both I Love You Jesus and The Goodness of the Lord so far.