Michael Tait knew something was up.
Everywhere he went and every time he flipped on Christian radio, it seemed like he kept hearing the Newsboys’ song “We Believe.”
Certainly, he’s no stranger to hearing his own voice on the radio waves, but this song in particular, went from zero to 60 like a Maserati. From not hearing it on any stations to “hearing it all the time in Nashville,” Tait told the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association this weekend.
“We haven’t had a hit on radio like this in forever.”
For a band with 30 No. 1 hits on Christian radio, that’s saying something. “We Believe” became Newsboys’ biggest one-week add with 64 radio stations picking up the song, which Tait describes as a “creed” for Christians.
“We believe in God the Father. We believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in the Holy Spirit. And He’s given us new life,” Tait said. “It’s a creed. That’s who we are. That’s our mission. That’s our salvation. That’s our eternity.”
The song, which also climbed to No. 5 on the iTunes Christian chart, was the first track to the My Hope CD, Songs—“Songs Inspired by the Message and Mission of Billy Graham,”—launched on Oct. 15 in conjunction with last fall’s My Hope America with Billy Graham outreach.
“We Believe” was also played during a Billy Graham Tribute at The Dove Awards in Nashville, along with Michael W. Smith’s “Just As I Am.”
“If Billy Graham could sing the way he speaks, I think this would be his message in a song,” Tait said. “It’s direct and to the point. It’s the Gospel message.”
“The song is a statement of our faith that every believer can rally around,” said Hudson Plachy, Vice President of Marketing at Capital Christian Music group. “Being on the My Hope record with Mr. Graham, it was a great fit for that record and it’s a great fit for radio.”
And it’s resonating with fans on the current Winter Jam tour. Tait, introducing the song, simply recites some of the lyrics.
“We believe in the crucifixion. We believe that He conquered death,” Tait said. “We believe in the resurrection. And He’s comin’ back again … and the crowd erupts.”
When the Newsboys first heard “We Believe,” Tait knew it needed to be added to the Newsboys’ new “Restart” album, even at the “11th hour.”
“It’s basically a salvation prayer,” he said. “And I knew the name of Jesus doesn’t come back void.”
And that commitment to spreading the Gospel keeps the Newsboys connected with the mission of BGEA, playing at upcoming Franklin Graham Festivals in both Warsaw, Poland and Toronto, Canada.
What Franklin does is the heart of ministry—he preaches the Gospel,” Tait said. “That’s what we’re called to do.”
Joining with Franklin Graham to share the Gospel is not a new thing for the Newsboys. The band has played at past Festivals in Lithuania, Latvia and Rochester, N.Y., and have also joined Will Graham at the Will Graham Jersey Shore Celebration.
Of course, Tait’s history with the BGEA dates back almost 20 years when dc Talk opened for Billy Graham at the first contemporary music youth night in Cleveland in 1994.
That night, more than 65,000 packed Cleveland Stadium, where over 6,500 responded to Mr. Graham’s Gospel presentation. “And we just start bawling,” Tait recalled.
Plenty of dc Talk fans had a similar reaction to the band’s breakup, but Tait has a reassuring message. Fear not, a dc Talk reunion may not be that far off.
“I think it’ll happen,” Tait said. “Toby(Mac), Kevin (Max) and myself, we’re all doing our own little deal. It’s just a matter of getting our ducks in a row.
“I think it’s inevitable.”
