Main Speakers

Rachel & Wallace Faagutu

Over 25 years ago, Rachel & Wallace Faagutu met on the beautiful island of Maui, where Rachel is from. Wallace was a football-playing, rap-writing Samoan and Rachel was an ukulele-playing engineer-in-training. Together they have been encouraging people to worship through music for more than 15 years.

In 2006, Wallace, known as SamSon, released his debut album, "Let My People Dance" in Hawaii. It went to the top of the charts on KPOA, KCCN and Island98.5.  After the success of his album Wallace felt impressed to lead his family to Kansas City where they joined the IHOPKC staff in 2010. Rachel recorded a children's album with her family and released it in 2012.  The "Little Songbirds" were born.  Three years later, they released their second children's album, called "Little Songbirds 2". 

Along with pioneering their own businesses and serving at IHOPKC, Rachel & Wallace Faagutu have traveled the world leading worship, preaching, teaching and serving as consultants with worship pastors and their teams as they embark on the journey of growing in prophetic worship.  They are a rich resource of relational wisdom and team dynamics for church families as well as for the youngest of worship teams.

Workshop Session Speakers

Quese Allen

Quese's birth name is Marquese Allen. He is married to Shereen Allen and they have 3 children. His parents names are Henry Allen and Regina Allen. Quese was born in South Haven, MI. He is the sibling of one sister and two brothers. Quese grew up in First Baptist Church of Covert, MI and then later his family attended Gospel Tabernacle Baptist Church of Covert, MI, where his father is currently the pastor. While he was in high school at Covert and South Haven, he loved to listen to rap/hiphop music the most. His mother discovered he could sing and persuaded him to sing at church. She encouraged Quese to sing throughout his youth, but he was too shy to do so. As a senior in high school, he sung “Love” by Musiq Soulchild, in front of the whole school. This was the beginning of his musical endeavors. 

By 2005, Quese helped start a record label called Northern Exposure Records. And recorded secular music under this label until 2008, which led to clubbing & alcohol abuse. In 2008, his sister, Teresa Allen, asked if he could write some songs for a play. Although Quese was a song writer, he had not written gospel songs.  However, she gave him a chance and by doing this he repented and rededicated his life back to Jesus Christ. Soon after, he started attending Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Kalamazoo and did many ministries there such as DJing, writing songs for the rap ministry, and singing with the youth praise team. 

In 2010, Quese founded & became CEO of STG (Spreading the Gospel) Musiq Ministry. Now, he attends Trenches Community Church which is lead by Pastor James Harris, where he serves as the worship leader, as a deacon, and also helps with outreach ministry. Quese partners with many churches in southwest Michigan to worship and praise God to the highest level. He is an independent recording artist, who writes, arranges, sings, raps, and teaches music. Quese travels to different states, churches, and youth ministries spreading the message of the gospel, hope, unity, and peace through his music. Quese loves God, loves people,  and loves his community and demonstrates that through his outreach of artistry and compassion towards all cultures. Quese’s mission is to present Jesus Christ through his art so that others can become reconciled to Him!

Ashley Daneman

Born and raised in Toledo, OH, Ashley Daneman performed in musicals and later studied Opera at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before finishing in Psychology and turning to study jazz on her own. In 2003, USA Today noted her as “a fine young jazz vocalist” and her unique voice as a composer earned her a spot in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead as a resident artist.

What followed then was a complicated series of personal events, leaving Daneman’s career on the back burner as she returned to a “desk job.”  Several years later, renewed efforts to pursue her dream landed her at Manhattan School of Music studying under Peter Eldridge, Kate McGarry, and Theo Bleckman. Successfully completing her masters degree as a scholarship student, in 2010, Daneman was chosen again for her artistry into The Banff Centre’s Jazz and Creative Workshop as a resident artist.

A late career start and plenty of interesting life turns have caused Daneman to go deep with her blend of jazz and modern folk debuting “a publicly intimate recording that is frank and unapologetic. Beauty Indestructible is a collection of nine original “spirit poems” scored and written by Daneman, existing as an intensely personal song cycle. Daneman addresses the fundamental healing power of love” (C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz).

Daneman is also a teacher of contemporary vocal technique and certified in Somatic Voicework (tm) - The Lovetri Method. She draws on her professional experience in jazz and commercial music to mentor both aspiring and professional singers. Additionally she has an ecumenical background serving in church worship settings - including the Kalamazoo House of Prayer, evangelical worship teams and mainline protestant congregations.

Ashley and her husband, trumpeter Benje Daneman, have three amazing children and are based out of Kalamazoo, MI.  

Phillip Cunningham

Phillip Cunningham was first introduced to musical worship at an early age. At age 7, he began singing in his church choir, becoming accustomed to gospel music. Once he was old enough he began participating in school choirs and bands picking up the saxophone. He continued his involvement in choral settings through high school and college gaining a real appreciation for classical music. In his sophomore year, he began learning piano and after two years later he began playing for Greater Faith Empowerment Center. The following year he began leading worship there as the Minister of Music where he has served for the past 8 years. Since that time he has played for several conferences, worship experiences, and prayer pushes in Michigan and Ohio including The Greater Kalamazoo Prayer Push, Jesus Loves Kalamazoo, and InterVarsity’s “Ignite” “Compelling” and “Cedar Campus” conferences. In this time God placed a desire to cultivate a progressive advance for worship personally, communally, and cross-culturally.  Phillip recently accepted a position as the worship leader for the Centerpoint City Church beginning in December, 2017.

Joel Sorge

Joel Sorge is the Creative Director at Radiant Church in Kalamazoo, where he lives with his wife and four children.  He is a filmmaker, writer, designer, musician and visual artist with a passion for teaching and developing others.  His passion for storytelling and innovation is second only to his passion for bringing hope to the hopeless, comfort to those in pain, and revealing the nature of Christ to those in need of His nearness and love.

Revive Worship Initiative & Kalamazoo House of Prayer, Organizer of Revive Worship Initiative
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RWI Leadership is a multi-cultural, multi-generational team of worship pastors, leaders, and musicians from a variety of churches and ministries throughout the Greater Kalamazoo region. Kalamazoo House of Prayer is a community of churches contending together for the transformation of our region through worship, intercession, and evangelism. 
 

Revive Worship Initiative Leadership Team