Christians Ascend To American Idol Finals

Christians appear to be experiencing a renaissance in the United States that has extended into pop-culture phenomena, American Idol. Of the recent Top 10 Idol finalists, six were devout Christians who confidently praised the Lord and gave thanks for their talents and success.

The field left standing after the highly competitive singing cut-downs remains a diverse cross-section of the American landscape. The group may be lauded for their cultural diversity and distinctly different musical leanings, but the majority are bound together by one common denominator, faith in Jesus Christ.

The mainstream reality TV show reboot has definitely tapped into the pro-Christian movement that has been sweeping the entertainment industry. The recent movie release of “I Can Only Imagine” tapped into the popularity of the biggest Christian hit song of all time. The film has been a critically acclaimed and a financial win at the box office. The relatively low-budget production starring J. Michael Finley, and Dennis Quaid among others is pushing its ticket sales toward $100 million. The recent trend in Christian arts popularity doesn’t appear to be lost on American Idol producers.

With six outspoken Christians taking the stage during Disney Week, American Idol posted the show’s highest ratings and largest audience of the season. According to Nielsen ratings, the Christian-packed Top 10 ramped up viewership by upwards of 20 percent. The installment showcased these vastly different Christian vocal stars.

Cade Foehner

The 21-year-old part-time rocker and part-time Christian minister says he’s on a mission to bring the word of Jesus Christ to Hollywood. He’s studying biblical theory for his college major and continues to grow as a knowledgeable man of faith. For Foehner, music and God are intimately mixed.

“The whole purpose of any kind of music is to evangelize and to tell people about the Lord,” he reportedly said. “Everything that I want to do is give my life away so that someone can meet Christ.”

He has discovered on his Idol voyage that being a Christian in Hollywood isn’t easy.

“Being on Idol and trying to do evangelism here in Hollywood, it’s a harder area to be in than where I’m from because I live in the Bible belt, so evangelism isn’t so hard there,” he reportedly said.

After being tapped into the Top 10, he praised God saying, “I know for certain I do not deserve a single bit of this, yet our Lord did this. I am humbled and grateful.”

Gabby Barrett

The 17-year-old Country music singer is widely touted as one of the favorites to win the singing competition. Barret and Foehner have consistently enjoyed top voting tallies. If things hold steady, it’s likely that one of the two will become the next American Idol as outspoken Christians. In her Top 10 finalist appearance she sang “Colors in the Wind,” but has been trending on social media for her video singing “Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?” posted during Easter Weekend.

Caleb Hutchinson

The 19-year-old Country music singer appears to have bonded with fellow finalist Foehner. The pair have appeared in candid photos and exchanged Christian-themed social media messages. Hutchinson is no novice to reality TV. He first appeared on The Voice. Like his Christian brother, he thanks Jesus for his blessings.

“Thank the Lord for this amazing experience and the amazing friends I have made so far,” he reportedly said.

Michael J. Woodward

The 20-year-old Philadelphia native remained safe after singing “Beauty and the Beast” during the Top 10 competition, moving on to the final seven. Although not a favorite to go the distance, he has been a Christian force throughout the competition. His social media posts routinely state that “All glory goes to the King of Kings.”

Dennis Lorenzo

The 26-year-old covered “Can You Feel the Love” in the Top 10 Finalist show, falling just outside the vote tally to move on to the next round. Although many fans showed their disappointment on social media, Lorenzo has been a wealth of Christian class. His post, “God is amazing…thank you for all this and that is to come” shows the type of faith and leadership Christians are sure to support as he embarks on the next leg of his journey.

Michelle “dreamer” Sussett

The 22-year-old Venezuelan immigrant moved to the United States three years ago and is making the most of her opportunities. She also fell under the required votes during the Top 10 Finalist episode after singing “Remember Me.” Her immigrant status, faith and outstanding singing voice assure her an exciting career ahead.

It may have seemed unusual just a few years ago that outspoken Christians would be in the majority on an American Idol stage. Whether Hollywood is getting the message that Jesus is cool or just seeing dollar signs is of little consequence. Christian artists are popular and delivering the Word from high-profile platforms.

~ Christian Patriot Daily


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