Hezekiah Walker can't help it. With the Lord as his shepherd, and a song in his heart, it seems everywhere he goes he inevitably sows seeds of great Gospel music. And the latest of his plantings, The LFT Church Choir, has born beautiful fruit on its self-titled, debut release.

LFT is actually an acronym for Love Fellowship Tabernacle, the church Hezekiah founded in 1994 when he felt a divine tug toward the pastorate, in addition to his already flourishing ministry as the leader of contemporary Gospel trendsetters, the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.

"The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir was doing so well by that time that I didn't want to start a church that drew off of the choir's popularity," Hezekiah recalls. "Prayer, preaching and teaching were at the heart of Love Fellowship Tabernacle. In an effort to ensure his house of worship would be built on celebration of the Spirit--and not infatuation with celebrities-Hez dictated from the start that there would be no choir at his church at all. As far as music went, we just had a small praise and worship team led by Joewarn, our musical director.

"We started small ... less than 50 people, right here in Brooklyn, New York, where I grew up," Hez continues. "But after about a year, so many good singers had started attending our church, Joewarn approached me with the strong conviction that it was time to form a choir of our own."

Hezekiah gave his blessings and support to the idea, and Joewarn, in 1995, soon assembled 20 church members into the first incarnation of LFT. With entirely different personnel from the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, the now 60-voice LFT Church Choir has established a sound, and a purpose, unique and singularly its own. Under Joewarn's sturdy and sure leadership, LFT is the Tabernacle's church choir, and as Hez is quick to emphasize they are dramatically and dynamically doing their own thing.

Hezekiah had known of Joewarn - 10 years his junior-for some time as an up-and-coming young talent in Brooklyn's vibrant church community. But Hezekiah's invitation to Joewarn to be the music director of his fledgling flock came more from a divine Prompting than astonishment at the formidable young keyboardist's musical prowess.

I didn't know Joewarn personally at the time I was starting my church," says Hezekiah "In fact, I only knew him by reputation. I had never even heard him play but the Lord just put it so strongly on my heart that Joewarn was the man I needed to head up my music department.

"I called him and he accepted immediately," Hezekiah adds. "In the last four years I've watched him develop and mature incredibly, as both a Christian and a musician. He not only conducts the choir, but he sings and plays keyboards on most of the songs, and he wrote or co-wrote almost every selection on the album. He has been the very heart and soul of the LFT Church Choir."

With one ear always attuned to the r&b and hip-hop sounds of the street, Joewarn and LFT nonetheless set out to make an album aimed squarely at Sunday morning church. "So much of modem Gospel music is in an urban contemporary radio kind of pocket," says Hezekiah. "It's great, but it's not the kind of thing a congregation and choir can sink their teeth into in a church setting. This is more traditional gospel at its foundation with a strong flavoring of contemporary influences, instead of the other way around."

Hezekiah functioned in three different but equally vital roles on the project. He oversaw the big picture as executive producer, and also functioned in a direct, hands-on fashion, co-producing the album with Donald Lawrence. And while LFT builds its house on solid Gospel bedrock, the totally modem touch of its mentors hand is unmistakable.

"From the beginning this has been a choir with an identity all its own," Hezekiah explains. "But anything I get my own self into to any degree is going to come out with at least a bit of me and my sound, and who I am, running throughout it. This is by no means a Love Fellowship Crusade Choir album. But at the same time, almost anybody who's gotten into those albums is going to pick right up on LFT, and I think it will even take them places they don't expect it to."

"I Will Bless the Lord" weaves LFT's rich vocal tapestry around a popping, rock-steady groove as Joewarn and the choir take a simple message of God's goodness and transform it into an anthem of exaltation. "Do You Know Him" is an irresistible, high-energy romp that defies anyone with a pulse and two legs to stand still, as it affirms the timeless power and appeal of the Gospel tradition.

LFT turns the fire down to a low-but-smoldering bum on the intense, compelling ballads, "He'll Be There" and "Help Me Pray." "Find Somebody" and "You Kept Me" cast the Good News in joyful, funky jams, while "The Invitation" closes the album with a reverential, heart-rending expression of repentance, and encouragement in the certainty of God's forgiveness and faithfulness.

Just as profound as Hezekiah's creative contributions to the album was the role he played as pastor, counselor and a mentor---both spiritual and musical-to Joewarn and the young choir. But even as Hezekiah graciously gives praise and credit for LFTs success to everyone involved, it's clear he also feels an almost parental pride in not only the choir's excellence, but in its very existence.

"I feel a very special gratification in this choir," Hezekiah says. "I've seen it grow from a dream to a wonderful, anointed reality. This is my baby. I have the joy and contentment of a father who's seen his children grow up strong and straight and true, and doing great things for the Lord."