Band spotlight:
Pastor Jim preaches the teen Christian gospel

By Katie Piccirillo
Scott High School

Most people have heard the hymn “Amazing Grace,” but not the way Pastor Jim sings it.

Matt Mullins, Danny Hale and Ryan Mullins are the members of this punk rock Christian band. All three are seniors at Scott High School in Boone County. Matt and Danny formed Pastor Jim with the intention of showing that there are teen-agers who want to be accepted as Christians.

It took almost five years for the band to become the polished group it is today. At first, the guys sang songs by Green Day and MxPx. It wasn’t until almost two years later that they began to create their own songs. “JJ,” their first piece, was written by Matt, the band’s bass player. It is the story of a boy who tells people of his Christian faith but his actions prove otherwise.

After this new beginning, the members of Pastor Jim continued writing lyrics and decided to concentrate on songs with a slower rhythm. “Heartbreaker” and “Forever and Always” were their first two slow jams.

During this time, Pastor Jim still needed a permanent drummer. The band completed five performances with a different face behind the set each time. In fact, in its first appearance at Madison Baptist Church, Pastor Jim had no drummer at all. Finally, in April 2000, Danny and Matt found Ryan Mullins (no relation to Matt).

When asked about their major musical influences, all three replied that they feel blessed in many ways.

”I have a lot of role models and influences in my life,” said Danny, the vocalist and guitarist. “Some of these are bands such as MxPx and Saves the Day. My favorite guitarist, Dr. Frank (of the Mr. T Experience), has influenced me, and through our music, I hope we are an influence to others. We perform to send the message that people should accept God into their lives and it doesn’t matter what style music we use to show that.”

While not many people have heard of this band, those who have recommend them as one of the top Christian bands in the area.

“I believe that Christian lyrics, as well as this type of contemporary music, help teen-agers relate to everyday situations,” said Scott High junior Amanda Short. “I am a huge fan of Pastor Jim and this is partially because I know that the members of the band are teen-agers who understand what I am going through because they are going through the same things.”

Over the years, the band has built up a repertoire of 31 songs, known as the “Pastor Jim Hymnal.” Its next performance is March 10 in Salem. Also, the group hopes to record a CD titled “Regional Differences” for release in April.