MOBILE, Ala. — “We have seen miracles.”

That’s how Roger Breland sums up a life dedicated to spreading the gospel message to people of all nations through word, song and deed.

Breland, a pioneer in contemporary Christian music, is retiring as executive director of the University of Mobile’s (UM) Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts in the Alabama School of the Arts and was honored at the university’s graduation ceremony on May 10.

“It’s difficult to imagine the University of Mobile without Roger and Linda Breland,” said University of Mobile President Charles Smith. “For over two decades, these dear friends have invested in our university and changed the lives of countless students.

“Dr. Breland’s contribution to the Christian music industry is unparalleled. Literally hundreds of musicians, artists and worship leaders can trace their roots back to his leadership and investment.”

For 31 years, Breland served as founder and director of TRUTH — one of the first internationally successful contemporary Christian recording groups. For the past 23 years, he played a pivotal role in shaping the University of Mobile’s Alabama School of the Arts. Along the way, Breland mentored generations of young men and women who today are successful leaders in the music industry and churches around the world.

“Despite their years in the spotlight, I would argue Roger and Linda’s greatest impact happened off the stage, where they quietly supported, mentored and prayed for hundreds of students,” said Smith. “Almost every week I hear stories of the Brelands’ caring for others. What a remarkable legacy of faithfulness, and what a privilege to honor them as they step into this new season of ministry.”

Trailblazer and trendsetter

In 1971, Breland and his wife Linda took a leap of faith and founded the Christian music group TRUTH, an acronym for Trust, Receive, Unchangeable, True Happiness (in Jesus). 

“He was a trendsetter, a trailblazer,” said son Jason Breland, a UM alumnus who serves as worship leader at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, Tennessee. 

“He was doing things that nobody had ever done, introducing music like Gaither Music, Andre Crouch music, and bringing instruments like drums and guitars and electric keyboards into churches that had never seen or heard anything like that before. Now we stand on his shoulders, and so many of us use all of those components today in our churches.”

A Great Commission mission

Breland and TRUTH traveled the globe, sharing the story of salvation through Jesus Christ and showing His love to the people and communities they touched.

They raised more than $500,000 through their tours to establish the TRUTH Leprosy Hospital for children in Ghana, West Africa. TRUTH brought Bibles, medical supplies and the gospel to Romania following the overthrow of the Communist dictatorship; worked with the Baptist World Alliance to bring food, clothing and the gospel to Brazil; smuggled hundreds of Bibles into Russia and took hospital and medical supplies to the children of Chernobyl following the nuclear disaster in 1986.

During one of their most memorable tours, more than 20,000 people responded to the gospel message in the Philippines. They worked alongside the pastor of The Cathedral of Praise Manila who had become a Christian at a TRUTH concert while a high school student in Fairhope, Ala.

Their years as members of TRUTH helped launch the careers of artists such as Avalon, 4Him, Natalie Grant and Steven V. Taylor. In 2000, Breland and TRUTH were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

The ministry continues at UM

A former University of Mobile trustee, Breland joined the Christian university’s faculty in 2002 as artist-in-residence. UM is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

“My job was to recruit talented students, recommend gifted faculty and provide a platform for them to do what they do so well,” Breland recalled.

Since then, he has held a variety of leadership roles, including dean of the Alabama School of the Arts. Breland and Al Miller, now retired, led an expansion of the university’s music program, including establishing its first doctoral degree in musical arts. Along with faculty whose expertise ranges from opera to worship leadership, they prepared thousands of graduates to pursue their professional calling as musicians, educators, worship leaders, missionaries, music industry professionals, music ministers and more.

Milestones during Breland’s tenure include:

• Founding the ensemble VOICES of Mobile. Under his direction, VOICES recorded 20 CDs; traveled to 11 nations; performed at the White House five times and at Carnegie Hall in New York City three times; crisscrossed the United States and traveled to many nations including China, Cuba, Israel, Jordan, the Philippines and Romania, presenting more than 2,000 concerts at churches, conventions, civic events and on national television.
• Co-founding what is now the Roger Breland Center for Performing Arts, home to the university’s performing ensembles. UM’s choirs, theatre groups and vocal and instrumental ensembles have performed worldwide.
• Launching Christmas Spectacular 22 years ago to showcase Alabama School of the Arts students and share the true meaning of Christmas. Today, “Spec” is the largest-attended Christmas event on the Gulf Coast.
• Supporting a fundraising effort that resulted in UM’s designation as an All Steinway School.
• Securing a donation and support for The Fisher/Brewer Recording Studio, now a $1 million investment.

‘Our gifted students’

Breland says the greatest miracle he has seen “has been our gifted students. Observing them growing spiritually, musically and using their gifts to become successful — that is the greatest blessing.”

He and Linda established the Roger and Linda Breland Endowed Scholarship at the University of Mobile to give future generations of student the advantage of a Christ-centered higher education. The endowed scholarship continues to grow, with tax-deductible donations to umobile.edu/give.

In 2019, the University of Mobile awarded Breland a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, citing “a remarkable career.”

Mentor and friend

Andrew Goodwin, dean of Alabama School of the Arts and a UM graduate, said Breland “has been one of the biggest influences in my life — both as a mentor and as a friend.

“His leadership, wisdom and passion for music and ministry have shaped not just the Alabama School of the Arts but also the lives of so many students, including mine. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his encouragement and belief in me. 

“Dr. Breland taught me what it means to be a musician, but more importantly, he showed me what it looks like to follow Jesus. He helped me learn that the 23 hours off the stage are more important than the one hour on the stage. 

“Although it is good to reflect on the miles traveled and the songs that have been sung, I believe Dr. Breland’s legacy is the impact he has had on the lives of over 6,000 students that have come through the Alabama School of the Arts,” Goodwin said.

The greatest miracle

Throughout his career, Breland traveled more than 4 million miles across 50 nations, presented more than 12,000 concerts and produced 100 albums. But he believes his greatest accomplishment isn’t found in the number of miles traveled or concerts performed. It’s in the message he has dedicated his life to teaching:

“There’s really only one song to sing, and that is the song that will honor God. We want to do that with excellence.”

It’s not enough, he tells students, to simply believe the words of the song.

“The bottom line for people who live our life on the platform in ministry is not that you believe what you sing,” he says. “The most important thing is that you live what you sing. I want students to know that what they do involves so much more than music.”

A new calling

Looking ahead, Breland sees what he calls a “new calling” to spend more time with Linda.

“I started touring full-time when I was 27,” he said. “Linda and I have three sons, 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. I am now 81 — it’s probably time for me to stay home.”

He does not regret the choices he’s made.

“I would do it all again,” he said.Watch a video about Roger Breland’s career here.