on i s s a P The of Gospel Music and Ministry
by Johnathan Scroggs
nationally that landed at Darin’s home church in Oak Grove. The group was called Inheritance Trio which was owned by my brother, singer and songwriter Benjamin Scroggs.
We have all most likely heard of, or have seen, the movie The Passion of the Christ. I want to share a story that is near and dear to my heart, The Passion of Gospel Music and Ministry. I was very blessed to get to know the young man that I am writing about when I was offered the privilege of traveling and doing ministry with the gospel group, The Williamsons, back in 2009 and for a few years afterwards. The first time I heard them take the stage, I was surprisingly blown away. As many of you already know, when you have been in gospel music for any length of time, it becomes increasingly more difficult to be impressed, but I found myself wide-eyed and jaw open as a young man by the name of Darin Hebert began vibrating the walls and the very bench that I sat on with his bellowing deep notes and beautiful tones. (Side note – pronunciation of his last name Hebert sounds like “a bear”). When I first met Darin, he was only 19 years old, and yet he had a vocal depth and tone similar to my very own hero in gospel music, George Younce, who sang bass for the legendary Cathedral Quartet. Darin Hebert comes from Oak Grove, Louisiana, where he attended The Goodwill Church of God. At the age of 17 he began traveling around Arkansas, singing gospel music as his passion continued to grow. During this same time, there was a gospel group traveling
When I called my brother and told him that I was writing an article about Darin Hebert and his contagious passion for gospel music, Ben immediately went into the story of the day he met Darin. Ben recalled that the first moment he met Darin he could feel the passion this young man had for God and gospel music. Ben went on to say, “I remember him bringing up a scrap book that he had put together of all of his favorite bass singers in gospel music, and he was so excited to show it to us.” That night, Inheritance Trio brought Darin on stage and had him join them in a song. Although Ben had no recollection of what song it was, Darin remembered the exact song and stated, “It was ‘When They Ring the Bells of Heaven.’” In such a divine way that only God could do, a few months passed by and gospel singer Donnie Williamson called Ben Scroggs asking if he had any leads on potential bass singers because The Williamsons were
