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Hometown Acoustic Rock Worship Leader Wins American Idol Competition
By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
LOS ANGELES, CA / CONWAY, AR (ANS) -- More than 100 million votes were cast in the American Idol final to catapult a Southern hometown Christian worship leader to stardom against a West Coast glam-rock guyliner who seemed to have the title all sewn-up from early days of the competition.
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| American Idol 2009 competition winner Kris Allen |
The underdog singer, who beat out the expected favorite, rocker Adam Lambert, looked stunned at the announcement that he had won the competition, saying: "I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," as he leaned on program host Ryan Seacrest to keep from staggering.
Allen is the worship pastor for the Chi Alpha campus ministry location at University of Central Arkansas and at New Life Church in Conway and Little Rock, Arkansas.
According to Peter Elliott, a veteran news and sports journalist who writes the www.Everydaychristian.com blog, and who enjoys interviewing others about how God works in their lives and sharing that with readers, ministry colleagues describe Allen as "humble, compassionate and dedicated to God."
Elliott says American Idol finalist Kris Allen is a humble young man with a heart for Christian service according to two pastors who know him well.
Allen's rise to fame joining Danny Gokey (also a worship leader outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta in the Idol final four brought plenty of attention to Conway -- population 52,000 -- and the UCA campus.
Amid the excitement, Allen, 23, has used his faith and his marriage as cornerstones, Elliot writes.
"I think he's doing really well," said Matt Carpenter, 34, UCA Chi Alpha director and an ordained Assemblies of God pastor. "This is probably the biggest challenge he's faced, but I know him and (his wife) Katy and they are both dealing well with it.
"Kris is a guy who takes a lot of things in stride. He's not too dramatic."
Allen advanced out of the 'Idol' Louisville audition round and tried out along with his brother, who encouraged Kris to participate.
Elliott says Allen gained perspective on his faith by traveling on Chi Alpha mission trips to Spain, Morocco, Thailand, Mozambique and South Africa.
"Especially for the ministry here at UCA, we have done a lot of mission trips," Carpenter said. "We feel it is a deep core value to reach out to the poor and oppressed at all ends of the Earth, and I know this is what in Kris' heart too. "God gave Kris a heart for compassion and empathy, and to reach out to others."===>Click headline for complete news story . . .
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