Friday nights offer a wide variety of entertainment opportunities for most people, but Central Bible Fellowship Church was determined to bring more options to Middle Georgia.

Adrian Bellamy, promotions director for “A Gospel Taste of Tradition,” happening Friday, said the upcoming show “is a gospel concert promoting traditional gospel music. We want to bring gospel music back to the area. Most options now revolve around hip-hop or rap, and while there is nothing wrong with that, what we’d like to have in the atmosphere is gospel music, to remind us what our roots are.”

In order to accomplish that, A Gospel Taste of Tradition will bring four different artists to the stage, plus the praise team from Central Bible Fellowship Church in Perry.

“This will be our first event on this scale. We’ve done some smaller shows in churches, but this is the first one on this scale. Our host that night is a well-known radio personality out of Atlanta, Rhodell Lewis. He is with AM 1480, WYZE, and he will be acting as the emcee,” Bellamy said. “Two of our artists, Melvin Williams of the Legendary Williams Brothers and Elder Jimmy Hicks & Voices of Integrity, are award-winning artists and we are very excited to have them performing.”

For Bellamy, the chance to invite Williams and Hicks is particularly meaningful.

“I’ve actually done some conferences where I’ve had the chance to meet Elder Jimmy Hicks and Melvin Williams. They are both great artists and have been favorites of mine for years. To be able to invite them to our area is such an honor and very exciting for me,” he said.

Additionally, Bellamy was pleased to be able to invite local performer minister Jonathan Lowder.

“We are also pushing a local artist, which is something we are really interested in doing. We want to encourage gospel music to flourish in Georgia and minister Jonathan Lowder, a local minister, just released his new CD and he will perform some songs from his new album,” Bellamy said

“The last group is out of south Georgia, Nathan Bartell and New Reality. Overall, we could not have asked for a better group of performers. The show will start at 8 p.m. and should last until about 11 p.m. All of the performers will have products and CDs to sell and will be lingering afterward for autographs and pictures.”

Bellamy said the show will offer Christian entertainment, something he thinks the Middle Georgia area needs.

“Usually, Christians only have the chance to attend church events,” he said.

“This is Georgia and there is a place for good gospel music, including contemporary gospel music, which there will undoubtedly be some of as well. This show will be a good time.”

As a final incentive, even though the door price for tickets is $30, Bellamy is willing to offer tickets at the pre-sell price of $25 to anyone arriving at the door with a copy of this article.

“I just hope everyone comes on out,” he said.

A Gospel Taste of Tradition

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Homer J. Walker Jr. Civic Center, 700 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins

Cost: $30, $25 with copy of this article

Phone: (478) 951-1289 or www.wooentertainment.com