Top: Stefon Hawkins leads the praise team (Stefon Hawkins, Marissa Kendrick, Izaiah Brockington, Chris Kendrick). Bottom: Providence in the sanctuary. Lucy Gellman Photos.
It wasn’t Sunday morning, but church was fully in session. Stefon Hawkins lifted the mic to his lips, ready to sing. “Hallelujah! Glory to ya!” he proclaimed. The words, sweet and round, drifted through the building, weaving through keys and percussion. “Hallelujah!” In the first pew, Wydell Sims and Brenda Ward rose to their feet, the music flowing through them. “We magnify your name!”
Between the pews, Isaiah Providence bent at the waist, steadied his hands, and began to film. From the side of the church, it looked like he was praying…