Greg Manchester

My story is likely different than many in the gospel music industry. During the earlier years of my life, my parents lived a life of partying with their friends. So, I thought life was about partying and just having a good time. 

I wasn’t brought up in church early on, except when my grandma would bring me while visiting her.  For as long as I can remember, I was always intrigued about playing guitar, but no one took me seriously. When I was around 12 years old, my parents almost split up and in the process my dad got saved at his brother’s full gospel church. My mom and the rest of the family soon followed and began changing our way of life to live for the Lord. I expressed my interest in learning how to play guitar right away while watching the musicians in the church. I asked the guitar player at the church to teach me guitar. I’ve heard him tell this story about me to other folks many times. He didn’t think I was serious and so he would teach me one major chord every Sunday for a couple of months, thinking I would become frustrated and lose interest. I didn’t know how I was supposed to learn. I practiced each chord

each week, and by the end of the week I was able to make the chord fairly quickly. Long story short, this man had started a gospel music ministry. About three years later, he asked me to be the lead guitar player. I give all the glory to God on this. We lived out in the country where I had no one to teach me advanced techniques. 

I would practice in my room with 33 and 45 records over and over and figure out how to play the lead solos 

I would hear. Somehow in the process, God gave me a gift to understand and figure out how to play what 

I heard. I went with this gospel group to Nashville when 

I was about 17 to make an album, which was produced by Ronny Hinson. At this point, I knew the Lord had a calling on my life in the music ministry. It seemed every time I was around a prophet, I would be called out of a crowd and the prophet would prophesy that God has a calling on my life to be in His music ministry. After finishing high school, I was tempted to run from this calling and experience the partying lifestyle I saw my parents live out when I was younger. I was very naïve and easily influenced, so I made a lot of bad choices for many years. I got married early and had children, so 

I knew I had to have a steady income to support the family. Therefore, I pretty much gave up my dream of playing music as a career. Somehow through the process of life, I went back to school and graduated with a bachelor’s degree to start a career in the chemical industry. I didn’t give up playing completely. 

I played in many groups and continued improving my musical and vocal skills.  I have been fortunate to be in situations where I have been asked to play guitar and sing harmony with many country and rock music stars over the years. It is amazing to me how forgiving and loving our Lord really is. Even though I ran away from Him for a long time, He never gave up on me and continued to let me know He had given me a gift to use for Him and a calling on my life in His music ministry. Several years ago,  I was asked by a friend that I played a show with, to help him with the music at Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana. I was already reaching out to the Lord at this time, but this move helped bring me closer to God and rekindle the calling on my life that has always been there. I met several people during conferences at this church that are in the gospel music industry that helped put me in touch with other folks in the industry to start working in the ministry again. It was obvious to them that God has a calling on my life and wants to use the gifts He gave me for His glory. I am so excited to be working in the ministry and bringing Him glory. It is such a great privilege and honor to serve our Lord. I pray whatever He leads me to do for Him will somehow touch people and bring them closer to the Lord. I always enjoy joining other artists when we’re able to minister together and help them by playing lead guitar on their songs when they normally

don’t have a live musician to join in.