Embarking on the Musical Sprouting Remnants was inspired by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Its story resides in its unique cultural context, yet its manifestation is a testimony for all the world. Sprouting Remnants encapsulates the journey of Highway Mission Tabernacle, Resurrection Life Church and Spring Garden Academy. The music to be composed for this project required a delicate blend of songs that will cater to an Intergenerational audience in a semiformal fashion. This also meant a roadmap for planning that embraced textual content that was simultaneously historical, forward-looking, and able to impact the intersection of Christian Faith, Community and Academia. In addition, it had to go beyond the present expression in which it finds itself and become worthy of being emulated.
As a Christian Educator, I have always believed that modernity is not the absence of tradition but rather, when well-guided, with wholesome guardrails, it is a continuum of sorts that reflects the hand of God in the affairs of humanity’s “refinement.” In this project, such reflections, references, and observations often triggered a scripture that kept floating in my mind, giving me no peace. Interestingly, my conversations with Pastor Otto Wegner, Pastor Otis A. Fortenberry, and Pastor Candace Wegner, and my understanding of the historic building in which we worshiped and taught children kept pointing to the same scripture:
“ Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls”. [Jeremiah 6:16–20]
My reaction to this Scripture was to talk to Candace about a musical project. My focus was not the succeeding verses in this Scripture passage. Instead, my prayer was for leadership to understand that God was already with us and that our numbers (as a little flock) did not matter. In moving forward, I explored the skills, talents and artistic gleanings amongst us. Furthermore, I envisioned and examined how these talents could trigger interests that, through artistic expression, could activate “auxiliary” possibilities that complemented academia; essentially, integrating music and the performing arts into the curriculum instead of seeing them as just another, separate subject. Interactions at various levels confirmed, that while it was a lot of work to embark on as a musical project, it was worth doing: It was Possible! That glimpse of hope was sufficient.I was most thrilled with all staff members, and particularly the directors of SGA. Therefore, I settled in for a journey that would require a lot of patience and prayer.
Candace Wegner, the executive director, and Fatima Fulks, the business director, helped to crystallize my creative thoughts by organizing weekly meetings with me. This helped us to detail a roadmap, as both of them are strategic planners.As the halls of Spring Garden Academy rang with the sound of children learning songs, vocabularies were built, correct posture nurtured and teamwork promoted, as we steadily worked through many daunting tasks by the grace of God.
The title of the musical project, SPROUTING REMNANTS, was arrived at as an exercise. For a living entity or even a dream to “sprout”, many factors must fall in place, including environment, mindsets, nurturing, pruning, perseverance, and encouragement.
All these considerations have to come together within a framework that promotes and improves proficiency; generally, a road map to the objective, its implementation, and its desired outcome being constantly echoed and reinforced. We made sure to guard against compromising the nascent abilities of the children/learners. As a result, we positioned the performing arts in the curriculum to prepare ourselves not only for school but for life!
Sincerely,
Victor Ni Sowa Manieson
Musician/Artistic Director
Spring Garden Academy
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
By Otis A. Fortenberry
Executive Summary
Highway Mission Tabernacle began 130 years ago at a prayer meeting, with eight or nine people who wanted to see God move in Philadelphia. At its peak, in the 1940s through the 1970s, it was one of the largest churches in the Assemblies of God (an international Pentecostal movement, which includes two of Highway’s former pastors as its leaders). In the seventies, when cites in America, and Philadelphia in particular, went through rough times, the church plummeted in size. Most of its membership left Philadelphia for the suburbs, and there was pressure to move the church out of the city. However, God maintained a remnant of faithful people who continued to pray faithfully for Philadelphia.
In the 1990s, a new generation began moving into Philadelphia, and the church began to pick up in size again. In that era, the church launched Spring Garden Academy, to meet the educational needs of children in our neighbourhood. In 2005, Highway was asked to resurrect an abandoned building in North Philadelphia, the result being that, in 2008, Resurrection Life Church was launched as a satellite location for both the church and the academy. Following the pandemic, a majority of the membership voted to affiliate with another church, with only a remnant migrating to the church in North Philadelphia.
Timeline:
a. November 29, 1894 (Thanksgiving Day) – Members of the recently disbanded
Cross and Crown Association meet at Siloam Methodist Episcopal Church to pray and plan for a continued move of God. This is regarded as the birth of Highway Tabernacle.
b. Members of the newly formed organization purchase a gospel wagon that could be used to hold open-air meetings, to reach the unchurched. On December 12, 1895, they take charge of a small mission hall at 23rd and Jefferson Streets. As the church expands, they move to an eight-room schoolhouse at 22nd and Oxford Streets, a former Presbyterian church at 19th and Green Streets, and the former Fifth Baptist Church building at 18th and Spring Garden Streets.
c.July 3, 1899 – The church is chartered in Philadelphia as “Highway Mission Tabernacle Union Un-Denominational Church.” The church’s name is officially shortened to “Highway Mission Tabernacle” on November 24, 1986.
d. August 21, 1986 – Highway’s sanctuary is destroyed by fire.
e.November 14, 2021 – A majority of Highway’s congregation votes to affiliate with Chicago Tabernacle and give that church their Spring Garden properties.
2. Resurrection Life Church
a.In 2004, the Penn-Del District of the Assemblies of God approaches Highway’s pastor, Otto Wegner, about taking over a church building and parsonage in Philadelphia’s Tioga-Nicetown neighborhood that had been abandoned by a previous ministry. On February 6th, 2005, the church’s congregation approves the recommendation of the deacons and accepts the district’s proposal, with plans to reopen the church as a satellite location.
b.September 27–29, 2008 – After years of renovation, Resurrection life Church is officially launched with a weekend of events, including community outreach through Convoy of Hope.
c.March–July, 2020 – During the pandemic, when Highway and Resurrection Life held combined services online, Resurrection Life’s pastoral team steps down from ministry. In-person services resume on July 12th, at Highway only.
d. October 2021 – Sunday services are relaunched at Resurrection Life, with a breakfast and Bible Study. Full Sunday morning services resume the following month.
Overarching Vision
Our vision is to grow a church and academy that are healthy enough to address the spiritual, physical, mental, economic and family need) of our Tioga-Nicetown community and to develop leaders who can replicate these ministries in future generations and in other areas of the city.
MUSICAL & TEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE by Warren B. Cooper
The day I met Victor Nii Sowa Manieson I was serving as a director for the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA USA. He had heard of us, was greatly intrigued by our existence and mission, and was moved to show up in person to investigate what was going on. On that appointed day “Victor Manieson” appeared at our door with a Spirit so notable to the staff that they gave him a full tour of the facility, which ended up in my office. I, like the staff, was immediately taken by the Holy Spirit Presence of this man, as he and I soon found our way into synchronized rhythm around our shared vision.
My discovery of this man as “Dr. Victor Manieson” perpetuated a cascading blossom of inspiration. This was a man of deep faith who had a Called Commitment to music education; a man with an incredibly advanced grasp of the power in Music to positively influence the human spirit; and a man who happened to be a globally recognized music educator, author, and composer. This was also a man curating a vivid imagination for the role of Music in the casting of an inspirational vision for the faithful remnant of those who value and follow the principles of Jesus Christ, along with a vision for paving a way forward for the desire to improve our global human condition.
Sprouting Remnants is a brilliantly crafted creation that combines several musical styles into a diverse prophetic statement about the activation of our Calling as Disciples of Jesus in this present moment. It lives at the five-point musical intersection of Frederick Handel, Richard Smallwood, George Gershwin, and the tradition of the Negro Spiritual. The fifth point of this intersection is the anointed, culturally enriched touch of Dr. Manieson himself, that becomes tangible in the smooth textured blending of those styles. It is a musical journey that serves as punctuation for a narrative that chronicles the transition from a condition of decay into a blossomed fruit bearing condition that is born of seeds planted in good soil.
This Mini Musical presents these remnant seeds in a way that reminds me of the seeds nestled deep beneath the surface ground of a burning forest, whose germination is activated by the fire’s intense heat to begin the process of regeneration in that decimated space. Sprouting Remnants guides us on the path from Despair to Dreams, to Awakening, to Hope, and ultimately to the Gratitude that gives birth to the germinated blossoming of possibility, made manifest in the places where Faith and Action are activated by the ultimate source…The Breath of Life.
Sprouting Remnants inspired me with reminders of how our perseverance, in a faithful and righteous posture of intention, is destined to be blessed into the experience of the Presence of God that expresses through that stance. It is a theologically framed, biblically based, culturally relevant and intrinsically inspirational musical work that has an important message to share with the world.
The message: “We are God’s Masterpiece(s), taking Little Steps that Grow through a Welcome Hello into a Praise that gives rise to Knowledge & Wisdom. Across generations, we must recognize the Identity, Vision and Presence of a God that Cannot and Will Not Fail. As we labor in the harvesting of God’s Promises through our Praise, we discover that God Is Able and are moved to proclaim our Sprouting into a Navigated Path of Worship, a Path that leads us into Knowing our Prayers are Heard as we are Refreshed by the Dew to represent Christ anew.”
My deep and sincere gratitude to Dr. Victor Nii Sowa Manieson for his obedience in bringing this message to all of us, a message that I strongly commend to your hearing.
DEDICATION – IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – V
TABLE OF CONTENTS – VI
FOREWARD – VII
PREFACE – XI
MUSICAL SYNOPSIS – XVI
THE SONGS
I Am God’s Masterpiece – 1
Little Steps Will Grow – 4
Hello – 6
I’ll Praise Your Name – 7
Rising In Knowledge & Wisdom (Dance) – 9
Medley
Gen Z Remnants Relay – 11
Who Art Thou – 16
Write The Vision – 19
God Cannot and Will Not Fail – 22
God’s Promises, Our Praise – 23
Symphonic Poem: God Is A Wise Investor (Piano and Spoken Word) – 27
My God is Able – 28
We Are Coming – 32
All Ye Who Labour – 36
Remnants Navigate Their Path -40
Intergenerational Remnants Relay
God is Still In Control -42
Lord We Magnify -44
Dios Te Bendiga – 45
Thank You For Another Day -46
Hear Our Prayer – 48
Refreshing Dew (Dance) – 52
FINAL DRAFT (Stage Guide) – 55
Victor Nkunim Nii Sowa Manieson is a music education theorist, ethnomusicologist, composer,professional pianist and performer who is commtted to Afrikan Liberation and National Pride. He graduated from the National Academy of Music (NAM), now the Music Department of the University of Education, in Winneba, Ghana. He received his Masters from San Diego State University’s School of Music and Dance, in the United States. He also attended Clark-Atlanta University where he took some doctoral classes in the Humanities.
Over the years, Manieson has served in different capacities as an educational trainer, vocal coach, piano accompanist and Minister of Music. Most notably he taught at Lincoln Community School in Accra, and as adjunct Lecturer at University of Education. Currently, he is the Musician/Artist in residence at Spring Garden Academy/Resurrection Life Church in Philadelphia. He is passionate about the mission of Spring Garden Academy and works with the team to embrace all learners to facilitate their God-given potential.
Manieson’s work continues in the esteemed legacies of Dr. E. Amu, Professor J. H. K. Nketia, Reverend Professor James Cone, Professor Howard Thurman, Rev. Professor Femi Adededji, Mariam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Dr. Arikana Quao and many other conscious leaders. Victor Manieson’s current focus as a Conscious Cultural Healing Arts Practitioner is to use Choral Music to shape, orient, and advocate for African liberation.
He is married to Doreen Thomas-Manieson and they have two children.
Manieson, Victor Nii Sowa. Sprouting Remnants.(Accra: Noyam, 2024).