WILLOW SPRINGS – In the small town of Willow Springs, Mo., Hannah Harper has gone from local musician to a national superstar with her win in Season 24 of American Idol.
Throughout the season, Harper has been vocal about her faith and love of worship music, singing songs such as “At the Cross” and her own original song “String Cheese”, which talks about her struggles with post-partum depression and her calling as a mother.
Music has been a part of the mother of three’s life since she was 9 years old, according to the Christian Post, as she toured with The Harper Family, her family band, and then served as worship leader at First Baptist, Birch Tree, Mo. The Baptist faith remained a strong part of her life as she also attended Southwest Baptist University.
It was at FBC Birch Tree that Interim Pastor Mike Dillin heard her sing for the very first time.
“I remember the first time I was there, I heard her voice, and I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s the best voice I think I’ve ever heard,” Dillin said.
Even as Harper traveled thousands of miles to Los Angeles to compete on American Idol, the support of her church and community remained strong. FBC Birch Tree hosted several watch parties on Monday nights, gathering to pray beforehand for all of the contestants.
“Hannah, we are so proud of you for standing firm in your faith during your American Idol journey. What a blessing it has been to be a part of your life. We have prayed for you for months and will continue to pray for you. We have always known that God has big plans for you,” FBC Birch Tree stated in a post on Facebook.
While Hannah continued to compete, her father, Gallon Harper, said that her faith remained strong and that God used her talent to tell others about him.
“When she chose that platform, God had his hand in the whole thing,” he said, “because the Lord sees so much farther than what we do, that He knew that she was going to be, that He knew that she was going to be able to express her faith and touch millions of people through her singing. Her witness was viewed by millions of people. So I mean, God had a plan and everything was in his time and his plan and she was just His vessel to get the word out about Jesus.”
Not only has Hannah brought Jesus to the national stage, but she has also inspired many people in her hometown to become curious about faith.
According to Dillin, there have been 11 baptisms at FBC Birch Tree, particularly from the Children for Christ Ministry that their church leads. Many parents have started to attend their church, with Dillin noting that on one Sunday, there were as many unchurched people as church members.
The public reaction to Hannah has been “amazing”, according to her father, who noted her appearance at 7 Brew Coffee in West Plains, where she served coffee and signed t-shirts, with traffic backed up all the way to the neighboring Walmart. People connected with the person they watched on TV and were willing to wait in line just to meet her.
Hannah’s authenticity and strong personal faith started in a small town in Southeast Missouri and grew to a national platform. Her unwavering trust in Jesus remained steadfast during her performance on American Idol and will continue as she goes on tour.
“I think, wherever she is, wherever she ends up, her light is going to continue to shine,” Dillin said. “It’s never going to change.”
Photo Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney (Getty Images–Used with permission)
