 The
Baker-Pasma families had their start 22 years ago when Dale
Pasma, Randy Baker, Dawn Ballast, and Ginger Berghorst all
attended the same Christian High School . Although they
never were close friends during high school, their
friendship grew after graduation as Ginger, Dale, and Dawn
began to sing part-time for local churches in the early
eighties. They were very involved in youth ministries and
strongly believed God would powerfully use gospel singing to
positively influence young people. They asked Randy Baker, a
southern gospel pianist, to join them in their endeavor. A
group called "Promise" was the result. The group
sang part time around Michigan and the Midwest until Randy
started Medical School in 1991. The group recorded several
projects produced by Charles Novell and Roger Bennett.
Dale and Ginger married in
1987 while Randy and Dawn were wed in 1988. After Randy
started his medical practice and Dale his plumbing company,
the families began to sing again on a part-time basis in
Michigan . The Bakers had nine children while the Pasmas had
six, both over a 12 year period. The children began singing
at very young ages and the two oldest girls from each family
regularly sang as a girl's quartet since they were 3, 4, 5,
and six years old.
The families love southern
gospel music and have been instrumental in introducing the
genre to the West Michigan area. A typical Baker-Pasma
concert includes solos, quartets and whole group numbers
involving almost all members of the families. Also, there
are a number of instrumental numbers included as most
members are proficient in playing different instruments. The
family has regularly participated in their church's
Thanksgiving Benefit Concerts. Each year of the concert a CD
is professionally recorded at a recording studio and sold
the nights of the concert to benefit Christian charities.
Many of the songs sung and recorded have been written by
Randy Baker. In addition to the contribution by the Baker-Pasma
families to the concerts, a multi-church mass choir,
directed by Ginger Pasma, would contribute by lifting praise
to God.
The Bakers and Pasmas
strongly believe that good Biblical God-glorifying singing
is essential in bringing the gospel to our world. This must
be done by being "in the world but not of the
world." Though much of today's "Christian"
music is largely of the world, southern gospel music has,
for the most part, resisted these influences and remains an
unabashed "light on the hill." We are excited to
be a part of that light.
Hailey and Taylor Pasma,
along with Courtney and Arielle Baker, make up the quartet
of girls. The girls started singing when they were the young
ages of 3, 4, 5, and 6 in local churches. They started out
by singing songs like "The B-I-B-L-E" and
"Lord you are," but soon were belting out Southern
Gospel favorites like their parents. Now ages 13, 14, 15,
and 16 these young gals have come a long way. In the summer
of 2004 they participated in a contest called "Exalting
Him." Although the girls did very well, they were
eventually beat out by "Christian" rockers and
rappers. This though, was the very event that led the two
families to meeting Les Butler and recording their first big
project "Livin' for the Call" with the help of
Butler Music Group.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Baker/Pasma Families
5060 Michigan Street
Ada, MI 49301
Phone: (616) 975-1568
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