Revival Worship from the Jackson Revival Center

Revival Worship, the award-winning praise team of the Jackson Revival Center (JRC), is bringing their powerful voices, devotion, and spiritually uplifting message of contemporary gospel music to the stage at the 83rd National Folk Festival. JRC adds to the deep legacy that Mississippi—Jackson in particular—has created as a major center for gospel music in any form, leaving listeners of all denominations inspired and full of joy.

In recent decades, praise and worship music has become a mainstay of Christian churches across America with both peaceful and energetic songs of devotion helping to set the tone and the message for the service. The tradition has its roots both in the sound of contemporary gospel pioneers like Andraé Crouch as well as the “Jesus Movement” that saw people creating countercultural churches in the 1960s and ’70s. Consisting of a smaller number of vocalists, each member of the Praise Team gets their own microphone and is able to showcase their vocals and harmonies, while traditional choirs focus on the combined sound of the group. Today praise teams are as integral a part of the musical ministries of many Black churches as larger choirs. Their repertoires often include compositions by gospel singers and worship leaders like Hezekiah Walker and Israel Houghton, as well as songs that originated in contemporary Christian music such as “Break Every Chain.”

Jackson Revival Center was founded in 1960 by the late Dr. Raymond Biard when the church he was pastoring moved from Highway 90 to Porter Street. At the time, the congregation consisted of White parishioners, but Biard believed strongly that—as his obituary put it—he had been “commissioned to go into all the world and to preach to all people.” In the mid-1970s, after years of secretly ministering in Black neighborhoods, Biard put up a sign on the church lawn that read “Everyone is Welcome,” making JRC Mississippi’s first integrated charismatic church (i.e., churches that emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit).

Today its tradition continues under the leadership of Dr. Biard’s daughter, senior pastor Rev. Jennifer R. Biard. JRC has one of the most respected and robust musical ministries in the region, featuring several vocal ensembles and a tight band of musicians. Their songs of praise electrify both the parishioners who attend services at the church’s longtime home on W. Silas Brown Street and the thousands who watch its live streams or see viral clips of Revival Worship’s songs and Pastor Biard’s sermons on social media.

This year Revival Worship was named 2026 Praise Team of the Year by the Golden Triangle Music Awards. “What a testament to their heart, their sacrifice, and their unwavering commitment to leading God’s people into His presence,” wrote Pastor Biard. “Week after week, they don’t just sing … they minister. They don’t just perform … they usher in an atmosphere where lives are changed, hearts are healed, and the presence of God is tangible.”