I Will Serve Him - Chester D.T. Baldwin

Chester D. T. Baldwin
is a native of Liberty, Texas a small rural community 45 miles east of Houston. He is the 5th of five children and grew up in home where there was plenty of singing and praising God. When he was about 5 years old, his mother, Gussie, bought a piano and as his testimony song states (The Lord Made Me For Song) “when no one in the family could even play.” But God knew that Gussie’s little baby boy would need that piano one day. He is the father of three sons, Cedric Darnell, Cordale Douglass, and Christian Domineke. He also has two grandchildren, Chase Douglass and Cianna Dion.

Chester began his formal music training with Valencia Donatto, Carolyn Jefferson, and finally under the tutelage of Martha Ford Osagie. All of these teachers noted that he possessed a “supernatural” gift and anointing for God’s music and his ministry and pushed him to pursue his love.

Chester became organist at the historic Trinity Valley Baptist Church at age 12 and its minister of music when he was only 15, leading the adult and youth choirs; ages 5 -85. He graduated with honors from high school, winning awards in music, talent shows and jazz band. He attended the University of Texas and became director for the college gospel choir, Innervisions of Blackness, and was an integral part of the university’s choral program particularly, the Varsity Singers.

Making Austin his home, Chester became the office administrator for a group of primary doctors. He managed their offices for 12 years then heeded God’s call to full time music ministry. Chester is now a highly sought gospel music singer recording artist and church choir workshop clinician, performing over 35 such clinics and concerts a year throughout the United States and abroad including England, Denmark, and Korea.

Chester is an accomplished musician, director, composer, and psalmist and has been an active and integral part of the Gospel music scene for the past 28 years. He has been featured on numerous GMWA Mass Choir and Men’s Choir recordings. His recordings, a lifelong dream, was made possible through the endorsement of the Holy Spirit and supported by the church community of Central Texas. Produced by James Roberson of JDI Records of Los Angeles, Ca. “Sing It On Sunday Morning I” was recorded live before a spirit filled, anxiously anticipating audience on May 30,1999 and “Sing It On Sunday Morning II: Just Having Chu’ch” was recorded October 6, 2001 both audiences numbering over 3,000 worshipers. Both releases have received national rave reviews and have produced some gospel radio standards including; “God Is Good,” “I Still Hear Mama Praying,” “Just Having Chu’ch,” “Get Right Church,” Ready, Willing and Able,” and “Lord I’m Trusting.”
“The Mama Song!” was featured on Walt “Baby” Love’s nationally syndicated program on Mother’s Day Weekend since 2000 and is destined to become a classic. This song is a testimony to the prayer warrior strength of Chester’s grandmother, Mamie Sip Baldwin, and mother, Gussie Baldwin Jones. “My grandmother knew how to pray, and she taught my mother the importance of a strong prayer life and now I have learned from my mother! You see sometimes as young people we do not have sense enough to pray for ourselves, but thank God that the prayers of our Mothers still cover us!” Baldwin testified.

Bill, the Mailman, Martin, Texas Gospel Announcers Guild President said, “as a gospel announcer, I’ve heard great gospel singers and musicians across the country, but I also believe that every now and then, from among the masses, there arises a special person that God has truly chosen to do a special work for Him. Such is the case here. Through God’s perfect timing and direction, Chester D. T. Baldwin is rising through the ranks to take his place among the truly great gospel artists of all time!”
Chester’s unique blend of traditional gospel with a contemporary flavor helps him to minister to the whole body of Christ without “crossing over.” “I believe that biblically sound music can minister to the masses without compromising the integrity of good church music,” Chester stated, “The ultra contemporary music is just that, temporary. But, good old traditional church music is here to stay. This is evident in Chester’s rendition of his testimony song, “The Lord Made Me For Song” which smoothly rolls into the old gospel “Use Me Lord” and also on his foot stomping “I Will Serve Him” that he easily transitioned into the old Gospel Pearl “Serving The Lord Will Pay Off Afterwhile!” “Gospel announcers across the country have asked for the rest of those songs,” Roberson lamented, “but that’s all that he gave us that night!”

Because of the crossover success of urban contemporary gospel and the rush to duplicate it, somehow good ol’ church music seems to have been forgotten but there’s nothing like good ol’ church music, music you can sing on Sunday morning. So “Sing It On Sunday Morning” and be blessed all week long!

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