Rev. Joseph A. Bias
****
Singer
Bible Teacher
Christian Music Evangelist
Concert & Recording Artist
Minister of Worship & Music Director of Traditional Services
at Tulsa First United Methodist Church
Joseph A. Bias holds a Bachelor or Arts degree from
Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance and Literature and the coveted Performers Certificate from the Eastman School Of Music of the University Of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
He was ordained to full time Christian Ministry in 1981, and began a gospel music singing career performing with the Billy Graham Crusades, TBN, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Volkhardt Spitzer in Germany, and ministry with Teen Challenge in the USA and Sweden. For two and half years he hosted his own Christian Music television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. He recorded two commercial Christian music albums, I Choose Life and The Word is Life. Later recordings include Joseph Bias Sings Vols. 1 and 2, A collection of contemporary worship songs and choruses. He is a featured soloist on the recording Men In Worship for Hosanna! Integrity Music with Pastor Jack.
Continuing Education studies in Koine Greek and Biblical exegesis, and in depth scriptural analysis have been a catalyst for his ministry of teaching and exhortation in the Word.
Prior to his call to ministry at the First United Methodist Church of Tulsa in 1995, Rev. Bias was an assistant to the ministry of Dr. Tom McDonald at Church on the Way in Van Nuys California with Senior Pastor, Dr Jack Hayford. While at Church on the Way, he sang with the Renaissance and New Song Choirs and conducted the first Men’s Chorus for Promise Keepers at Anaheim Stadium. He served in the pastoral council of the Entertainment Industry Fellowship at Church On The Way. He was also a soloist at Sunday services and sang with the worship teams.
At First Methodist Tulsa he conducts the Cathedral Choir and Orchestra leads worship in weekly Sunday morning services and administrates the entire Worship/Music Ministry program. In addition to his ministry responsibilities Rev. Bias is also active in the Tulsa Music Community.
He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Tulsa since 1996 and is the founder of the Rotary Club of Tulsa’s International Crescendo Music Awards. The program, which awarded over $350,000 in cash prizes to young aspiring music performers for 15 years, was established to assist young classical music artists in the pursuit of their professional music careers. He is now co-founder of the new Crescendo Music Awards Grants Program.
Rev. Bias has served on the Board of the Tulsa Opera, and the Advisory Board of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of ACDA, the Hymn Society and Choristers Guild. He is a Christian music worship leader, soloist, choral and orchestral conductor, writer, composer, teacher and recording artist.
In an operatic career that spanned 11 years, he performed leading roles in five world premier operas including the Scott Joplin work,“Treemonisha” with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the American revival of Richard Strauss’ opera, “Die Schweigsame Frau.” [“The Silent Woman”]. He created the role of "Wellington" in the premier of Seymour Barab's “Philip Marshall,” for the Centennial of the Chautauqua Opera Association.
His classical recordings include a leading role in “The Disappointment, or the Force of Credulity” by Andrew Barton (pseudonym) a ballad Opera reconstructed and scored by Samuel Adler and performed at the Library of Congress in 1976 as part of the U.S. bicentennial, and a supporting role in Rachel, La Cubana March 4, 1974) for WNET Opera Theatre, by Hans Werner Henze.
He hosted his own half-hour weekly Christian music television program, “I Choose Life” on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
While living in Nashville he appeared on recordings with numerous artists including: George Jones, Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, Janie Fricke, Sandy Patti, Larnelle Harris, Ken Medema, Dottie Rambo and others. He has performed live in-concert with several popular country, pop and Christian concert artists.
As a Christian evangelist-singer called to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ, he has traveled and performed extensively in the United States, Sweden, Germany, England and parts of Italy and Israel.
In 2004 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Gospel Music Division. He first received national attention as a soloist when he sang at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Through his singing, daily devotionals, mentoring, and biblical exhortations Rev. Bias continues to pursue his calling as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.