Freedom Fest: Oklahoma-based faith group will be performing Friday

Michelle Warren, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·2 min read

Jun. 30—WILLIMANTIC — In an effort to spread goodwill to the community, an Oklahoma- based faith group has been beautifying the Garden on the Bridge and other sites in the Windham area this week.

The group, " One to the Other Ministries," will also hold a free concert for youth in Willimantic on Friday. The concert, " Freedom Fest: Youth Explosion, will be held from 2 p. m. to 8 p. m. at the Shaboo Stage, which is at 645 Main St.

" If representatives of the church don't show love to the community, who will?" said Ryan Duck, pastor of Abundant Life Community Church in Willimantic, who is involved with the concert.

Council for Christian Arts, which is based in Windham, helped with the event.

Members of OTTOM did mulching and other work at The Garden on the Bridge on Tuesday. They painted, cleaned gutters and did other work at Chaplin Congregational Church on Wednesday.

OTTOM is based in Tulsa, Ok. but has members from all over the country, including Connecticut, Arkansas, Missouri and Puerto Rico.

The group, which was founded in 1986, has done work in more than 60 countries.

The ministry has multiple functions: drama presentations; sending medical teams to places in need; emergency relief teams; and youth training.

OTTOM President Victor Cruz said Freedom Fest is designed to connect the youth in Connecticut with youth in the Midwest, involving high school and college students.

Cruz and Duck said youth relate better to college and high school students than older people.

" They want to talk to other 18 to 20 year- olds," Cruz said.

Two Christian Rock bands will perform during the event: The Blameless Project from Waterbury and Crimson Rain from Rhode Island.

Gene Shelby, a Christian rapper from Pittsburgh, will also perform.

Dancers will perform, as well as Milian Ortiz, a singer from Puerto Rico. Members of the ministry will perform " Spellbound," an allegory about the Christian gospel, which has been performed in more than 30 countries and in eight languages.

" People from all walks of life have enjoyed it," Cruz said.

On Thursday, the group planned to have Keith Wheeler carry the cross up to UConn, where a performance of " Spellbound" was planned.

Cruz said Wheeler has carried the cross all over the world and was in Peru recently.

The group also planned to hold a service for the community at the Willimantic Camp Meeting Association on Wednesday night.

Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter — @ mwarrentc.