Testify to Love: Avalon's Untold Story | For the Love

Description:If you grew up on Christian music in the '90s, there's a good chance Testify to Love wasn't just a hit song—it was the soundtrack to a season of your life.

Three decades after Avalon first released the iconic anthem, Jen sits down with original Avalon member Michael Passons, longtime Avalon vocalist Melissa Greene, and country music star Ty Herndon to talk about the remarkable re-release of a song that has found new meaning for a new generation.

But this isn't simply a conversation about music. It's the untold story behind one of CCM's most beloved songs.

Michael shares the painful reality of losing his place in Avalon after coming out as gay. Melissa reflects on the faith journey that transformed her understanding of inclusion and belonging. Ty opens up about his own path through addiction, recovery, faith, and finally living fully and truthfully as himself. Together, they revisit the song that connected millions of listeners and explore why its message of love, acceptance, and human dignity feels more relevant now than ever.

Filled with laughter, tears, hard-earned wisdom, and more than a few moments that will leave you reaching for the tissues, this conversation is a beautiful testament to friendship, healing, and the courage it takes to live loud.

Whether Testify to Love has been on your playlist for thirty years or you're hearing its story for the first time, this episode is a powerful reminder that love's truest testimony is not who it excludes—but who it embraces.

Thought-provoking Quotes:

• “I lost my community, my family, my career, all within a couple of seconds. That’s a lot to process.” - Michael Passons

• "The people I loved and the fullness of their humanity butted up against my theological positions. I had to ask myself: Do I keep creating fences and becoming more exclusive? Or could it be that my views of God, humanity, and the world need to change?" – Melissa Greene

• "What I've noticed in the lives of people who have allowed themselves to evolve and change their mind is that that process pulls us toward an expansiveness that is just magical." - Jen Hatmaker

• “You don't live in the church, the church lives in you. You have an opportunity right now to start your own church and decide who sits at your table. No one can kick you out of your own church.” - Ty Herndon

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Avalon - https://www.avalonthegroup.com/

• Carman - https://carman.org/

• Stephen Curtis Chapman - https://store.stevencurtischapman.com/

• Kirk Franklin - https://kirkfranklin.com/

• Michael’s Instagram Reel - https://www.instagram.com/reels/DY6_JF6BDyO/

• Dottie Rambo - https://www.dottierambo.net/

• Testify to Love - https://music.apple.com/us/song/testify-to-love-feat-melissa-greene/1893435396

• Testify to Love video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l7IPvr6b8s
  

Melissa’s Links:

Website - https://www.melissagreene.net