The 2006 edition of Pastor's Praise Night, Nigeria's biggest gospel music concert is in the cards.

Organised by God of Glory Christian Church, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos and hosted in the church premise, in the annals of gospel music concerts in Nigeria, Pastor's Praise Night, still remains the biggest.

According to a release made availbale to www.elifeonline.net, this years edition comes up on December 10.

Scheduled to feature in this years edition are some of the big names in the Nigerian gospel music scene: Ebenezer Obey, Funmi Aragbaye, Yinka Ayefele, Bukola Akinade, Sammy Okposo and Mike Aremu.

Others scheduled to play are Hope Davis, Soji Israel, Infinity, Spirit of David, the Baba Ara group, Ajidara and some more.

Speaking on Pastor's Praise Night, Pastor A.T. Williams, the General Overseer of the church said 'singing has always been part of worship and praise to God. Since the creation of the world, praise has being identified as the premium sacrifice the Lord demands from man. It was no mistake when the great - great grandson of Adam and Eve was named Mahalalel, meaning giving praise to God by singing. (Gen 5:12) God Himself also sings for joy. (Zephaniah 3:17) And if God could sing, why not man?

"Praise, he said 'is a serious spiritual business" "The dream of Pastors Praise Night was crystallised when the Lord spoke to me to set aside a particular day in each year for members of the church to praise Him. That spiritual instruction turned out to be a life-size event and magnificent experience where we invite various gospel musicians all over Nigeria to our church to sing. It has since risen from occasional appearances of musicians to becoming a major annual gospel music concert in Nigeria."

Profound also is the power of praise in the church such that the choir, The Breakthrough Voices is adjudged anointed in leading worshipers to God's gates with thanksgiving in their hearts and His courts with praise. The choir's state of the art musical equipment is manned by excellent instrumentalists. The result is a smooth stream of communion with God, which has made the pretty ambience of the church a delight for worshippers who fervently seek the face of God via the fire, power and authority in the tongue of His son.

Apart from praise, significant is the power of God in his sermons, the authority in his prayers and the vision in his counsel. Through him, the Lord has touched lives and shaped destinies of many people who could have all the way been held captives by the devil through mental, spiritual and material shackles.

The first edition of Pastor's Praise Night took place in 1999 in the Church auditorium. Like every good thing starting small, the choirs of some churches provided music ministrations while some radio and television presenters Toba Opaleye and Taiwo Akinsola directed the programme.

The second edition took place in the year 2000 at Airways Ground, Ikeja, Lagos. It featured gospel musicians like Evang. (Dr) Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, Esther Iwalesin, Timi Osukoya, (a.k.a. Telemi) Evangelist Sonny Okosuns and the gospel jazzist, Mike Aremu while Pastor Patrick Doyle directed the night. For strategic reasons, the concert did not hold in the year 2001.

The third featured over ten gospel musicians while the fourth editions which took place in the subsequent year also at the church auditorium featured more close to twenty gospel musicians including the regulars and others like Dekunle Fuji, Evan. (Dr) Dunni Olanrewaju (Opelope Anointing), Olufunmi?, Evan. Akin Adebayo (Imole Ayo), Bukola Bolarinwa Akinade (Senwele Jesus), Kenny St. Brown and Pastor Joseph Adelakun (a.k.a. Ayewa). Others were Gbemi Olaleye, Yinka Ayefele, Bukola Olomola (Baba Ara) Kunle Ajayi, Kingsley Ike, Sammy Okposo, Segun Obe, Spirit of David and Lanre Teriba.

The fifth edition was perhaps the biggest and the best. Like the Bible says, better is the end of a matter than the beginning of it. Today, to the glory of God, Pastor's Praise Night is adjudged the biggest gospel music concert in Nigeria. What are the credentials?

"With high sense of modesty and gratitude to God, the church National Secretary, Wale Osodi said "the management of the concert, the expectations and response of the public to it, the interest and prominence it has generated in the media, the consistency it has built over the years, the calibre of musicians it has attracted, the organisation of it which has (to the glory of God again) been stress free, debt free and yet without gate-takings present the concert as creditably the biggest in Nigeria and a strong candidate for bigger recognition in all Christian circles in Africa.