[Editor’s Note: Word News published this series on Fridays. The stories were lost because of a server problem years ago. Word News is rebuilding these exclusive stories and will run them under the category “Flashback.” Enjoy!]

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (WordNews.org) Oct. 7, 2005 — One of Christian music’s top-selling — and controversial — bands, Stryper, is back on the road, and on a mission.

“We’re back together,” said Michael Sweet, lead singer and one of the founders of the band that dates back to 1983 and once topped Billboard.

The Stryper “Reborn” tour is in the early stages. The first new album since 1990. [Editor’s note: Stryper has since put out “The Covering” in 2011 and “Murder by Pride” in 2009].

“We just felt it was a great time to do it,” Sweet told WordNews.org. “Everyone’s got a real clear vision of what we’re doing. We’re going for it. We’ll see where it takes us and how it unfolds.”

That vision is to return to the band’s roots in 1983 through 1990, Sweet said. “And that is spreading the message of Christ. We feel we have a call on our lives. He provides, He gives the ability, the talent, the music. We want to give back to Him and give Him all the glory. It’s as simple as that. That’s the vision, that’s the goal.”

Sweet said it’s a different world now then when Stryper toured in its heyday. But one thing hasn’t changed.

“There still the need for encouragement,” he said. “We live in a world that has a lot of darkness in it. We turn on the news and are constantly hearing about horrible things happening, be it terrorism or war or hurricanes or whatever. Constant attack after attack after attack after hit after hit after hit.”

That’s where Stryper comes in. The band has encouragement in its name: Stryper stands for Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement and Righteousness.

“You can never get enough encouragement in the place that we live in, this world,” Sweet said. “So we’re here, we’re a small little band, a tiny, small, little piece of the puzzle and we’re trying to bring in hope and grace and mercy and faith and encouragement — all that good stuff to this world that desperately needs it. People’s days and lives are tough enough to be fed with garbage, which is what a lot of bands feed the world. And there’s plenty of that going around that you can load your plate up with. We want to offer the extreme opposite and offer people hope and encouragement. And really the ultimate hope and encouragement is Christ and His word. That’ what we’re all about.”

Related:
Part II: Times Have Changed, Message the Same