In 2003, Michel returned from a mission trip to China and enlisted friend and bassist Nick Taylor to join his live band.

[3] In the absence of a band to accompany his performances, Michel sought the assistance of his long-standing friend, Andy Turner, to create demo recordings for works in progress.

[citation needed] During the early months of 2009, Michel crossed paths with guitarist Alvin Rapien, a fellow member of the same church community.

[8] Over this period, they transformed it from an independent "generator stage" into a prominent attraction, achieving notable success by the festival's final year in 2012.

This project aimed to blend original gospel compositions with traditional tunes and was slated to be produced and engineered by Paul Moak at Smoakstack Studios in Nashville.

Notable musicians, including Jimmy Abegg, Aaron Smith, and Eddie DeGarmo, were scheduled to contribute to the recording process.