History

Q- Give a brief testimony of how you became interested in music as well as the turning point from singing to ministering?

I grew up with music and Jesus.  My parents were worship leaders when I was young.  We   moved to Orange County, CA from San Diego CA when I was a boy.  I began to learn guitar and was active in my youth group.  I had an interest in music and began playing the guitar and writing songs after that.  I was leading worship in our youth group with the songs that I had written at 13.  The songs probably weren’t that good but the group sang them and I felt God using me in this way.

Q- What is the most influential song that you’ve written?

Although, I don’t have a particular favorite, when I am on stage singing songs that I have written, my mind goes back to the particular time that I wrote the song and memories began to flood my mind.

Q- What are some of your musical influences?

Of course, my parents, they developed the love that I have today for music.  I also remember hearing Delirious? King of Fools, and thinking how artistic their worship was.  It was more than just singing verses and then a chorus, it was so creative.  I also credit secular influences such as   U2 and Beyonce and many other eclectic artists whose songs currently reside on my ipod.

Q- What was your first label project?

The first label CD was self titled, Phil Wickham and was released in 2006.

Spiritual

Q- What do you see as man’s biggest struggle in society?

There are many issues that men struggle with but I see the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes as being a struggle that I witness men struggle with.  In this day and age, there is so much temptation through various media outlets that it is easy for men to fall into temptation.

Q-What is your favorite passage of scripture?

Since I have been writing songs for the new album entitled Heaven and Earth, I have read the last two chapters of Revelation over and over again and just to think that there will be an end, an eternal end and it is a reality, that is pretty cool.

LIFE

JV:  Ben, were you raised in a Christian family?

BU:  Yes, my father was a United Methodist Minister going on 30 years now and my mom was an amazing woman of faith.  I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family where the love of Christ could be seen in my parents relationship and both my sister and I responded well to that and we were saved at an early age.

JV:  How have your childhood experiences have affected your decision to live for Christ?

BU:  Growing up in a Christian family and seeing the Word of God as truth and how important the Bible was to my family set a tone for me.  Going into middle school, high school, and even college, I was aware of temptation and to have that biblical foundation helped me through those times.

JV:  Who were some of your influences as a young person and why?

BU:  Well, family is huge in my life.  My sister was a huge influence on me.  When I met my wife in college, she became a major influence on who gave me accountability as a man of God and to keep me focused on the goal at hand which was to serve Christ.  In sports, I looked up to guys like Chris Carter, Tony Dungy who also went to the University of Minnesota.  He became a friend, a coach, and a spiritual mentor when I played with the Colts.

JV:  How long have you been married?

BU:  3 years and we had a little girl in March whose name is  Elleora Grace.

FAITH

JV: Share a brief testimony.

BU:  I was saved at a young age, 3^rd or 4^th grade and asked my dad to help me pray the prayer of salvation and it was a wonderful time for the both of us.  In high school, I went to an Acquire the Fire conference and I have never experienced Christian faith like that.  This engulfing, all consuming fire of Christ and I would have to say that even know I accepted Christ at a young age that it wasn’t until the 9^th grade until that conference that I got on fire for God.  It took my faith to a new level.

JV:  How do maintain your character, integrity and walk with God in an arena where God is not necessarily honored.

BU:  Accountability.  The guys on the team that are Christians constantly keep each other accountable so that we can focus on God.  The other thing is the Ultimate playbook, the Bible.  I know that I start to struggle when I lose sight of how important my quiet time and my prayer time with the Lord is so when those start to fall, is when I struggle.  I need consistency to spend time doing those things that keep me close to Him.

JV:  What is the major struggle in this culture that makes men struggle?

BU:  Fear, I think Satan strategically uses fear to take away our courage and to take away our boldness.  Lust, as men we can be tempted by watching it in different forms but we need to  flee from it as the Bible says and try to live blameless especially in that area.  One of the songs on the new album RUN TO ME which I co-wrote with Jeremy Camp.  We wanted to write a song with man’s struggles especially lust and how being at a point that Jesus Christ is our Savior and He is here to rescue us out of that sin.  We can always run to Him for that and understand that He is here.

MUSIC

JV:  How long have you been singing?

BU: The fourth grade.  My dad was a vocal music major before he went into the ministry and my mom has a tremendous voice so music was an integral part of our family so my sister and I both grew up singing in church and things.  In college, I was able to do the National Anthem and fun things like that but music was a big part of my life since I was a little kid.

JV:  Do you have a radio single off of the new album?

BU:  Actually, we have 2 songs that we are promoting at the same time.  WE ALL BOW DOWN is a song that I had the chance to sing with Sandy Patty on.  It’s an awesome song written by Mark Harris formerly of Four Him.  The other song is called YOURS is adult contemporary where WE ALL BOW DOWN is more of an inspirational song.

JV:  What is your favorite song on the album?

BU:  That is really a difficult question because I had part in writing 10 of the 12 songs but I would have to say the last song on the album PASSION which was taken from the idea of The Passion of The Christ.  It was an eye opening, soul awakening movie for me, I was in tears and I bowed on my knees in prayer and the Lord gave me this song.  It was written very quickly in about 10 minutes and it is a God breathed song about His sacrifice.  I really believe God gave it to me because He wants people to have a relationship with Him and to see what His heart is all about.

Preview and buy the album here

FOOTBALL

JV:  In what year were you drafted?

BU:  I had a serious injury my senior year in college so I went from a second round draft pick to not getting drafted at all.  It was devastating but if that wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have signed on with the Colts and been on a championship team so God is great!  I was pretty doubtful and angry at the time with God but He has a way of showing you that His way is better.

JV:  What were some feelings, emotions, and experiences as part of being on a championship team?

BU:  The Super Bowl is hard to describe.  It is so big and massive and I watched it on television in previous years but I never realized how big it was.  We were at practice in the Miami Dolphins facility and the road was closed from the practice facility to the hotel.  It was then that I realized how big it really was.  There were 101 people who watched that game and to me it was surreal.  So many emotions were running through us excitement, being anxious things like that.  Once we were at the game we knew what we had to do and it was business as usual.

Music

Who influenced you musically? (Bryan)

As a youngster rock bands like Van Halen and Queen.  I became a Christian when I was 14 at a very legalistic church.  Rock music was considered a sin.  There was a period of time during my teenage years that I explored “acceptable” forms of music, which basically meant anything without drums or electric guitar.  I dove into classical music.  This was good for me.  I really enjoyed Bach.  It was tough but good to broaden my musical horizon.  My first introduction to Christian music was a band called Pray For Rain, or PFR.  They were a huge influence on me.

What does Vota mean?

We wanted a name that didn’t have a big meaning attached to it.  We wanted fans to just let us be the definition.  As they dive into who we are and our music, that’s VOTA.

What songs on the new album do you think impacts and encourages the Christian the most?

The song “Honestly” encourages and challenges the believer not to be afraid of being honest about your weaknesses.  Much of the church is afraid to share their doubts and struggles.  This song is a call to be transparent not just with our faith, but our doubts, not just with our strengths, but our weaknesses.

What is your favorite part about touring?

Bringing these songs to new places and audiences.  I like traveling with my friends.  Least? Being away from my family

How would you describe your particular genre?

I think this new album falls into a pop/rock/dance category

Faith

What do you think the biggest problem facing Christian men today?

Such a weighted question.  For me, my biggest problem as a Christian man with a family is truly living my life by faith.  I have a family to take care of.  Carrying the weight of caring for a family can have an effect on so many of life’s decisions, such as choice of career, where we choose to live, how much we give to others in need.  I’m always wanting to see far down the road, to keep my family in a safe environment and secure financial situation.  I don’t want my faith in Christ to be an “addition” to my life.  I want my faith in Christ to “be” my life.  I want to be able to trust God when the path before me is dark and uncertain.

What has the Lord taught you through Vota?

Nothing has really come easy for us.  There seems to be a new crisis every other day.  These difficulties have sharpened and refined us.  We’ve learned how to work together as a team.  We’ve learned to trust God more and realize our plans and timing are not always His. 

What is your favorite Bible passage and why?

The entire book of Galatians has been a favorite for me.  My eyes have been opened to the gospel in a whole new level over the past few years.  It has deepened my faith, ignited my soul, and to a greater degree opened my eyes to the beauty of salvation.  This has been a huge inspiration to me for the writing of the songs on this record as well.

What’s next for Vota?

In 2006 we formed the 180 Tour.  The 180 Tour is a public high school assembly program that encourages students in their character and decision making.  Every school we visit we have an evening event planned where we invite students out to a concert where they can hear the gospel.  We’ve visited over 200 schools in 20 states since 2006.  We plan on further developing this ministry into a non-profit organization.  Visit www.180tour.com for more information.

The band started in ‘99 with 3 guys and a vision to go and share the gospel with as many people as possible.  Our greatest tool back then was Google.com.  I would spend hours on Google searching different venues and churches that would have Christian bands. After thousands of emails we had about 150 opportunities and we ran with it.  We did that for three years and then wrote the song “Glory Defined” which kind of brought us to the attention of the Nashville scene.  We signed our first record deal in ‘03 and we began touring with almost everyone in the Christian music industry.  From Jeremy Camp to Casting Crowns, to Tobymac and everyone in between, we’ve been on the road nonstop since we signed. We’ve recorded four records and the cool thing is that we are still just as resolved to continue sharing the gospel with the world as we were the day we started!
 

2. What are some musical influences including genres that you grew up on?

I started out as a young piano player.  My grandfather was in the southern gospel “business” for nearly 40 years traveling and singing wherever people would listen.  It was only natural that I was trained to play piano so that I could continue the tradition.  I was about twelve when my father, the heathen family member, introduced me to this band called Aerosmith that turned my world upside down.  It kind of blew my mind and suddenly all I wanted to do was play guitar and sing rock ‘n’ roll. I’m a huge fan of old school rock and if you listen you’ll hear it anytime I pick up a guitar…“Carry on my Wayward Son” always gets played!!!

3. What event took place where you made the decision that you would play music for a living?

I always hoped that I would, but sometimes it’s not as easy as a decision that you make.  I chose to “go for it” in a way that very few people would understand.  I booked the band 150 shows a year through Google, for crying out loud! Most people would tell you that is impossible, but I just believed and followed my heart.  There were a lot of times when I wanted to give up and go home, but I just kept pushing forward.  Honestly when “Glory Defined” hit radio the way that it did, I finally knew that this was something I could do for a living. Up until then it was just a dream.

 Conversion
1. Please share your brief testimony.

I think that arrogance was the best way to describe me before I came to a saving knowledge of Christ.  I got picked on so much when I was a kid that by the time I reached high school I made up my mind that I would be the most popular guy in school. I was kind of a basketball star in school with a father that was a state champion power lifter. Everything about my existence was driven by being the best.  When that is your goal, things get really messed up.  That arrogance carried over to everything that I did. When I was about fifteen I accepted Christ because I wanted to know peace and love in the middle of the turmoil in my life.  My relationship with Christ took a serious turn when I was in college and got assaulted.  In retrospect I can see that I was still living with that arrogance and that’s what got me into the trouble.  I was playing a ball game and literally woke up in an ambulance.  My face was almost completely shattered.  I spent six weeks letting it all heal and then had to go back and have my face rebroken and put back together… it wasn’t fun at all.  That was the moment that I decided to follow Christ—all or nothing.  I started the band and began sharing the gospel with real passion for the first time in my life.  I think that I just realized how short life can be and how close I came to not waking up. That’s a scary thought.

2. Share some brief experiences of what God has done through you after you’ve given your life tp Him.  

It’s been amazing to watch God move through the stories of my life.  I’ve received countless emails from different people who have heard my songs and have literally been transformed by the hope that they find in them.  It’s not unusual to get emails from kids who were on the brink of suicide and heard a song that changed their mind.  The story of my father’s redemption through my transformation in Christ has had a huge effect on people.  The first time that they ran the story on the 700 Club we had over 700 first time decisions for Christ.  It is humbling and amazing to see God do such awesome things through the stories of the toughest parts of my life. 
 

Christianity
1. What do you feel is a major problem among Christian men today?

I think that lack of biblical knowledge and wisdom from that knowledge is something that is definitely a problem.  I think that there are so many books about the Bible that we sometimes spend more time in those that in the Word… and that is a mistake.  Even I struggle with the same thing…taking time out to dig, to learn, and to listen to what God would teach us through the Word.  

2. What are your favorite passages of scripture?

I love the passage in John 15:5. It’s a constant reminder to me that I am a work in progress and that times of struggle are times of pruning so that I might bear more fruit than before. I also love the passage in Zephaniah 3:17 that speaks of God’s rejoicing over us with singing. That’s just super cool to remember that as we sing His praises He is singing over us.

3. What struggles have you faced as a band?

We have definitely struggled in relationships through the years… learning to listen and love through the joy and the pain of brotherhood.  We’ve been through a lot, but it has been an awesome experience and we are thankful for years that we’ve spent together.

 4. What are some goals for the future?

Obviously the goal is to continue sharing the gospel with as many people as possible in the future.  I think that we all want to spend time branching out into other avenues of ministry as well.  I’d love to do some more producing, and writing… and eventually maybe even write a book or two.  Also my wife and I are deeply involved with World Vision and we feel that it would be a huge blessing to be involved with them for many years to come.

Bart and the rest of MercyMe have had an extensive touring schedule with many accolades to their credit including new music since 2001, but they have remained true to the call of the Father. Bart has just released a new album entitled Hymned Again. The first Hymn project was inspired by Bart’s grandmother, songs that he was raised on and songs that he passed on to his children. He said that his son fell asleep while listening to the CD and then at breakfast he would be singing a hymn. With this kind of impact on the lives of his children, he decided to do Hymned Again and it’s exciting to see those children learning new arrangements of great old songs.

Let’s take a few minutes to talk with Bart about his music, his family and his faith.

Music

Who influenced you musically?

Everything from the Beatles to Steven Curtis Chapman

What was your initial reaction when you heard “I Can Only Imagine” for the first time?

I knew we had something special but no idea what was about to take place.

Other than that song, what song do you think impacts and encourages the Christian the most?

There’s no way I could give just one answer. I am impacted by a different song every day.

What is your favorite part about touring? Least?

Favorite: Hearing the crowd lift their voice in worship. Least Favorite: Leaving home.

What impressed you to do Hymned Again?

It came out of a desire to have these hymns be a huge part of my kids lives.

Faith

What do you think the biggest problem facing Christian men today?

Not knowing what it means to truly be a shepherd of their own home.

What has the Lord taught you through the success of Mercy Me?

I am constantly reminded that my dreams pale in comparison to God’s realities.

What is your favorite Bible passage and why?

Psalms 139 reminds me that God is God and I am not.

What’s next for Mercyme?

We are in the midst of a fall tour with Bebo Norman, and then we are touring in the spring with Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, Tenth Avenue North and Addison Road.

(Material Used By Permission From The M Collective, Ino Records, and bartmillard.org)