Brad Kreager has been with the quartet since its inception in February of 2014. His love for and involvement in music began at the age of four when his mother, a secondary education music teacher and their church organist/pianist, began teaching him piano. By age fourteen, he was playing regularly for church services as well as singing solos. Brad played the trombone from fifth grade through his senior year in high school. During high school, he played in the marching/concert/jazz/pep bands, held lead parts in all of the musicals, and played piano for the choir. His last two summers of high school were spent singing and playing trombone in a national, Christian, touring ensemble called “Highest Praise” out of Ozark Bible College in Joplin, MO. Brad then attended Anderson University (Anderson, IN) where he majored in Music Ministry. He sang with the AU Men’s Chorus and had four years of private voice lessons. After college, he moved to the Lexington, KY area where he began his full-time employment with the University Of Kentucky. He also held a part-time assignment as Minister of Music at a local church for thirteen years. In the later part of 2013, Brad was approached about starting and singing lead in the quartet by a fellow congregant and its founding member, Henry M. Fraley, Jr., to which he gladly accepted the invitation. Brad and his wife, Becky, live in Lexington, Kentucky, and both work full-time for the University of Kentucky. Brad also serves as the Worship Leader at the Lexington First Church of God. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
Jim Hamilton has been with the quartet since February of 2017. His love for music, especially hymns and gospel quartets, started at a young age. The son of a Baptist minister, Jim remembers singing with his family riding to and from church services and around the piano as a young child. At eleven years old, he began leading the song service at his home church, a position he held for twenty-five years. He sang in choirs and quartets (barbershop style) in his high school and college days and just fell in love with close four-part harmony. After leading worship at the Lexington First Church of God for almost thirteen years, he was asked to join the Heritage Messengers in February of 2017. Jim serves as the Preventive Maintenance Manager at the University of Kentucky for his day job. Jim and his wife, Debbie, live in Lexington, Kentucky, and they have two grown children and four grandchildren.
Ken Lewis has been with the quartet since May of 2017. He has had a love for gospel music his entire life. He was born and raised in Fairborn, Ohio. Ken's first experience in gospel music was when he started singing with his dad when he was four years old. When Ken was a teenager, he sang with the Jericho Travelers, a group from his local church, until he joined the U.S. Army in 1979. During Ken's twenty-year military career, he served as worship leader and/or choir director or as a member of the choir in his local church. One of his assignments took him to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he sang with the Laborer's for Christ Quartet for three years. When Ken retired from the Army, he relocated to Hamilton, Ohio, where he sang with the New Creation Quartet. He is also an ordained deacon/elder. In addition to singing baritone, Ken also serves as the quartet's treasurer. Ken and his wife, Debbie, live in Georgetown, Kentucky, and they have one grown son and three grandchildren.
Mike Noel has been with the quartet since October of 2018. Mike was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised by Godly parents in a Wesleyan holiness church. He is a graduate of Asbury University with a BS in Management and Ethics. Mike has always loved gospel music. Growing up, he loved the music of quartets such as the Cathedrals, Kingsmen, LeFevers, and the Speer Family. His favorite singer of all time is George Younce, who sang bass for the Cathedrals. Mike has used his gift of music in church choirs and singing solos. He always dreamed of being part of a gospel quartet, and the Heritage Messengers have provided that reality. Mike and his wife, Susan, live in Lexington, Kentucky, and they have three grown sons and two granddaughters.
Pat Davis has been with the quartet since August of 2015. She grew up as a pastor’s kid in Minnesota, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and back to Minnesota. She received her degree in Sacred Music from Anderson University (Anderson, IN) and her master’s from Asbury Seminary (Wilmore, KY). She comes to us after serving as a music pastor for thirty-eight years at central Kentucky Church of God congregations in Lexington and Winchester. Pat has directed numerous choirs and vocal ensembles, including one that traveled to Barbados and a hand bell choir that toured in Russia. Pat started piano lessons at age seven and pipe organ at age twelve. One of her favorite things to do is play piano duets and piano/organ duets. She teaches private lessons during the week. During her spare time, Pat leads a neighborhood women’s Bible study, convenes a Women Ministers Cluster Group, and serves on the Kentucky Church of God Credentials Board. Pat and her husband, John E., live in Lexington, Kentucky. They have three grown children and five grandchildren. John also travels with the Heritage Messengers as one of the sound engineers. Pat and John enjoy being in ministry together.
John W. Davis has been with the quartet since May of 2016. He handles all aspects of the ministry related to sound/technology. John works very hard to ensure all of our equipment is set up and operating properly, and he is dedicated to making sure everything sounds pleasing to the singers and those listening. We are also very fortunate that John is a retired Lexington firefighter/paramedic to help address any medical issues that may arise, and he is always eager to help out any way necessary to ensure the success of the ministry. John lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and has two grown sons and four grandchildren.
John E. Davis has been with the quartet since May of 2016. He assists John W. Davis with all issues related to sound/technology. With his lifelong career as an engineer, John's knowledge and skills working with equipment has been a great asset to the ministry. He is very dedicated to helping out any way possible, and he enjoys serving alongside his wife, Pat Davis.