The Musicians for sons of the kingdom
Tom Denlinger – Lead Singer
Tom was born on June 23, 1962 and grew up in a conservative Christian family. After high school, he went to Bible college to become a pastor. But God gave him a heart for reaching the unchurched and he yearned to use all the gifts that God had given him to point people to Jesus Christ. Tom and his wife, Ruth, were married on April 13, 1985 and during the mid 80s they were youth leaders at the church he grew up in. But Tom saw how music influenced people’s lives and in 1988 he became a founding member of SARDONYX for the purpose of using power metal to teach the Bible. He co-founded LightShine Ministries with Jeff Zimmerman which served as the follow-up ministry for the band during the live show years of the “Rebel of Reason” and “Majestic Serenity” years of 1988-1994. After the band stopped doing live shows in August of 1994, Tom felt God directing him away from music ministry to focus on raising his young family with his wife, Ruth. In 1995, Tom started a ministry in Alaska under LightShine Ministries which became a significant missionary organization bringing skilled labor to help local churches in build new buildings, Bible camps and various other ministry projects. Since then many more fine men and women of God have joined this team. More can be seen at www.lightshineministries.
Rod Feltman – Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Rod is one of the founding members of Sardonyx and wrote most of the guitar riffs that became the songs on this new CD. Together with Tom, they sent files and ideas back and forth for nearly three years and the songs slowly began to take shape. Rod is the recording engineer and mastering technician for this project and co-produced the CD with Tom.
Here is a message from Rod:
Hi everyone! A lot has happened since I last saw you on the big stage. Today I am a husband, father of two lovely girls and…..wait, I’ll get to that…let’s back up. Since our last Sardonyx show in 1994, I have been through a lot of life changes. To say that God has been working in my life…would be an understatement. In 1994 I quit my job and went out on my own…I partnered with a friend to start a plumbing and HVAC business. That went well for many years and we were a growing and thriving business. In 1997 I started attending a local church in my area and soon I realized that I was not going to be a business owner forever. It was not long (2 years) until I became a member of the worship team…and eventually the worship leader at my church. I was offered a part time position at the church as worship leader….and that was good enough for me….I mean, come on, what could be better than leading people in worship! Well, God had a different plan. It was about 2 years later that my wife and I became the Sr. pastoral team of the church. I still don’t understand why God chose me…(because I hate talking in front of people) but he did. I can’t deny that and so I led the church for about 6 years. When that season came to a close I felt like God was giving me a choice…a chance to enter a new mission field…it was a scary one….not one that should ever be enter into lightly…but I knew it was right for me….yes, I became a math teacher! I currently teach high school Algebra and AP Calculus….(I told you it was scary) Every day I get the opportunity to spend time with amazing young people, yes I teach them math…but more importantly I get to hear their stories and do the best I can to be a positive role model for them. I can’t preach to them….but I ‘preach’ to them every day by displaying to them the love, respect, grace and firmness (when needed) of Jesus. For some students they desperately need someone to just care about them and treat them like a person that is important. About 2 years ago, Tom came to my house and we talked about the idea of doing another Sardonyx project. To be honest…I wasn’t really into it…but like so many times in my life, I said, “God, if this is what you want…just let me know and I will follow you.” It wasn’t too long after that, I began to get the ‘itch’ to write some music and well…here we are. So, that’s my story…of course there is a lot more to it…but really my point is this….all along the way I did one thing…I listened and I followed. (I guess that’s two things) I am where I am today because of this…so the best thing I can conclude is I must be where God wants me. Connect with Rod on Facebook.
Chuck Turner – Bass Guitar
Chuck is one of the founding members of Sardonyx and one of the main songwriters on the Rebel of Reason, Majestic Serenity, and Linear Progression Albums.
After the band stopped playing live shows, Chuck spent several years in the Army as a Senior NCO, served on numerous deployments, and saw the best and worst of mankind along the way. When he finished his service, he continued to expand his musical horizons and contributed to several music projects including a Theatrical and Progressive influenced project with his oldest son, Charlie. Since then, he has grown in his music writing to include composing both Symphonies and Soundtracks.
Chuck enjoys the teachings of Dr. Tony Evans (Former Chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and current Chaplain for the Dallas Mavericks), Dr. Robert Jeffries, and other teachers of the Bible that reject the legalistic and politically based views and opinions expressed by some believers today rather than the literal word of God. Chuck has a burden to seek out and assist those in need (regardless of where they are in life) and tries to stress to others the importance of servitude and representing Jesus as a light in the darkness. Above all, he has learned to listen to what God wants rather than trying to tell Him what He wants.
Chuck and his wife live in the beauty and quiet serenity of the open ranges and mountains that surround the little town of Lusk, Wyoming where Chuck is the Director of Human Resources for the local hospital. They enjoy spending time with their sons, Daughters-in-law, and grandchildren whenever they can whether in-person or using Face-Time.
Bill Pagaran – Drums
Bill will be a new musician working with us on this new SARDONYX ministry project. Bill and Tom developed a friendship over the past couple years hiking small mountains together in Alaska. They share similar callings and have realized that music is a common tool that God has given them for leading others to Jesus Christ. Bill is the drummer for the Native American band, Broken Walls that travels internationally bringing a message of restoration of dignity, self respect and the Creator’s lover to all cultures around the world. Bill is also the president of Carry the Cure and is committed to sharing the love of Jesus Christ to remote villages in Alaska that are plagued with the epidemic of suicide. Bill is a talented drummer and we are looking forward to what he brings to this new ministry CD. Connect with Bill on Facebook.
Guest Singer – Kristen Anselmo Hertzog
Tom Denlinger (SARDONYX lead vocalist) and Kristen worked together for several years at Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Tom asked Kristen to sing in our new song called “My Bride Beloved” – representing the Bride of Christ. Kristen and her husband, Scott have their own recording studio and captured the vocals that we added to our mix.
Scott Hertzog brings over 25 years of recording experience to Zogpod Studios in Ephrata. Since 2008, Scott Hertzog has been the sound engineer and producer for over nine different podcasts, among these the Parsec award-winning Sci-fi Diner Podcast. He audio engineered for the Vineyard Group, has been a licensed songwriter for CCLI, and managed live bands. He holds a Master Degree in English (Creative Writing emphasis) from West Chester University. He is a published author with Masthoff Press with his book My First 250 Years. www.zogpod.com
Kristen is a performance and business coach, an award-winning speaker, and works internationally with CEOs and small business owners alike. www.kristenhertzog.com. She worked in the producing group for Sight & Sound Theatres, contributing to shows such as The Miracle of Christmas, Celebrate America, Glory of Spring, and Holiday Time. She has also been the featured voice talent for UPMC Pinnacle, Hanover, Hershey Entertainment, QVC, Veritas, and many more. She has performed in front of over 12 million people, bringing her brand of empowerment and encouragement through voice to others.
Scott and Kristen Hertzog are co-owners of the award-winning Hertzog Homestead, a bed-and-breakfast, barn event venue and spa cottage in beautiful Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. www.hertzoghomestead.com
The Technical artists
Colby Hall – Hidden North Productions
Colby has been helping us at LightShine Ministries develop quality video to promote what the LORD is doing in our ministry. Contact Colby at: colbythecameraman@gmail.com or visit him on Facebook: @HiddenNorthProductions
Joshua Maus – Alaska Audio Works
Josh captured all of Bill Pagaran’s drum tracks at his studio at Peter’s Creek Christian Center in Chugach, Alaska. He has a heart for the LORD and desires to use his gifts and abilities to point people to Him!
You can contact Josh at: josh@peterscreek.com
Facebook: @Alaska AudioWorks
The Visual Artists
John Cassandro – Graphic Artist and Publicist
John brings a rich history both in the music industry and in creative services freelancing with his company Fuzion Creative Solutions in Franklin, Kentucky. From video production, graphic design, voiceover and also marketing and consultation work, John serves in these areas primarily to serve the church community and the body of Christ at large. At 13 John accepted Christ and since then has had a personal interest in the metal and rock community and bringing the Gospel to the streets and serving the youth community. He first became familiar with LightShine and Sardonyx while attending The University of Valley Forge in 1991 as a youth ministry major…also attending Central Bible College where he got his start in broadcast radio. Most notably John served as host of XFactor Radio with IntenseRadio.com and Sanctuary International back in early 2000s. He currently resides in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Email John at Fuzion Creative Solutions by clicking on his logo below:
Connect with John:
Email: fuzioncreative@outlook.com
Facebook: @drumguy70
Instagram: @drumguy70
Twitter: @drumguy70
Zarko Atanasov – Graphic Cover Artist
Zarko was born on September 19, 1981 in Skopje which is the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. He and his wife, Marina were married on July 12, 2008 and have two children, Sarah and Stefan. Starting from the early teenage years, he was very passionate about CD artworks and often redrew the covers of the rare albums you could get in Macedonia in those days. At the end of his last year in the high school he was diagnosed with a tumor and the doctors were not optimistic at all. But, by God’s mercy, Zarko was healed and now lives his “second life”. You can check his testimony at: http://mydarkesttime.
He has worked as a graphic designer for the past 15 years. As he started composing music, he had to create cover art for his project – My Darkest Time. He then started designing cover art for his friends in Macedonia. Eventually his art was recognized and used by bands from all over the world. He also occasionally does projects for an advertising company in Macedonia, creating advertisements, flyers, business cards, catalogs, and works as a freelancer designing t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, social media backgrounds, etc. Connect with Zarko on Facebook.
Juan Carlos Arce – Music Lyric Video & Graphics Designer
Juan lives in Heredia, Costa Rica and is a gifted visual artist that loves the LORD and desires to use his talent for building His Kingdom. He and his wife, Karla, were married in 2009 and have beautiful son that God gave them names Samuel. Here is a message from Juan:
“Lux Studio started when I wanted to watch Christian rock videos translated to Spanish, so in our area everyone can understand what the songs were talking about, initially I started doing the videos with the most basic slideshows software included in Windows OS , then I researched for more pro software and when I found it, I started learning this software as complex it is, and then making better quality lyric videos from the bands I grew up with.”
Click on the Lux Studio logo to go to his YouTube page. On Facebook, we recommend you like his page. Also connect with Juan on Facebook.
Jonathan Ober – Website Designer/Developer
Jonathan operates 355.Media, a Marketing Design and Development company in Lancaster, PA. Jonathan works with a handful of self-employed/freelance designers, developers, photographers and videographers to help small and mid-sized businesses reach their marketing needs.
Jonathan’s career as a graphic designer started when he was in eleventh grade during a trip to Spain. While in Spain and taking in some of the most inspiring works of art through pottery, paintings, sculptures, cathedrals, stain glass and more; Jonathan began studying art and immersing himself in learning.
Around the same time, a life changing event occurred which drew him close to God. Jonathan began attending church regularly and getting involved in his youth group. From then on He devoted himself to helping others learn about Christ and growing in their relationship with him. Jonathan now attends Calvary Church in Lancaster where he is involved in various adult and student ministries.
Chris Ruch – CD Designer
Chris is a multimedia designer and has collaborated with LightShine Ministries/Sardonyx since the early/mid 90’s doing the CD designs for the “Scream of the Guillotine” and “Linear Progression” projects. Chris designed this new CD for “Sons of the Kingdom” as well. Currently he is teaching Motion Graphics at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCAD), is the videographer for Revelo Magazine, and freelances for a variety of clients including ministries and non-profit organizations – offering web/print design, video, photography, illustration and creative consulting services.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisruch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherruch/
Phone: (717) 201-3578
email: chrisruch@icloud.com
Ministry Support
Jeff Zimmerman – Prayer, Bible Study and Ministry Support
Jeff is a co-founder of LightShine Ministries with Tom Denlinger. Jeff was born December 15, 1958. He grew up in a strong Christian home and received Christ at age 12. In college at Penn State University, he had a significant experience with the Holy Spirit through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ that enabled him to realize how to truly experience and walk with God on a daily basis. After graduating from Penn State, he went through a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School and led mission teams through Eastern Mennonite Missions to Belize, Dominican Republic, and Kenya. In 1984, he began working at a youth center in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. He saw that music could be a significant tool in reaching youth. This is where he met Tom Denlinger. Jeff began working with Tom in 1990 laying the foundation for LightShine. He worked with finances, developing the non-profit status with the IRS, overseeing the Christian metal show ThunderZone on a local Christian station and did local promotion of concert events for Sardonyx. The past number of years he has worked with finances and administration as the ministry focused on work in Alaska. He still has a strong desire to see people reached through music ministry; power metal has great potential to reach many. Connect with Jeff on Facebook.