Jars of Clay Honored with Roaring Lambs Distinguished Service Award

L-R: Leigh (Briner) Ganton, Marty Briner, Matt Odmark, Charlie Lowell, Steve Mason, Dan Haseltine and Gayle D. Beebe

Last week, Christian artists Jars of Clay visited the campus of Spring Arbor University to kick off their spring tour. They performed for over 1,200 people and were honored by the University with the Roaring Lambs Distinguished Service Award.

Gayle D. Beebe, president of Spring Arbor University, and Marty (Jacobs) Briner, wife of the late Bob Briner and University alumnus, made the presentation prior to the band’s performance. The Roaring Lambs Distinguished Service Award was established to honor Roaring Lambs who are on the front lines of today’s culture, or in the words of the late Briner, those who are making “Christ and Christian values a vital element in the overall moral discourse of our nation.”

All four Jars of Clay members were honored with plaques that recognize their efforts to challenge other Christians to become active voices for Christ through dedicated music. Jars of Clay are the third recipients of the award, which has previously recognized Robert P. George (2001) and Cal Thomas (2002).

Jars of Clay are three-time Grammy Award winners who have sold more than five million albums and 16 No. 1 singles. Despite mainstream success over the years, Jars of Clay have remained faithful to the Christian music industry by making albums that tackle the tough issues Christians face in today's world. Jars of Clay's latest project, Redemption Songs, was released last month.

Proceeds from the concert went toward the Roaring Lambs Scholarship at Spring Arbor University, which benefits students entering the visual arts, journalism or communications fields. It is named for Briner’s book, Roaring Lambs, which urges Christians to be actively involved in the world around them for positive change. Briner felt that Christians were not the force they should be and needed to make their voices heard to impact the culture today. The Roaring Lambs Scholarship continues Briner's legacy by supporting students committed to creative expressions of the Christian faith.

Briner, who passed away in 1999 after a bout with cancer, had a long and distinguished career in sports management and entertainment. He is credited with bringing professional tennis into the mainstream, co-founding the World Championship Tennis and the Association of Tennis Professionals. In addition, Briner founded his own production company that produced several sports specials, including “A Hard Road to Glory,” written with the late Arthur Ashe, which garnered Emmy Awards for both men.