Zach Williams relying on his faith more than ever: ‘God's done so much in my life’
Christian rocker Zach Williams is gearing up to get back on the road after months in quarantine for a Drive-In Theater Tour with Big Daddy Weave and says this season has helped him to rely on his faith more than ever.
The tour, sponsored by Awakening Events, kicks off on Sept. 10 in Marion, Virginia, and will reach 28 markets before concluding on Oct. 30 in South Carolina. All tour locations will follow local health guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Williams has seen many successes over the past few years. The Grammy Award-winning "Chain Breaker" singer leads the nominations for the upcoming Dove Awards.
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In an interview with The Christian Post, he shared details about his upcoming Drive-In Theater Tour and revealed how this time of quarantine has been both challenging and rewarding for him.
CP: Did you ever think you'd be performing drive-in theater tours? What will be different for you?
Williams: No, actually, this was never anything I thought we would be doing. I remember growing up in a small town and there was a drive-in theater that we used to drive by when I was a kid. And it was shut down, obviously, it didn't work. But I always thought it'd be cool to go and see a movie there. I've actually never even been to a drive-in theater, so this will be my first time.
I'm actually excited. For me, it's going to be a little different than a normal show just because it's scaled down in a sense, just so we can make it work. But we're doing what we got to do to go out and play shows and to connect with our fans, and so it's going to be a great night. We've got a lot of special stuff planned, so it's going to be a lot of fun.
CP: How has the pandemic impacted you both positively and negatively?
Williams: I would say on a positive side, the way the pandemic has affected me is just the fact that I've been home spending time with my wife and kids for the last six, seven months, which is something I haven't had a chance to do in the last several years I've been on the road. It's been a lot of fun to just reconnect and be home and be a part of everyday life more than I have in the past.
On a negative side, I would say, just as a business side, this is how we make our living. This is how the guys in my band pay their bills. So on a financial side, it's been a little bit of a burden. But God has provided and He'll continue to do that. At the moment, I feel it's given me an opportunity to rely more on my faith than I have in the past.
CP: You were recently among the top artists nominated at the Dove Awards. You also have a song with legend Dolly Parton. Are you pinching yourself? Please explain how far you've come and how you've seen God’s hand at work?
Williams: Yeah. Thank you for the congratulations on the Doves. I would say, I never in a million years dreamed that I would be doing a song with Dolly Parton. Obviously, that's a pretty big deal, but she's so down to earth. She's been a champion from day one. She is really outspoken about her faith. This was something that she told me felt like a God-send. It's one of those things where you never know if you don't ask, so I'm glad that we did.
For me, I just feel like God's done so much in my life over the last several years. But that's the thing, until you go all in and you decide to follow Christ, then you don't see any of those things. And that's it. My plan is just to continue to stay a step behind Him and just let Him open the doors instead of me trying to open them myself.
CP: What message do you have for families who want to attend events like your tour but might be dealing with fear due to this new normal we have?
Williams: I would say, if you're thinking about coming out and seeing these shows and you're worried about the stuff that's going on, I totally understand that. You have to do what's best for your family. But we're taking all the precautions for these drive-in tours that we can do to ensure everybody stays socially distanced, and that you're only with the people that you came with.
CP: Do you think life as we know it has changed?
Williams: I think life, as we know it, has changed right now. I think that we'll be back to normal. I think that God's going to do something bigger than we could all ever imagine out of this season. It might feel like it's bad right now, but I think that God's going to be making something good out of all of it.
CP: Looking back at your life and all you've been through, what are you most thankful to God for?
Williams: I would say my family. Just the fact that I still have family, I still have my wife and kids. My own family, my own mother and father, were really instrumental in just showing me the love of Christ, and I think even instrumental in my wife's life, just for her coming to Christ. She saw that through my family and how they treated me and how Christ-like they were. So I would say family is the biggest thing I'm thankful for.
