WBTK’s ‘Singing for the Lord’ contest to crown winner

Claudia Zimmer hoped to find a cure for her mother's cancer when she went to hear faith-healing testimony from a cancer survivor. Instead, she found her own salvation.

During a Sunday service a couple of days after that meeting in her native Argentina, she said she found God through a hymn called "Near You" in Spanish. That was 10 years ago.

"When I sang the last part of the praise, 'I surrender to you,' that was when I surrendered myself from head to toe and said, 'I'm here, God, do with me as you please,'" she said.

Her mother died of cancer, Zimmer said, but not before her mother accepted Christ. Since then, Zimmer has kept singing praise to God and now is a member of the Iglesia Bautista Monte Calvario in South Richmond.

Now, the 41-year-old Chesterfield County resident is taking her singing to another level. She is a finalist in an "American Idol"-style singing contest sponsored by the Richmond Spanish-language Christian radio station WBTK (1380 AM).

"This is my way of making people -- who, like me, didn't know absolutely anything about God -- aware that God exists, that God can change absolutely everything," she said. "It's my way of preaching the word of God."

WBTK came up with the idea to sponsor "Singing for the Lord" and to have the finale during a celebration of the radio station's third anniversary at Ramsey Memorial United Methodist Church in South Richmond tomorrow.

The sold-out finale follows a community festival at the church. About 500 people will watch the 12 finalists battle for the top spot.

The proceeds, about $4,000, will be donated to Ramsey Memorial Methodist Church, CrossOver Ministry and the Broad Rock library because they serve and have programs geared toward Hispanics.

For the eight weeks of elimination rounds, the radio station received thousands of calls and e-mails from local, out-of-state and international listeners, said Oscar Contreras, a disc jockey for WBTK who came up with the idea. Twenty-one contestants from different churches participated, he said.

"We expected support for the contest, but never did we imagine that it was going to be this big," he said.

Contestants sang in the popular styles of salsa, mariachi, soft rock and traditional Christian ballads, which are the genres listeners hear on the radio.

Churches are the main patrons of the station; they buy airtime to conduct their own programs.

The station also features its own community and children's programs and sponsors special events such as monthly vigils at area churches to pray for people affected by immigration issues.

"All these things have come out of Radio 1380, which have unified the Latino community," Contreras said.

Zimmer, who is learning to play piano, took charge of coordinating the contest. During a rehearsal Wednesday for a group performance tomorrow, she helped participants reach the right tone for the hymn.

And while she looked comfortable, she was dubbed the "most nervous contestant" by Contreras.

"I was so nervous when I sang in the recording studio because I wanted to do well," Zimmer said.

But she has enjoyed working with the participants. They have lots of experience and talent, she said.

"I'm a person who enjoys learning," she said. "I like to meet people who can teach me, especially in the professions of singing and playing instruments."

Among the judges will be the nationally known Christian recording artist Diana Mendiola. The firstand second-place contestants will receive a professional demo recording. The top three finishers will receive free private music classes.

Contreras said there are more than 100 Latino churches in the Richmond area, and he wanted members to come together and get to know one another.

"Thank the Lord that everything came out as we planned it."

Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-7513 or .