Church of God Pastor in Finals of ‘The Voice’
A Church of God pastor from Mississippi will be performing in the nationally-televised finale of the hit talent search, “The Voice,” slated for this coming Monday, May 18 on NBC television.
Todd Tilghman, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Meridian, Miss., is one of the five finalists in line to claim first place in the competition, which utilizes celebrities to “coach” the contestants in a weeks-long talent showcase. Tilghman has risen from the live auditions to the final five, one of which we be crowned Voice champion on Tuesday, May 19 during a star-studded live two-hour season finale of the four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series. “Voice” coaches include Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend and Blake Shelton.
Todd Tilghman
Originally from Grenada, Miss., Meridian has been Tilghman’s home for nearly thirty years. His parents, Clarence and Teresa Tilghman, pastored in the Church of God most of his life growing up, and into adulthood. He has a brother and sister, whose families live nearby.
“I sang my very first song ever, ‘God Likes People’ at the Grenada Church of God when I was about eight years old,” Todd reminisced. “I’ve been singing at church and at camps ever since. I met my wife when we were just kids and married her when we were just kids. Twenty-one years and eight kids later we’re still making it work.”
Todd began his non-music-related ministry at 18 and is an ordained bishop in the Church of God. He has been a youth pastor and associate, and now lead pastor at Cornerstone, where he has been since the age of 14. Prior to that he attended Abundant Life Church of God, where his father pastored, in Kosciusko, Miss.
Todd stated Cornerstone Church has been very supportive along the way. His decision to audition for the show came from a feeling of, “there’s a field out there that could be largely empty…though the means of harvest may be unconventional/non-traditional…I think that probably affected my decision to audition at the beginning. At least in part.”
He registered to audition on an open call in the spring of 2019. By the time the auditions actually came around in late July, he had pretty much decided not to go.
“My wife REALLY encouraged me to do it, so I did. Now here I am in the Finale!”
When asked about being on the show, Todd said he was “Overwhelmed, but in a good way. This whole experience… all the encouragement and positivity from the show, and all the support from people…has been very humbling. It’s a surreal experience, not just practically. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, too. It’s hard to believe it’s actually happening. If I could only use one word to describe my reaction, it would be ‘gratitude.’”
When asked about his aspirations following the show, regardless of outcome, he said, “Honestly, I just want to follow this wherever it takes me. I do have some ideas on direction, and I have some connections I hope to build relationships with. I plan to put in the work and take the risks, and hopefully have a whole new world of opportunities to love people.”
The Top 5 finalists will perform on Monday, May 18 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), and the winner will be revealed on the two-hour live telecast on Tuesday, May 19 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC. On Monday, the Top 5 artists will perform for America’s vote. Each artist will perform one cover and one original song. The episode will kick-off with a special performance of Collective Soul’s “Shine,” featuring the Top 5 artists.
