Missouri Christian Mom Wins American Idol
A Christian woman from Missouri is the latest “American Idol” winner. Hannah Harper, a mother of three from Willow Springs, performed “Married Into This Town,” teamed with country singer Lee Ann Womack for a duet of “I Hope You Dance” and revisited her original song “String Cheese,” which went viral following her audition earlier this season.
“You deserve to be here for your voice, for who you are as a person, for who you are as a mom, as a daughter, for your songwriting,” Carrie Underwood, one of the judges, told her. “I’m so proud.”
After host Ryan Seacrest announced her victory, Harper became emotional as she closed the night with “At The Cross (Love Ran Red)” by Chris Tomlin while fellow contestants and judges gathered around her onstage. In a social media post, she thanked fans for supporting her throughout the competition and pointed back to her faith, the Christian Post reported.
“What a wild, beautiful journey this has been,” Harper wrote. “And somehow, we’re just getting started. Thank you to every single person who believed in me, prayed over me, voted and helped carry this dream farther than I ever could’ve imagined. I’m beyond thankful for the doors the Lord has opened and for the opportunity to walk this path.”
Harper, who attends First Baptist Church of Birch Tree, Mo., consistently spoke throughout the season about the role faith has played in her life and music. Her audition went viral after she performed “String Cheese,” an original song inspired by her experience battling postpartum depression. During the audition, Harper shared that the song stemmed from a difficult moment with her son that she said ultimately reminded her that motherhood was “the biggest ministry” God had given her. Throughout the competition, Harper continued performing faith-centered music, including during the show’s “Songs of Faith” night, when she first sang “At the Cross.”
In interviews during the season, Harper said she viewed the national platform as an opportunity to openly talk about her relationship with Jesus.
“I’ve been in ministry since I was 9 years old,” she said earlier this season. “Having a platform at this level and getting to still be this open about my relationship with the Lord is an incredible honor to me.”
“I feel honored that I had the privilege to share that song on such a massive platform,” Harper told Springfield’s KY3TV. “I released it on Mother’s Day a year ago, and now seeing the views on the video. The comments, the people who have made videos who are moms who say, ‘I feel so seen.’ It just gives me all the affirmations of that’s exactly why I walked that path.”
–Alan Goforth
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