Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, ENON Tabernacle first lady Ellyn Jo Waller with members of EMG Cares presents a check to community group, Youth Action Project.
Photo: www.emgcares.org
By Shara Talia Taylor
Enon Music Group (EMG) — the official record label of the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. — after 10 years of operation has a new philanthropic arm that has reached outside the church and across the country to use its music to provide to communities in need.
Their new nonprofit, EMG Cares, just launched their “I Still Believe Tour” — a series of concerts and preaching engagements with the intention of visiting up to 25 different cities and donating to 25 different nonprofits until their final stop in Dallas this December. They’re touring, sharing their songs, ministry, prayers and words of encouragement, as well as providing financial support to other community organizations.
“EMG Cares gives us the opportunity to give back from an industry perspective to communities of faith,” said Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and the founder of the record label.
It’s their approach to doing gospel music in a brand-new way and show that Philadelphia cares.
“This is an opportunity of bringing the business community of Philadelphia into ministry, because the businesses that support EMG music label are ultimately giving to good efforts all around this country,” he said.
Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church speaks about Enon Cares at the Palmer House.
Video screen grab www.emgcares.org
Those efforts started in Houston, where they provided a donation to Palmer House, a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization that addresses homelessness, assists youth in need. They will soon tour in Pennsylvania, visiting Pittsburgh on May 22 and Philadelphia on May 29. They plan to donate to Pop’s House, Inc. in Harrisburg.
“It’s our hope that we will bless 20-25 different cities (and) that we would give each organization $4,000,” said Garland Waller, vice president of EMG and executive director for EMG Cares. “We want to give away $100,000 in this endeavor and this is going to happen all year long.”
Garland Waller is also the director of music for the church and is Rev. Waller’s cousin. He said the idea of the concert series developed with concern for people experiencing job loss and other challenges.
Garland Waller
Photo: www.emgcares.org
“When the shutdown happened, a lot of people were really, really hurting,” Garland Waller said. “They had [a] lack of food (and) gas. Domestic violence was going crazy around the country.”
He wanted to help and reached out to Rev. Waller and several of the artists.
“I spoke to them about how we, as a label, can show our communities that we want to help,” he said.
Together they came up with the “I Still Believe Tour” to provide direct support to organizations in need.
“Pastor Waller’s project (gospel music album) was called ‘I Still Believe’,” Garland Waller said. “The message is in spite of what everything looks like today, at the end of the day, I still believe God is the answer to all our problems.”
Zak Williams & 1/AKORD
Photo by Robert Elliott of R.A.E. Photography
Zak Williams & 1/AKORD, founded by Zak Williams, is a choir made up of five band members and 45 choir members. It is based out of Philadelphia and has members from the city and other communities in and outside of Pennsylvania. They have performed at various churches for almost 22 years, and about 70% of the members have been with the group from the beginning. Williams said he joined EMG when they reached out to him around 2018.
“I had a tremendous amount of respect for Dr. Alyn Waller,” he said. “His reputation preceded itself, a great man of character, and I knew that they were doing great things in the industry and talking with Garland about the label.”
Williams said Garland was upfront and honest — things that he felt were often lacking in the music industry. He believes the “I Still Believe Tour” aligns with his mission to be a choir that brings Sunday morning music back to the church and radio and to spread it on a national level.
“I say it everywhere I go, choir music is the best music in the world,” he said.
Rev. Waller started EMG in 2015 after reaching out to Garland Waller to help establish a label that supports artists and promotes church music.
“Our focus was more or less to bring church music back to life in the life of the church, not just our church, but around the world,” Garland Waller said. “We wanted to kind of keep like the choir thing alive, keep the hymns alive, keep that old church traditional piece alive, and we also wanted to help other young people who believe the same.”
EMG currently has four groups — Rev. Waller, Zak Williams & 1/Akord, San Franklin, and Jamar Esaw & Triad 4 Christ — and distributes the work of about 35 other people. The record label is known today for multiple accolades, including Billboard-chart-topping albums from Zak Williams & 1Akord , Stellar Award nominations, and winning two 2025 Avidity Awards: Male Traditional Gospel Artist of the Year (Rev. Waller) and Producer of the Year (Garland Waller).
The music label, which is for profit, can give back to communities through their nonprofit organization, EMG Cares.
“We’re not charging anything to do the concert,” Garland Waller said. “We’re funding this through corporate donations and personal donations, so it’s not costing the church anything. We’re asking them not to do ticket sales or anything like that.”
EMG Cares plans to provide financial support to organizations referred by church partners and friends across the country. Donations given at the concert are intended for EMG Cares to provide direct and immediate funding for those organizations in need.
More information can be found at: www.emgcares.org.
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