Andrew Stone
Andrew Stone, production manager at Church on the Move, Tulsa, Okla., and partner in MxU passed away suddenly on July 9, 2019.
The church production world was rocked late Tuesday with word of the passing of Andrew Stone, production manager of Church on the Move (COTM) in Tulsa, Okla., and partner in the MxU organization that provides technical and leadership training for church techs. Andrew was a valued contributor to Church Production Magazine and churchproduction.com. To say his input and presence will be missed is a profound understatement.
“Andrew was a big man, with a big heart, for a much bigger purpose.” - Greg Bacus, Central Team Leader - Technology, Life.church, Edmund, Okla.
This past March we interviewed him for a “5 Minutes with….” article. We sent him a series of questions with the goal of publishing a 500-word piece. In typical Andrew-Stone fashion, he poured himself out for our readers and responded with nearly 2,500 words. If you didn’t know Andrew Stone, or thought you knew him, we highly recommend reading this piece --- the long version. Consider it a short autobiography.
By this morning, comments and condolences from around the world were filling our email in-box and social media feeds, evidence of the love and respect Andrew Stone had from the thousands he had touched through his work at COTM, the Church Technical Leaders organization, his presentations at WFX, FILO, MxU (and others) and of course the many articles he either wrote or contributed to in Church Production.
Andrew Stone held on to analog audio longer than most. For many years he had arguably the biggest analog Midas console in the region before moving to a digital SSL console in 2015 (shown here).
“Andrew was a big man, with a big heart, for a much bigger purpose,” says Greg Bacus, central team leader - technology with Life.church based in Edmund, Okla. “His influence can be felt in churches throughout the world. While he was known for his impressive mix skills, his true skill was found in his investment in people. He was always about building a deeper bench. Sure, he could do it all and would do it better than you could imagine, but when it came down to it, Andrew was always about ‘the next guy.’ He found great joy in sneaking in the back of the room during his weekends off and listening to his ‘next guy’ mix. He knew that ‘the next guy’ would take risks and have an opportunity to be himself when ‘the god of audio’ was away. He once said, ‘Sometimes our presence overshadows someone else's greatness.’ He celebrated in the success of others. I am so thankful that Stone’s shadow will forever be a part of my ministry, and today we celebrate Andrew in knowing that Heaven’s ‘Rock’ is a little louder with him there.”
Dennis Choy, pastor of communications, technology and production at North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., and writer/contributor to MxU, adds, “I am shocked and saddened by the loss of my dear friend Andrew Stone. Amazing memories we’ve shared doing kingdom ministry together. His skill and knowledge, combined with his heart to serve, has truly impacted thousands.”
“As I read the posts and comments on social media from folks his life intersected with, I see that his impact was enormous,” adds Bill Swaringim, director of creative arts at The Crossing in St Louis, Mo. “For some, he was the audio guru they needed. For others, the wisdom he shared on leadership changed the way they lead their teams. For many, he was a good friend. For me, he became a brother. For all of us, Andrew left a legacy. It is up to us now to help that legacy live on.”
David Jordan, founder and curator of the Church Sound & Media Techs group on Facebook, with nearly 60,000 members, says, “I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Andrew Stone numerous times. Just talking with him, you could tell that he had a big heart and a passion to pass on knowledge of his craft: Mixing for God. He will be truly missed in the church tech community.”
Shaun Miller, production manager at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tenn., adds, “Andrew taught me so much and inspired me greatly. Many of the things I do as a church tech director I learned from him in a class, blog post, or video. He was and will always be a leader in church production. His legacy will live on in how he raised the bar for the rest of us to continue striving to improve our skills and help others in the church. Andrew, we are sad you're gone, rejoice in where you are. “I’m jealous of the angels who are now hearing your thunderous mix.”
In a profession that’s as new as church tech arts, it’s rare to have such an icon, an example of how to pursue technical excellence while keeping personal relationships and the cause of Christ at the forefront --- and then to lose him so suddenly at such a young age. R.I.P. Andrew Stone, you will be missed by many but we rest in the faith that we’ll meet again.
