Kurt Carr, who has become one of the mainstays of modern gospel music, (right up there with Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams), is on a mission. The journey's long, and sometimes it's hard, but he continues to work long hours toward breaking down barriers within the church, especially when it comes to color and race.

Carr's main musical aim is to bring people together of different colors and backgrounds.

That's always been in his plan, but now, more than ever, he is committed to the cause, going so far as to name his latest CD, One Church. While writing for this release, Kurt went so far as to listen to contemporary Christian music vocal group Avalon in order to influence his own music so it reaches outside of the often insular black community.

"Martin Luther King made a statement that 10 o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week because - generally - whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics worship together independent of each other," says Carr. "With my new CD, I hope to open the minds of people, making a ripple that will get bigger and bigger, getting people to think we can worship with people who are different than us, and listen to things we might not normally listen to."

Carr thinks that people of different colors and races don't come together not because they don't like one another, but rather, because they don't know each other. With that in mind, he thinks music can help bridge the gap between people, often advising CD buyers to get two copies when they purchase an album.

"And give one to someone who doesn't look like you," he says.

Growing up, Carr was not part of a church-going family, so it's pretty amazing to think where he is now, reaching thousands, if not millions, bringing gospel music all around the world to churches and festivals, like Encounter Ontario (www.encounterontario.com), on August 20, 2005, in downtown Toronto.

"I started at age 14 at Hopewell Baptist Church in Hartford, Connecticut. God touched my heart and I went to church by myself; it was around the corner from my house. I went to church, eventually joined the choir, and the rest is history," he says.

After becoming active in his church's music programs, Carr's mother noticed his budding talent, and bought him a Walter Hawkins album, which he listened to daily for a year or two. He taught himself how to play the piano based on those songs.

Carr became a skilled musician. He graduated with a degree in fine arts from the University of Connecticut, and was mentored by gospel music's legendary Richard Smallwood. Furthermore, in 1986, another legend, Reverend James Cleveland, asked Carr to join him as pianist and musical director. Smallwood and Cleveland both had positive and lasting impacts on Carr.