Chrisagis Brothers: Winning The World By Any Means

Once in a while you happen upon an artist that completely defies genre definition. If you hear a clip of the Chrisagis Brothers on You Tube, you might consider that they are Contemporary. Someone else might say they are Christian Comedians. Some others might qualify them as Children’s Entertainers. One listen to the recent “Lovin’ Out Loud” with the boogie-woogie piano and you might think they are more of the Country/Southern side of the spectrum. What is undeniable is that the Chrisagis Brothers and their ministry team are singing their message of Christ’s love for the world to hear, regardless of the label they might be given.

Brian and Shawn Chrisagis are identical twins who began singing at the age of 16. “I was so shy that I passed out and then I hit my eye on the doorknob in the bathroom because I was that nervous to sing,” says Shawn. “I was bleeding everywhere but once I recovered and got prayed over the show had to go on, so I sang with my brothers with a patch over my eye from the bleeding. How embarrassing!” From singing with their brother while their Mother preached, the twins went on to using puppets on a Children’s television program. After winning awards for their programs, Brian and Shawn began recording original music that ranges from Christian Pop to Country/Inspirational/Worship.

The Chrisagis Brothers are now joined by six other performers who complete their sound.

“Other than us the third person in the team is Ron Retzer who is known in our Tri-State Area as the ‘Greatest Entertainer’ around for the past 30 years,” says Shawn. “Ron is our Music Director who plays all the music on his keyboard, arranges it, and teaches the harmonies to us. He was a teacher of music and can sing off the scale with his vocal range. He has traveled and worked with Country artists like The Oak Ridge Boys, The Statler Brothers, Aaron Tippin, Lorie Morgan, and Brad Paisley to name a few. Ron has five CD’s to his credit and is also happily married.”

Brian continues on with the introductions. “JD ‘Jeff’ Garrison is our bass player and acoustic guitar player. He is also an amazing songwriter who has played for artists like Bruce Springsteen and has his own recording studio called ‘Wings to Fly Studios’. Jeff is a true worship leader and flows with the Holy Spirit as he ministers on stage through anointed Word and song. He is a family man with a wife and two children.”

“Our wonderful female vocalist, Jennifer Galownia, could be an American Idol,” says Shawn. “She has a smooth, velvety voice in the style of Karen Carpenter that mesmerizes the listener. She does a lot of romantic songs and Christian duets with me that the audience enjoys. She is a devoted wife and mother of three children.” Brian adds, “Last is Bob Wolfe who has the sound of Larry Gatlin. He had an amazing career in both ministry and modeling. He has been traveling for the last 20 years. He can get a harmony in every song. Bob is also my comic sidekick on stage. We love goofing around together and we also do many Southern Gospel duets together plus some fun comical songs. He is a loving husband and father of three children.” 

The Chrisagis Brothers are truly a ‘Family Ministry’ according to Shawn, who minister to all ages. The musical influences of the brothers span from Farrell and Farrell, Russ Taff and Larnelle Harris to The Beatles, The Judds and Bon Jovi. They have used these influences to create their own sound, with a message that touches the heart of God and His people. 

“We want everyone who comes to our concerts to know that Jesus loves them and that they are special,” says Brian. “The message is: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” There is no sin too bad that it can’t be forgiven and we are all sinners saved by grace who need a Savior. The concerts we do never talk down to folks but stir them up with a roller coaster of emotions; like laughing, singing, crying and being moved to receive when we do altar calls. We always end the night with people praying the prayer of salvation. People really are touched and leave the concerts different from how they came.”

The Chrisagis Brothers’ latest CD is entitled Conversations With God, a collection of worship songs such as “You Are Awesome In This Place,” “Draw Me Close To You” and also many original tunes. “We have the three most anointed songwriters in the Christian world in my opinion writing our music like Bob Farrell, Stephanie Boosahda and our Producer Jeff Garrison. We all really prayed and fasted for this project, that as people listened to it they would be healed, delivered, set free and stirred up for Jesus,” says Shawn. “The result is just that. The songs on this CD are as if you are just one on One with the Lord, sharing your heart, your love and your concerns. It is a prayer. Each song tells a story and takes you into the Holy of Holies.” He adds, “The CD will change lives because it is truly Throne-room music.”

Brian explains how their music is marketed. “A lot of our music is on radio and on internet radio as well. We do the grassroots thing. We had much success with our two CD’s Ransom and Playing With Life & Death. Both had songs that ran on radio and really gave us a wonderful support team of faithful followers. Our music videos were bought to run on MTV, VH1 and one even won for best video on the internet by an internet radio station. The song ‘Split Second’ was nominated for many awards and we were nominated for Best Duo in Christian Music by the Artists Music Guild. But we go to the churches and sell our music through our website and at our concerts. It is what we have been called to do.”

Shawn and Brian keep a busy schedule of about 100 dates per year, many with the full team. “We love traveling and ministering with our team but when they can’t do the traveling because of family commitments we are okay with that,” says Shawn. “We formed the ministry as a family one so we cherish family and those who work with us as co-laborers we chose because they had a strong family life. When we started we wanted the ministry to focus in on three treasures: God (Jesus), family and country.” 

“We believe these treasures are three things missing in the world today,” Shawn continues. “God is being removed from this world, families are falling apart and our country is no longer great because they have turned their faces from God. If we can as a ministry lift up Jesus and bring families together we will strengthen the country.” 

Traveling together can sometimes cause the strongest of families to encounter challenges, but the Chrisagis Brothers are not only twins but best friends as well, able to get along regardless of circumstances. Brian says, “We are both very different personalities so we compliment each other. I am more of the comic and Shawn is more of the inspirational one. We both love working together. We have learned that our differences actually make us better people and better at our craft.” 

“As for our team, we pray we would never split up or go our separate ways,” Brian continues. “We have really become a family and even when we do have a few problems like all families do we try to settle them quickly and move on with the one true focus of Jesus and the overall message. It hasn’t always been easy. Our team is made up of born again believers who are Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, and Word and Faith (or Non-denominational). We actually were both licensed ministers through FCF in Tulsa, OK. So we really do have a wide and vast group of beliefs but all of us come together for the Lord’s Glory.” 

“We do not preach doctrine or our own opinions; we only lift up Jesus. After all, the Lord gave us the Great Commission, to tell others that Jesus lived, died and rose for all people and He is coming again. If we can lift Jesus up, He will draw all men and women unto Him. So that is what we do. We hope our team will continue until Jesus comes back but if not then the two of us will fulfil the call that He put on our lives travelling together in ministry and God will bring others to fill the void.”

The Chrisagis Brothers have a strong emphasis on family in their ministry and one reason for this is their heritage. “We are Italian and Greek so family has always played an important part of our lives,” says Shawn. “When we were born, we were born with life-threatening allergies and the doctors said we would never live past the age of one year old. We were dying for seven years of our lives and could not go outside because we were allergic to the sun. We couldn’t eat anything but soybean milk, sardines, rice-cakes, and peanut butter.”

Shawn recalls, “Through the love of our strong family, the three generations who lived in one home, including our Mom, Dad, and our Grandparents and our brother Anthony, we twins survived the odds because of their love and faith. Our Mom always said that the acronym of ‘FAMILY’ stood for Forget About Me, I Love You. Our family lived that daily and at seven years old we were healed. Our Mom became born again and found out how to break the curse of sickness, death and disease in our home in the name of Jesus. When she did that, we were instantly healed.”

The twins aren’t sitting back on past victories and becoming couch potatoes, according to Shawn. “We love doing our music, but we are also artists who draw, design, write stories, create characters, paint, and we work with charities, visit the elderly, take time to help children’s homes and hospitals, go to the homeless shelters, and minister in battered women’s shelters. We have even helped serve on suicide hotlines and ministered in prison. So as you can see we are never bored!”

These twins certainly keep those around them from being bored as well. If anyone has seen any of the comedy routines that the Brothers perform, it won’t surprise them that Brian is a bit of a ‘goofball’. He says, “When people get to know me they think I am a bit nuts. I was almost arrested as a pink rabbit for Christmas one year. I was carrying a B.B. gun and trying to do a Christmas Card where I would be Ralphie from The Christmas Story. I never knew we were not allowed to carry a toy gun to a park in Wheeling, West Virginia. Shawn was dressed up as Santa Claus and we both had five sheriff’s men and one woman chase us in a car and pull us over and even had us up against our car. I have learned to laugh at life or it will kill me and I have learned to laugh at myself because I really do some wacky things.”

Shawn is the quieter half of the twins. He says, “I think people would be surprised to know that we are what you see. We are real and not phonies. We have met many folks we looked up to that weren’t exactly what we thought they were, so it is important to us to be what we say we are and care for those who come to see us in concert.”

Shawn continues, “Other than that I think we make ourselves available and keep it real. When we are in concert we even tell folks our stupid stuff, our hang-ups and our flaws. We even tell everyone we have a secret obsession or crush on the ladies of the original TV Series Charlie’s Angels.” He laughs, “We also think that it’s maybe why we aren’t married yet; we are still waiting for our Jaclyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd to come into our lives and we go off happily ever after. Anything is possible with God!”

Regardless of whether the twins marry Charlie’s Angels, they know that the Almighty God has a plan for their lives. Brian’s favorite scripture, Jeremiah 29:11-13 says: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” Brian shares, “These verses have meant a lot to me over the years to think that the Creator of the Universe knows me by name and knows what I will do with my life. To think that He cares that much about me blesses my heart and gives me a hope for the future!”

Shawn’s favorite passage, Psalm 103, is also a particular favorite for this writer. Shawn says, “I have memorized the entire chapter word for word and it truly is a chapter about God’s promises, healing, faithfulness, deliverance, and mercies. It is something I suggest to all the readers to read, memorize and say daily over themselves. It says it all: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name…” He heals my disease, He forgives my sin, He delivers my life from destruction, He crowns me with love and compassion, He satisfies my desires with good things so my youth is renewed like the eagles and as far as the east is from the west so far He has removed all iniquities from me. His mercy is everlasting and great. GLORY! If you don’t feel like praising the Lord after that I don’t know what to say.”

As the twins leave their future in God’s Hands, they depend on Him to help set their objectives for the New Year. Ministry goals include more television shows, ministry tours and another CD. “Our personal and spiritual goals would be to grow closer to the Lord every day,” says Shawn. “If we aren’t growing yearly we are standing still and that is not good for a Christian because that is still back-sliding. God doesn’t want us sitting back on our achievements, He wants us to grow closer to Him and become more like Him every day.” 

“We really take our walk with Christ seriously,” Shawn continues. “We grew up in a home where they didn’t say ‘do as I say’ but they said ‘do as I do’. We watched them walk this thing out and we know it can be done. None of us are perfect but we should try daily to hit the mark and we truly do try. We make lots of mistakes but we are the first to say it and to apologize when we do. We also want to reach more people with the love and message of Christ. We hope we can do it world-wide because time is running out and every day people are dying and it is up to us as Christians to be the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes of Christ on this earth. We pray daily that we reflect Him and that He would send the broken ones that need Him in our path so we can guide them to Him. That is really what this journey is all about and truly those souls are the only thing we can take to heaven when we leave this world and enter Glory.”

The Chrisagis Brothers and their team are working hard to reach the broken ones every day. Whether it is through Children’s ministry, Christian Pop or Praise and Worship, they are using any means at their disposal to win their world for Jesus. As Shawn says, that is “what this journey is all about.”

Visit the Chrisagis Brothers online at http://chrisagisbrothersministries.org

Or see them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chrisagis-Brothers-Productions/128078276842

Written By Lorraine Walker