Dora Pop Bio

dora@dorapop.com
www.dorapop.com
www.myspace.com/dorapopmusic
www.brentwoodbaptist.com
www.brentwoodmissions.com

Authenticity is a rare commodity in this world. To Dora Pop, authenticity is the root of her character.  Born in Oradea, Romania during the Communist regime, her parents decided early in their marriage that they were going to find a way to raise their family in America.  "My parents were always very active in the church," stated Dora.  "They were desperate to escape the legalism of a Communist government." Dora was two years old when her family arrived in America.
 
"My father's passions are God and music. That is his driving force, everyday." The Pop family settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where her dad continued his work in the Romanian church as both the Choir director and Orchestra conductor.   His love of music eventually led the family to move to Houston, TX where the family settled in and have lived the life that they dreamed about while in Romania.
 
Dora has shared her father’s passion for music from an early age. "My parents always listened to Southern Gospel music. I didn’t know about genres of music, I just knew that I wanted to sing." Her older sister Emilia often sang solos in the church Children's Choir.  "I would beg the director to give me a solo too, but he thought that I was too young."  The director finally gave in and gave Dora her first solo at age five, and she’s been center stage ever since.
 
As an elementary school student, Dora was enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) class. ESL happened to fall in the same time slot as music class.  "One day, when my teacher told me it was time to walk to my ESL class room I told her that class had been cancelled, so she sent me to the music class instead." The ESL teacher showed up at the choir room looking for Dora. "I remember telling her, 'I'm not coming to ESL anymore, I don't need it.  Unless you change the time, I'm never coming again.' I’ve always known that singing is what I was called to do and I certainly wasn’t going to miss music class for an English lesson."
 
That same determination led Dora to Nashville in 2003. "I knew that God was calling me to pursue Gospel music full time. I wasn't quite sure what that was going to look like for me, but I knew I needed to come to Nashville to find out. It was truly a leap of faith for my entire family" she recalls.  She was accepted into the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University and graduated in 2006.  Dora went to work as the publicist for a Gospel Music label. "My experience in the music industry is what truly validated that God was calling me to sing."
 
In late 2007, God opened the door for Dora to finally record her first solo project.  “God made it evident that it was time as every detail of this project fell easily in to place.” Who Am I is a unique collaboration with some of Gospel music's favorite and most talented musicians.  Each song reflects a different characteristic of who God is: Creator, Savior, Provider, and The Rock.  "Who God is, is a personal reflection of who I am as His child.  I am His creation, in need of His salvation and provision.  He is my Rock!"  Who Am I has a bonus track featuring the traditional Southern Gospel title song, penned by Rick Goodman, in Romanian. “I couldn’t do this project without recognizing where I come from. The Romanian church is so much a part of who I am.”
 
“Who Am I” is the question most asked by people seeking direction for their life.  "I am blessed to know that I am who I am because of who Christ is, and that is the message of hope that I pray this project conveys."

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“Every tribe, every tongue, every nation will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!”

Last month, I met a friend of a friend, who has been working in India since 2004. Dr. Thom Wolf served as pastor of the Church on Brady, now Mosaic Los Angeles, for over 25 years.  During his tenure, Church on Brady had 10% of its membership serving as international missionaries.  He later became head of the Missions Department of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Francisco.  Currently, he and his wife Linda serve as Christian workers in South Asia.  Dr. Wolf comes to the States several times a year to train all new Southern Baptist missionaries at the International Learning Center located outside Richmond, Virginia.  He spoke to a small group about the India Caste system and how God is transforming India.

My first learning of the caste system and the religions in India came through an experience I had at Second Baptist Church, Houston, TX.  The contemporary Christian artist, Caedmon’s Call, led worship at a service called Logos.  This group traveled to India and worked with local musicians to put together a CD and bring awareness to the injustice done to these people.  Dr. Thom Wolf does similar work, but through training and educating the people of India. 

Below are lyrics of one of my favorite songs that came from the project Caedmon’s Call did, several years back, called Share the Well.

Did not catch her name
Did not catch her tears
It hit me like a train
When her story hit my ears
Mother of eight sons
Father off to war
Got no home address
Just bricks on a dirt floor
Jesus is all I need

Tiny plot of land
Corn stored up in piles
The years it doesn't rain
They just stay hungry for a while
No fatted calf to kill
She made a feast of cuie and corn
She said, "Who else knew my name
Before the day that I was born?
Jesus is all I need
Jesus is all I need."

She bragged about her boys
How they're growin' into men
How they learned to praise the Lord
Old Style, Ecuadorian
To buy the new guitar
They had to sell the swine
She said, "My boys go to school on a foreign angel's dime.
This world calls me poor
I bore my babies on this floor
But He always provides
Sure as the sun will rise.
So I'll sing Him songs of praise
'Cause I know He'll keep me in His gaze."

Rain poured from the sky
We raced back to the van
There were tears in the eyes
Of this poor, forgetful man
Mother of eight sons
She knows the peace of God
Lord, help me learn to lea
On thy staff and thy rod
Jesus is all I need
Jesus is all I need

Jesus is ALL we need.  Tell someone the story of Jesus.  Lives will be changed and yours will be one of them…