Rance Allen Group Launches "Good Neighbor" Challenge

By Timothy Yap Apr 03, 2017 03:44 AM EDT

The Grammy® Award-nominated vocal trio, The Rance Allen Group, has launched a "Good Neighbor" public service challenge to coincide with the legendary group's new radio hit, "Like A Good Neighbor." It's the second radio track from the group's 25th album, "Live From San Francisco" (Tyscot Records)," which debuted at No. 7 on Billboard Magazine's gospel chart this past autumn.

The crux of the "Good Neighbor" challenge is for people to do a good deed and then post a video of themselves talking about it on either their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account with the hashtag #GoodNeighborRanceAllenGroup.

The idea for the challenge arose as a result of the recent hostility that has permeated the country as a result of an acrimonious 2016 presidential election, the rise in hate crimes and the on-going tensions between minority communities and law enforcement because of several high profile police brutality incidents.

"This is a very depressed time," says Rance Allen who has been singing about spiritual and social issues since his group was founded in 1967. "It's a time of unusual stress with all of the killings going on, the political mess that's going on and there's just so many people who have just moved away from trusting God and believing in Jesus Christ. Our job of encouraging and uplifting will never be done. We'll have to keep working on this until the Lord comes to take us home."

The song itself, "Like A Good Neighbor," was inspired by a State Farm insurance billboard that Allen saw on a ride home, some two decades ago. "It said like a good neighbor, State Farm is there and I instantly began to sing, ' like a good neighbor, Jesus is there.' I took it from the Bible story of the man who was traveling and he got robbed along the way. The ministers walked by him, other people passed him by but he was laying there bleeding until a good Samaritan came and helped him. This song is just a reminder for us to be good Samaritans."

The Rance Allen Group was formed in 1967 in Monroe, MI as a self-contained band. In 1972, they signed to Stax Records' Gospel Truth subsidiary where they recorded a series of gritty gospel songs that won them main-stage tours with R&B headliners such as Isaac Hayes and Barry White. The group signed with Tyscot Records in 2001 and have since become known for signature hits such as "Something About The Name Jesus," "Miracle Worker," "Closest Friend," "A Lil' Louder (Clap Your Hands)" and "You That I Trust."

Rance Allen Group social media handles:
https://www.facebook.com/theranceallengroup
https://www.instagram.com/realranceallen
https://twitter.com/RealRanceAllen