Earl LeWain Dysart was born and raised in Fulton, Mo and is the youngest child of five. His mother and siblings sang often together through the years of growing up. LeWain felt, as a young teenager, a tug toward a singing ministry for his life. Upon graduation from High School he attended Kansas City College and Bible School. It was during this time he found the love of his life while visiting a church convention in Dayton, OH in April of 1986. They began corresponding and in June of 1987 committed their lives in Holy Union.

Lorena, the second daughter of four, was raised in a minister’s home and lived in various places since her birth in Rock Island, IL. She studied voice at Hobe Sound Bible College, Hobe Sound, FL and was preparing to minister in music, a dream and desire since her early teens. It was while traveling with the College Choir when her path crossed LeWain’s and she has not regretted that day of meeting. At the present she is very busy home schooling three of the five children.

Their family was blessed in Aug. 1989 with a beautiful little fair skinned, red head boy followed by a dark hair, dark complexion little girl in Nov. 1991. The Dysart Family was now complete. It was during this time LeWain began a business of his own and built it over the next 9 years. In 1998 they felt God leading them to commit their lives to full time ministry. In February of that year, God took LeWain’s father on to heaven to join his wife who had gone on 9 years previously. Later that same year, in November, another red head boy was added. His birth seemed like a gift that helped with the loss.

Over the course of the next two years they sold their business and home to move to Kirksville, MO where LeWain became Administrator/Principal of a small Christian School. LeWain began writing songs during the second month of entering into ministry here. While serving at the school another boy was added in Feb of 2001. Now the family was complete or so we thought until June of 2004 and the last boy arrived.

During the last year at the Christian School, LeWain began preaching at a church 35 miles away and to the present is still their pastor. It was during this time their singing ministry began to broaden. God opened doors and allowed the family to do a series of Christmas Concerts in 2006 in various venues. This led to the release of their CD It Was Love in September 2007. Seven of the twelve songs are original. Kendra wrote the song In God’s Eyes and LeWain wrote six of the songs: It Was Love, You Can Walk On Water, People Saving Business, Jesus Calls, Resurrection, and I Love This Land.

When the Dysart family sings gospel music they are carrying on an old family tradition. During the depression John and Thelma Batton, LeWain’s maternal grandparents, raised their large family around the Bible, prayer, faith, and singing gospel music. Granddaddy Batton played the juice harp and laptop steel. The oldest son, John, took guitar lessons, teaching the younger children all he’d learned. LeWain’s mother, Paralee Anne (PA to her friends), played the piano, playing for her church much of her life. Before PA married, she and her sister Yvonne took their accordion and guitar to camp meetings and revivals as song evangelists. Yvonne continued as a song evangelist with Lois Clouse for several years. Their brother Bob wrote gospel songs and traveled with his family to sing for camp meetings and revivals also. LeWain’s older siblings grew up singing together at church as well as in a few camps with their aunt Yvonne. LeWain grew up singing with his mom in church. Interestingly, it was LeWain’s aunt Yvonne that strongly influenced both Lorena and LeWain. Lorena, growing up in a parsonage, heard Yvonne sing in revivals and camp meetings. Lorena and LeWain were both drawn toward music ministry through her music and the obvious grace of God in her life. As you can see, when the Dysart family sings gospel music, they are carrying on an old family tradition.