Arvis Strickling-Jones - Was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, raised in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.  She graduated from Skyline College in California, majoring in Music and Business.  After a long career in the corporate field as a project manager in Information Systems, and traveling to promote her music ministry and recordings, Arvis went back to school and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management.  She also received honorary doctorate degree in Ministry from the Bell Grove Theological Seminary.

Arvis served as Director of Music for the San Francisco Citywide Revival Mass Choir with over 100 voices each year, California State Baptist Youth and Young Adult Convention for 20 years; Minister of Music for the California State Baptist Convention and organist for the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.  She also volunteered her musical expertise to the San Quentin State Prison Inmate Choir for 4 years where the choir performed one of her songs entitled “A Friend” on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America”.  She is a member of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.  Arvis has been an active member of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, founded by Rev. James Cleveland and is the Nationally Appointed Assistant Chapter Representative for Northern Delaware Chapter.

Arvis has recorded seven albums.  Three have been distributed globally including Africa, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland.  She has written over 70 songs.  She has conducted gospel music workshops to a 700-voice youth choir Oslo, Norway in 2000 and over 400 voices in May 2006.  She was later invited to Copenhagen, Denmark for an evangelistic Music Ministry to over 1,000 young people; then to Oslo, Norway to record with Oslo Soul Children.  The project was released in February 2008.  She recently returned from Denmark after conducting a music workshop to a 300-voice adult choir.

In the theater, Arvis was the resident musical director and featured gospel artist for Lorraine Hansberry Theater in San Francisco.  She performed and composed music in: “The Amen Corner”, “Tambourines To Glory”, “Black Nativity”, “Gethsemane Park; and “Your Arms Too Short To Box with God”.  She received the “Best Performance in Theater Production” by the Bay Area Theater Critics Awards Circle.  She will return to San Francisco to this November and December to again star in “Black Nativity” at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre.

Arvis has been cited with many awards including “Outstanding young Woman of America”, three Grammy Award nominations, and a Stellar Award nomination for Best Solo Performance by a Female-Traditional; “Humanitarian of the Year” and “Songwriter of the Year” awards by the Bay Area Gospel Academy Awards.

In August 2004, Arvis relocated to Wilmington, Delaware, to become the first Minister of Music and Sacred Arts for the Canaan Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Christopher Alan Bullock.  Her plans include opening a private music school to include piano, organ, and vocal training.  She will also work on her 8th gospel recording.

She loves to cook, and with her husband, Mike, enjoys traveling and spending quality time with their three sons and nine grandchildren.

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