Royel Clark has been in the music industry for 30 years, but the last nine are strictly due to a miracle from God. As a sign of his thanks, he has created an association to help other Christian songwriters achieve success.

After a 22-year career as a vocalist and songwriter in Texas, Royel was struck with throat cancer in 1988. When surgery destroyed his right vocal chord, and doctors told him he would never sing again. But a few months later, when he let the Lord into his life, miracles began to happen. Today, nine years later, he performs, writes for a national magazine, hosts an 11-year-old TV show and has just created the Professional Christian Songwriters Association to help promote fellow Christian songwriters in the market place.

Royel created PCSA in May after meeting several songwriters who were frustrated with the music business's "click." "Not all songs are created equal, we know," Royel says, "but there are many good commercial-quality songs that deserve to be heard."

Royel has written more than 3,000 songs, but all the secular songs he wrote prior to his salvation in '88 were either sold or discarded. To date, he has penned more than 500 southern gospel, country gospel or contemporary Christian songs, including 27 album projects and 47 single song projects. He has also written special designated songs, such as the National Day of Prayer Theme Song and the Dessert Storm Support Song, and dozens of radio jingles.

He confesses to singing with a "new voice, new heart, new love and a total commitment to God" and believes that his earlier career was training for God's work today. "I have a voice that is truly a miracle from God," he says.

Royel is also a staff writer for the "Coast To Coast Country" magazine and the host of the "Songwriter's Corner" television show, which is seen in 10 cities in Texas and many other states, as well as appearing soon on channel 60 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

He welcomes inquiries about the PCSA, which has no membership fee. Qualifications for joining include submitting a commercial-quality recording of one's original songs.

Sixteen songwriters are currently members in the PCSA. They are Jean Arrington, Royel Clark, Kirk Davis, Michelle Deck, Bobbie Durall, Richard Hartsfield, Steve Hatfield, Theadore Henning, Darla Hoops, Pat James, Jean Murrey, Don Sagraves, Ray Schneckloth, Yavonne Simons, Howard Strange and Charles R. Williams.

-- Deb Rieselman