As for Believe. Where do I begin...wow....well I am posting a notice. We are "retiring" from the road. We came home from the tour and went straight into the studio and recorded the three songs that are on our MySpace and Pure Volume pages so that we would have something with Tyson singing that was available and then took some time off for our families.....

The craziest thing happened after that. After five years, three studio CDs and two live CDs, almost all fifty states, thousands coming to Christ, and playing with just about every major Christian band that we ever wanted to play with, Tyson and I both felt "accomplished." It's as though we have "crossed the tape." We can keep running the race if we want to but everyone is leaving the arena, in a manner of speaking. It's time to go to the next race. After talking with Eugene, although he has only been with us for a just over a year, he agreed.

We have been through line-up changes in the past. Several. Tyson and I have been through them all together since the start. Each time, we felt that there was more to do and that God was not finished with us. We had more to write, more to sing, more people to lead to Christ, a pressing desire to tour longer and farther. In 2005, after nearly six straight months on the road with XTour and our own heavy touring, we came to know that we have achieved all that God wants for us in this area of our lives. The crazy thing is that neither of us spoke about our feelings until we just had to talk about it, and then it was crazy that we both felt the EXACT same.

We also got a real taste of the music industry while on the road the past two years. Numerous management and record deals were offered to us and, you know, it's just not what we want. We want to tell the world about Jesus Christ. That He is the ONLY way to Truth and Heaven. We use the "avenue" of music to do it but it has always been a ministry. It is painfully obvious that the Christian music industry is looking for Christian "radio friendly" material (such as Third Day and Jeremy Camp), while the secular industry is looking for "positive" and not "Jesus Christ" music. We are not interested in either of these options. We are also not really interested in being on the road for more than half the year, which is what the industry would require, and what any major "career minded" band should expect to do.

We love our families and they need us...especially our children. It is something we have been willing to sacrifice without regret for God's will and purpose, as long as we have KNOWN that we are CALLED TO DO IT. We are no longer called in that direction. He knows our hearts and that we are willing to leave all for Him, we have proven that in action and not just words, and I believe that now He is ready to use us in ministry areas WITH our families. We will continue to do local shows when we have the chance, for fun, more or less. We will also not rule out the possibility of doing some more recording in the near future just for fun as well. And of course, all for the Glory of God.

We are not "breaking up" and we have not played our "last show."

Thanks to all of you that have been there for us for soooo long and those of you that have joined us recently. Thanks to our wives and children that have always supported us even when it meant giving up their husbands and fathers, time, jobs, money, respect from piers. Thanks to Travis and Gwen, and Kevin and Raven for their UNEQUALED support through developing The Ministry street team (don’t trash it, I may be able to use what you’ve begun, more on that later). Thanks to Sher and DISCIPLE for giving us our "first big break" and always being kind and generous and sharing their success with the "up and comings." You are truly the best Christian Rock band ever, and I know our Father is soooo freakin' proud of you. Thanks to Chris Sievers for his continued support, after leaving the band he stayed on and ran our website all this time for free. Thanks to Bill Mason and Morris Hill Baptist for supporting a bunch of tattooed freaks ...even in a Baptist Church. Thanks to Ted, Mike, Cherie, NY, and Matt (the XT05 leadership)...you guys gave us the time of our lives and COMPLETELY changed mine. I’ve been saved since I was eight and God taught me more with you in five months than my entire life combined. I will ALWAYS support the Extreme Tour and will certainly take time to participate in it in the future. Thanks to Willi and Angel and the whole crew in North Alabama, you are still "home" and our family, we love you. Thanks to Diane Tanner, Cookie Norton and all those that have given so much of themselves and their finances to help our ministry. Thanks to the many bands that have been an encouragement to us and stood beside us in the trenches, we will always have an open door for you here in Tennessee. Thanks most of all to our fans all over the country but ESPECIALLY in Howard Ohio, Billings Montana, Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin, Oregon, Alabama, North Carolina, and of course here in Tennessee. You are the top of the food chain when it comes to insane shows with the craziest of fans. We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to the guys in the band that have all been a part of a ministry that led thousands to the Truth....Daniel Deems, Andy Sellers, Chris Sievers, Forrest Taylor, Eugene McCurdy, and most of all Tyson Ashby who stood by with me, Dave Wiley, until this very day.

I, personally, am seeking to do more with evangelism now than band stuff. God has really put a burden on my heart and the XTour really opened my eyes to it. For those who have asked, I might be involved with the tour next year more with directing or in a servant/leader position. God has also been showing me a ministry that I must move forward on. I will tell you more about it later but it combines things I've learned through the XTour and years of touring the country with my wife's years of foreign missions. It's a really good thing and I am VERY excited about it. Maybe I can bring it to your town when I get it developed, and we can share in the battle again side by side. It will also be good because my wife and I can do it together.

The Website, MySpace, Firestream forum, and other areas will continue to remain "open for business" and I will still be checking them as often as possible.

This is not "the end." This is not "goodbye."

Just "until the next time."

Of course I will still be happy to help book bands when they come East or especially into this area of the South. Contact me anytime and I'll do what I can to help.

Peace.

Dave.