CeCe Winans unites thousands in worship at Queen’s Park Oval

The Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain was transformed into a sanctuary of worship on Thursday night for a concert by internationally renowned US-based gospel singer CeCe Winans.

Winans took the stage around 8.05 pm to the exuberant cheers of an audience of worshippers, which police estimated at more than 15,000.

Dressed in white with a flowing yellow overcoat and matching hat, the Goodness of God singer opened her hour-long set with Lord and Friend. As she sang, pyrotechnics lit up the front of the stage, surrounding her in fire and mist.

The audience’s enthusiastic response drew a visible smile from Winans and her three backup singers as she transitioned into ‘Victory Belongs to You’, followed by Never Lost.

It wasn’t long before the chairs in the VIP section—located directly in front of the stage—became irrelevant, as her “congregation” rose to their feet, singing heartily along with her powerful renditions.

Pressed up against the fence in the general section, a group of young girls held placards declaring their love for Jesus. They spoke excitedly about the joy of being there and their hope of hearing their favourite songs, including Goodness of God, Holy Forever, and Worthy.

By the time Winans reached Holy Forever at 8.20 pm, the Oval was in full worship mode—some with arms raised, others with hands clasped—as some 10,000 voices joined hers in praise.

“From the time it starts, it moves you to thoughts of goodness, joy, and peace,” said VIP audience member Gillian Nicome.

Winans, a gospel minister since 2012 and co-pastor of Nashville Life Church in Tennessee, also led the audience in moments of prayer and evangelism throughout her performance. She continued with powerful renditions of Fire, Power in Your Name, Believe For It, and Come Jesus Come.

As Winans transitioned into You Said I’ and Come Jesus Come, the atmosphere deepened into one of heartfelt worship, with tears visibly streaming down the faces of some in the crowd.

It was the perfect lead-in to the song known by many—even outside the church—Goodness of God.

The performance stretched beyond ten minutes, carried by the powerful refrain, “All my life You have been faithful,” and the moving bridge, “Your goodness is running after me.”

By then, Winans had fulfilled her mission—to unite the Oval in worship, transcending creed, race, class, and status.

Among those in the audience was Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who said she was especially moved by Winans’ most popular song.

“Very inspiring. All the songs were wonderful, but ‘Goodness of God’ was my favourite,” said the Prime Minister.

“I played it throughout my entire campaign. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything in the world.”

The Prime Minister also said she was heartened by the large number of young people in attendance, calling it a positive sign that the youth are turning back to God.

Minister of Culture and Community Development, Michelle Benjamin, said the Government would support more events like this in the future.

“This is exactly what the country needs—praise and worship,” she said. “We need divine intervention, and it was so good to witness people from all across Trinidad and Tobago coming together. This concert unified the country. As Minister of Culture and Community Development, I will continue to invest in initiatives like this, just as I invested in this concert here.”

Similar sentiments were shared by Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Barry Padarath.

“One of the songs she performed tonight is one I actually learned from the Honourable Prime Minister. It’s a song I play every single day—it lifts me and strengthens me,” Padarath said. “When she sang ‘Goodness of God’ and the lyrics said, ‘From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head,’ it really resonated. Sometimes you ask yourself why you keep going, and you look for inspiration and courage—and you find it in CeCe Winans.”

He, too, said that he was encouraged by the presence of so many young people and expressed hope that Winans would return to T&T soon.

The audience also included Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, along with other Government ministers and Opposition MPs.

The concert was hosted jointly by Gates Praise and events promoter Ricky Raghunanan.