Gospel artist Bishop Noel Jones & The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir on Sunday announced the release of their first new album in years, Run to the Altar, releasing everywhere on July 20 on Tyscot Records. After a decade-long break from recording, the Los Angeles-based choir returns with a collection of powerful worship songs that are sure to make an impact in churches and at gospel radio. 

Speaking on the live album's introduction, Bishop Jones says, "Whether you sing it, whether you preach it, whether you live it, the gospel must be spread." 

The first song on the album is the pulsating 1960s R&B styled shimmy, "Praise is Power," featuring the solo lead of Jason McGee who also led the choir's breakthrough Billboard Top Ten hit, "Not About Us," off their previous album Welcome to the City. Following is a mix of original Pentecostal-flavored songs such as "Flow," No Way," and "Holy Ghost," alongside contemporary praise and worship proclamations such as "Wait on Him," "Rain" and "Give You Praise."

On the bass-heavy funk number "Rain," Prez Blackmon leads with his smooth tenor, and the title track "Run to the Altar," is a big anthemic ballad featuring the velvety croon of Tammi Haddon. "It's one of my favorite songs right now," says Justin Francis of SOAR Radio, who has the song in heavy rotation on his popular BDS-monitored internet radio station.

Bishop Jones is the senior pastor of The City of Refuge church in Gardena, Calif., home to a congregation of over 20,000 members. In 2007, the church's worship ministry, The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir, released its debut album Welcome to the City, supervised by seasoned producer and composer Gerald Haddon.

The album spent one week at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums sales chart in July, 2007, and remained on the survey for 35 weeks. The song "Not About Us" peaked at No. 8 and sold over 100,000 downloads and remained on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart for 55 weeks.

Follow BREATHEcast for the latest news about Bishop Noel Jones & The City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir. Releasing on July 20, Run to the Altar is available for pre-order everywhere now, with links to most popular digital platforms available here.

Click below to watch the live music video for "Run to the Altar (feat. Tammi Haddon)," or click here to watch it on YouTube: