09/02/2026
Sometimes the Lord plants a dream in a young heart long before revealing just how remarkably He intends to fulfill it. For Matt Dibler, that dream began with a record album, a mother’s loving encouragement, and the music of one of Southern Gospel’s most beloved quartets.
Born and raised in Michigan, Matt was saved at the age of eight. As a teenager, his mother became concerned about some of the music he was listening to and handed him a Gospel record, encouraging him to give it a try instead. The album happened to be by The Inspirations.
Their music made a lasting impression.
Matt has often recalled feeling that God used the music and ministry of The Inspirations to help keep his young life pointed in the right direction. He began to hope that someday he might be able to influence others for Christ in the same way their music had influenced him. What he could not have imagined was that years later, God would allow him to do exactly that—as a member of The Inspirations themselves.
Matt eventually moved south to attend Tabernacle Baptist Bible College in Greenville, South Carolina, where he sang with The Tabernacle Quartet. During his third year of college, he became pastor of Open Door Baptist Church, a congregation he would faithfully serve for fourteen years. During those years, he also traveled and sang with his family group, Family Harmony, combining two callings that have remained central throughout his life: preaching the Gospel and singing Gospel Music.
Along the way, Matt became friends with longtime Inspirations bass singer Mike Holcomb, whom he would invite to preach at his church. Their friendship grew through visits, fellowship, and more than a few fishing trips. Matt eventually mentioned that if The Inspirations ever needed someone to fill in, he would be glad to help.
Then one day, the call came.
In 1997, Matt was asked to fill in for Eddie Dietz. Determined to be prepared, he worked diligently learning words and vocal parts before boarding the bus. Once aboard, he asked Mike when they would rehearse. Mike assured him they would practice when they reached the venue.
They arrived with barely enough time to set up and change clothes.
Standing nervously at the side of the stage, Matt finally asked if Mike could at least tell him what they were going to sing. Mike simply grinned and replied, “Whatever Martin Cook plays.”
Matt soon discovered that was not merely an answer for his first night—it was pretty much the way things worked for the entire time he sang with The Inspirations!
That first fill-in opportunity opened a door Matt could never have orchestrated for himself. He became part of the very quartet whose music had touched his heart as a teenager and would ultimately spend approximately eighteen years traveling with The Inspirations, carrying the Gospel in song to audiences across the country.
There was another fitting connection to his story. Years earlier, while Matt and his wife were honeymooning in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, they visited a museum that was still under construction and were less than impressed. A sign offered refunds to dissatisfied guests, so while Matt conveniently hid in the gift shop, his wife went to collect their money. They used the refund to purchase tickets to hear The Inspirations singing above Ogle’s Restaurant—the first time Matt ever heard the group in person.
Neither of them could have known that the young man sitting in that audience would one day stand onstage as one of them.
Sometime after leaving the road with Inspirations, Matt spent time on the bus with long time friends, The Diplomats from Carrollton, GA. Group owner Jim Pearson always loved having the luxury of having his group to be able to perform as both a family group, and a male quartet. Adding Matt was just the right mix to accomplish both.
Matt’s ministry, however, has never been defined solely by the miles traveled or stages crossed. His heart has remained firmly rooted in the local church. Today, he serves as senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Statham, Georgia, where he previously served eleven years as associate pastor and song leader before becoming senior pastor five years ago. The church has also maintained a strong connection to Gospel Music, hosting a Gospel singing on the first Friday of each month for the past fourteen years.
And Matt is still singing.
Today, he enjoys singing with Resurrection Quartet, alongside fellow Gospel Music veterans Melton Campbell, Daron Osborne, and Mike Holcomb, while also participating in occasional Inspirations reunions—continuing a musical journey that began many years ago when a mother simply handed her teenage son a Gospel record and said, in effect, “Why don’t you listen to this instead?”
What followed is a beautiful reminder of how God can use a song, an influence, a friendship, and a willing heart to shape an entire lifetime of ministry.
For his many years of faithful service as a pastor, singer, and ambassador of Southern Gospel Music; for his significant contribution to the enduring legacy of The Inspirations; and for a life devoted to sharing the Gospel both from the pulpit and through song, it is our privilege to welcome Brother Matt Dibler into the Georgia Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
