In a recording studio in Metamora, Illinois, Rachel West heard the gospel for the first time. The owner of the studio, Ron, was a family friend and had been working on an album with a young man named Scott Kramer. Rachel was a waitress in a local restaurant and had served Ron and Scott while they were on a lunch break. Ron invited her to come over one day and see the recording process and hear the songs Scott had written for his new Christian album. She did. During that afternoon, Scott was recording a song he had written called, “Jesus Came Into My Life.” They shared the gospel with her and about a month later, while in her first week of college, Rachel West accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior on September 6, 1990.
“My life was changing,” says Rachel. “One night my mom took me out for dinner and I was sad because I had just broken up with my boyfriend. My mom said, ‘Well, wouldn’t you like to date someone that shares the same love for the Lord and for music like you do?’ Almost the exact moment she said that I felt a tap and there was Scott Kramer. He said, ‘Ron told me the really good news about your decision to trust Christ. I won’t keep you, I just wanted to say I’m so happy for you and it’s good to see you.’ After Scott stepped away from the table I told my mom, ‘That’s the guy!’”
The gospel of Jesus Christ changes everything…and simply put, that’s how The Kramers story began. With the gospel.
When the Gospel Becomes Your Calling
Five years later, Scott and Rachel married. Their daughter, Maria, would come a year and half later, followed by a son, Weston. It was in Scott and Rachel’s first few years of marriage that Scott felt the call to go into full time ministry. “I was on a trip to San Antonio with the Dental company I was working for when I really felt a call from the Lord to go into full time ministry,” Scott shares. “I gave my notice to the Dental company and a week later, I received an offer from another company in the Washington D.C. area. It was a six figure job with housing allowance, clothing allowance and a car allowance. This came as soon as I made the decision to go into ministry, and so I turned it down, and then a position opened up at our church, Grace Presbyterian Church.”
During these years, Scott and Rachel were dedicated to ministry. Whether it was their paid position at their church, operating the recording studio with Ron or singing in the surrounding area, they were willing to walk through any door God opened for them. They started a ministry called Hands of Love, which hosted river cruises on the Spirit of Peoria with Gospel music and a presentation of the gospel. People came from all over the country to attend the river cruises and Rachel was involved in women’s ministry. By early 1999, Scott gave his notice to Grace Presbyterian Church and the family went on the road full time, with over a hundred concerts a year. “In 2001,” Scott continues, “Weston was diagnosed with autism, and that really put the brakes on everything. Suddenly, we were doing forty hours of applied behavioral therapy in the home every week. Weston was our priority.” But God has a way of bringing things full circle and as Scott and Rachel were faithful to continue in ministry during those years at home, the Lord led this family back to full time touring in 2015.
Maria remembers the time, “My dad had a radio program that he produced at Gaither Studios with Woody Wright, and through that radio program, I became familiar with Gospel music. I remember talking it over with my parents, that I would love to do that someday.” The Kramers began singing as a trio in 2015 in churches and also went to The National Quartet Convention, where Maria would meet her future husband, Ben Wolfe. “During that time in my life I felt like I was drawing much closer to the Lord and even more serious about what His purpose was for my life. Through all of that, I did meet my husband Ben, and I would have never met Ben if it wasn’t for the Lord steering me in that direction.”
“Our whole story is so unconventional,” says Ben. “We started dating in 2016 and on October 27th at a Gospel Music Hymn Sing concert, I asked her to marry me in front of her family and friends at her home church; it was a really sweet moment.” In December, Ben and Maria were married by Dr. Charles Stanley at First Baptist Atlanta.
When the Gospel Meets the Unexpected
Ministry has always been a part of The Kramer’s story, even when life met them with the unexpected. When Scott and Rachel’s son Weston was diagnosed with autism, they returned to minister at their local church, continued Hands of Love Ministry, and had a successful radio program with Woody Wright at Gaither Studios. Today, the group is back on the road touring full time and Weston travels with them every weekend and is an integral part of The Kramers ministry.
“God lovingly allowed Weston to have autism,” Rachel shares, “and that was devastating.” We had to learn a new way to live and by God’s grace, we were able to continue and minister along the way. We didn’t want the severe challenges that Weston had to keep us from what God wanted to do in us and through us. We had to keep living. There are going to be hard things for all of us because we’re not home yet. But that doesn’t mean we just cancel everything and say ‘I’m not going to do anything anymore.’ Having Weston has really helped us look at the lives of others and see them through a different lens.” “Because our reality is never easy, we are able to engage with people with more compassion.” Maria adds, “I would not wish brain issues on anyone; whether it’s Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, or anything else. But the experience our family has, has drawn us very close to the Lord. It’s made us very dependent upon Jesus. I’ve always believed that people with special needs are kind of like angels, and I really believe that if we could truly see all that God is accomplishing through their lives, we’d actually be blown away. The ministry’s impact is far greater than what most of us will ever accomplish.”
Weston is an integral part of the family’s ministry every weekend. Not only does he travel with The Kramers everywhere they go, when he is verbal, Weston will share Psalm 23 on stage during their program and more recently, began producing art that The Kramers include on their merchandise. “Weston never colored a day in his life until he was twenty years old,” shares Rachel. “We had a friend who had produced an outline of a lion and Weston must have colored fifty of those. I showed it to a friend from Florida who was a college professor and accomplished painter and she told us what Weston was doing was what they taught their students in college. The technique takes years to learn.” This gift that Weston has with art has become an instant success on The Kramers coffee mug and tee shirt. “We began putting Weston’s art on our tee shirts last year and those have sold like crazy,” says Maria. “People just love him. They’re so touched, and it makes him feel good that he can be a part of what we do.”
Through Weston’s art, The Kramer’s have found a beautiful way to share his gift with others and an opportunity to remind us all that meaningful connections begin when we take the time to see and engage with individuals on the spectrum. “For me,” Maria begins, “it’s always about remembering that even though this person can’t communicate the same way as me, nine times out of ten, they can still understand the same as me. Maintain a level of respect, knowing that you are talking to someone who is a child of God, to someone that has feelings and desires. My brother is so intelligent and he can understand so much. When he is treated with respect, I just know deep down it has to mean something to him. While I’m comfortable and familiar with autism, there is such a broad spectrum to special needs. You’re not going to know how to handle or navigate every individual’s needs, and I think it’s really important for people to know that it’s okay to ask the individual what they prefer, or maybe ask their caregiver what’s the best way to connect with that person. Just being proactive and learning about who you’re communicating with can be a big blessing to them, their families or caregivers.”
When the Gospel Comes Home
The Kramers’ story has always been more than music, it’s been about family and faithfulness, a legacy that is now continuing through Ben and Maria as they raise their three children, Elizabeth, Bennet and Joanna. While The Kramers have a full touring schedule, Ben and Maria are intentional that their mission reflects the heart of the gospel in every way, including their home. “We always want to have our priorities in order: the Lord first, then family, and then ministry. I always want our kids to know that they’re prioritized so they never become bitter towards what we do for a living. So we do schedule with them and Weston in mind. There are days when we’re stretched really thin, usually when someone’s sick, but otherwise, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so thankful that I get to bring them with me and now they’re a part of the concerts and it is so precious. But we do have a lot of ugly, real moments behind the scenes that are not always graceful and I think it’s important that people know we are a real family with real moments. That’s why my role as a mom is my main and most important role.” Ben echoes that sentiment, “It has been a huge blessing and such an amazing gift from the Lord to have my family with me on the road. It can be exhausting, but I think the reward definitely outweighs everything else. The main thing is to remain consistent. My dad is one of the most consistent people I know and always remained the same, and that is what we want to provide for our family.”
Family brings both joy and challenges, the road of ministry requires sacrifice, and sometimes the journey unfolds in ways you never expected. For The Kramers, each season points back to the same truth: the work 
of the Kingdom is worth it. Not because the road is always easy, but because the Gospel they carry has the power to transform lives, redeem circumstances, strengthen families, and change everything. Maria says, “It’s such a privilege to be a part of the kingdom work and give people the hope that their lives can be changed by the blood of Christ and by the transforming message of the gospel. That is the only reason why we keep doing what we do.” Rachel adds, “God is most pleased with us when we are just abiding with Him and bringing Him glory, even in the smallest experiences of life. And I want Him to look at my life and be glorified and pleased. Scott and I have had many dear saints who have loved us well and invested in us, been very patient with us, and taught us the truth of the Scriptures and now, I can see it’s our turn. I want people to follow Him. He’s the most awesome Savior and so worthy of our lives being lived for Him.”
The Kramers have a passage of Scripture that they quote or pray over every time they step off the bus and we want to close with that verse, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings for much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” – John 15: 5 No matter what your circumstance in life, when you live for Jesus, the gospel changes everything…
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