A voice for survivors

Contemporary Christian music artist Terrian ministers to listeners nationwide through her soulful lyrics in songs such as “He Sees You” and “Honestly, We Just Need Jesus.”

With an original remix of her kindergarten ABCs, Terrian Bass Woods (iamterrian.com) began singing at age 5 in the church her grandfather pastored in Memphis, Tennessee.

Finding her voice

“Church is where I learned that I had a voice,” Terrian shared with The Stand, “and it’s also where I learned about the presence of God.”

Now 29, Terrian started touring with Christian rapper TobyMac and his band Diverse City in 2017. After encouragement and support from TobyMac, she signed with his Nashville-based Gotee Records as a solo artist, releasing her first single, “God With Us,” in 2019.

Terrian’s first full album, Give It Time, debuted in 2024, garnering several award nominations. Give It More Time, an expanded version of the album, released this year with two remixes and three additional songs.

But her debut album’s meteoric rise in Christian radio charts also prompted Terrian to leave Diverse City in late 2024 to tour solo in 2025.

Balancing it all

She and her husband, Ian, also a musician, live in Franklin, Tennessee, where they strive to balance their private and public lives.

Terrian later added Eight Days of Hope (EDOH) to that balancing act.

Led by Steve Tybor, EDOH (eightdaysofhope.com) deploys volunteers to minister in disaster-stricken areas through rapid-response, rebuilding, and mass-feeding teams. More recently, EDOH began working with other organizations to build safe houses for human trafficking survivors.

An introductory call with Tybor came at a pivotal time in Terrian’s life. Immediately, she was drawn to Tybor’s genuine passion for helping people and to the idea of partnering with his ministry.

Joining the fight

“With EDOH, there’s not only rehabilitation for the home,” Terrian explained, “the physical structure, and providing relief to families through that, but there’s also rehabilitation of women coming out of and being rescued from sex trafficking.”

Terrian’s initial response to EDOH was, “Now, that’s how the body of Christ shows up. How do we say no to that?”

Terrian’s resounding yes to Tybor resulted in her joining Rapid Response efforts in Amory, Mississippi, immediately after a deadly tornado hit the area in March 2023.

Later, she also visited a safe house built by EDOH volunteers to serve survivors of human trafficking, the fastest-growing organized crime in the world.

“For starters,” said Terrian, “the grounds are so peaceful. They’ve done a great job of cultivating the space needed for someone coming out of the most traumatic season of life. … They are there for those women, and you can truly see the Lord’s work through it.”

Those experiences solidified her partnership with Tybor, and she thoroughly enjoys participating in “Nights of Hope” concerts and other events that raise awareness and support for EDOH.

The feeling is mutual, according to Hannah Fletcher, EDOH’s communications director.

“We have so enjoyed partnering with Terrian as we work together to bring hope to those rescued from trafficking through Eight Days of Hope’s Safe House Ministry, Fletcher stated.

“Terrian’s passion for the brokenhearted is unmatched, and we are thrilled that she continually encourages her listeners to make a difference in the fight against trafficking,” she added.