A local church is gearing up to host a free Christian music concert, open to the public.

First Baptist Church of Washington will host five-piece vocal powerhouse Veritas at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the church. The concert is free and open to the public. Greg Barmer, minister of music at First Baptist, said he discovered the group on a website, talked with their agent and arranged for them to come perform Sunday.

Barmer said the group will also be joining the congregation for morning services where they will lead in some praise and worship songs.

“We believe in the power of music as ministry, and this is simply a different avenue than what we have on a Sunday morning and having a guest group in makes it all the more special,” Barmer said.

Driven by a passionate, spiritual and musical message, imparting faith, hope, love and a commitment to ongoing musical excellence, Veritas, made up of five members from the states of Alabama and Georgia, provides a dynamic twist to the contemporary classical genre. Among its members are: Jeff Anderson, first tenor; James Berrian, baritone; Andrew Goodwin, second tenor; Jordan Johnson, first tenor; and Lucas Scott Lawrence, bass. The group has performed more than 200 shows since their official debut concert in Albany, Ga. in September 2012.

“One of the reasons we chose the name the name Veritas, the Latin word for ‘truth,’ was a nod to the group Truth that have us our start,” Lawrence said on the Veritas website. “It’s also, of course, tied to the message we share about God’s simple truth. That is the essence of our message, that He loves us.”

Barmer said the group’s repertoire includes traditional classics like “The Lord’s Prayer” and “How Great Thou Art,” as well as more contemporary favorites like “I Can Only Imagine” and “10,000 Reasons.” Barmer contends the group will appeal to all demographics of the audience due to their wide range of musical style, he said.

“By virtue of being a group of young men makes it different and more intriguing than what we normally do on a Sunday morning,” Barmer said. “They will do some contemporary things we don’t normally do on Sunday. Even the familiar things — sung a cappella by five trained men is a different experience so it should be fabulous. Their appeal is wide, and it promises to be a concert that all will enjoy.”

First Baptist Church is located at 113 N. Harvey St., Washington.