Some musical acts that reunite after a long absence do so for money, or because they miss the limelight. When Dawkins & Dawkins took the stage at Victory Life Center in Kent on April 10, it was clear they had an entirely different motivation. Headlining a gospel music show billed as a tribute to the duo, the two brothers watched a video montage assembled for the occasion. They were clearly humbled by the enthusiastic response they got from the several hundred people in attendance. They stressed that all the credit goes to God before performing a few new songs they have been working on.

Eric and Anson Dawkins were born in Davenport, Iowa. As young children they moved to Tennessee when their father, a Pentecostal minister who started his first church. In the mid-1980s when they were teenagers, the family moved to Ohio, where their musical careers took off.

With such strong connections to the church, praising the Lord through music came naturally. Eric played piano while Anson played drums.

“We have been singing all of our lives,” Eric said. “Back then we never expected to do it professionally. Eventually we developed a desire to do this globally, rather than just locally.”

They were influenced by Commissioned, a major gospel group in the 1980s. A friend of theirs knew Fred Hammond, a founding member of Commissioned, and delivered a demo they had recorded on equipment at the radio station at their father’s church.

The other members of their group at the time did not share the vision and determination of the Dawkins brothers.

“We kept honing our skills,” Eric recalled.

They became a duo, Dawkins and Dawkins, and released their self-titled debut album in 1992. Hammond was impressed and brought them on tour with Commissioned.

Their fusion of contemporary gospel with elements of rap and R&B, which was tagged “rhythm and praize,” struck a chord with audiences. Their second album, “Necessary Measures,” was released in 1994. “Focus” came out in 1998. They did numerous national tours.

Over time, the brothers became disillusioned by not getting adequate financial support from record labels, as well as the competitiveness of the gospel scene.

“We got frustrated with the gospel music industry,” Eric remarked.

They took some time off. Anson had met a woman in Seattle on tour. He moved out here to join her. They married and had two daughters.

Anson took a job as a choir director at a church in Seattle, a post he held for five years. During this time he got divorced, which caused him much anxiety.

“Getting divorced is a big issue when you are in the ministry,” he said. “There are a lot of repercussions. I had a lot of work to do. It was a reminder that as Christians, we are not perfect.”

Four years ago he was hired as a worship pastor at Life Center in Tacoma.

“There was much purpose involved in that,” Anson recalled. He was revitalized by his new spiritual home.

Eric moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and remains based there. He had several production companies, most notably The Underdogs. He did writing and backing vocals for several artists who emerged from the “American Idol” television show, including Ruben Studdard, Fantasia and Kelly Clarkson. He even sang some numbers on Christina Aguilera’s Christmas album.

Dawkins and Dawkins did some touring, mostly weekend shows, from 1998 through 2002. By then their other pursuits were their priorities.

“We had to take some time off to grow,” Eric observed.

They realized they had made an impact, as other artists were utilizing the rhythm and praize style they pioneered. “Focus” continued to get airplay and rack up sales, cracking the Billboard top 10 gospel chart.

They stayed in touch from their new homes on the West Coast and continued to write together.

“People prodded us to get back together,” Eric said. “We were recording some songs for when the right opportunity presented itself.”

That time is now. They are about 80 percent finished with their next album.

“We decided the time is right,” Eric remarked.

“We are coming in, trying to catch up with everything that is happening,” Anson said. “It has made us feel good to know rhythm and praize really happened and created a niche market.”

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/dawkinsanddawkins.