My guest today has been writing music since the early 1970s. And I’ll bet that many of you have sung some of his songs in your church, songs like “Shine Jesus Shine” or “Knowing You.” Graham has released more than 40 albums in the past fifty years and has introduced the concept of PsalmSurfing, a way of using the songbook of the Old Testament in our daily lives. He is a worship leader, songwriter, and teacher, and I’m just really excited to welcome, all the way from the United Kingdom, Mr. Graham Kendrick.
Graham Kendrick is listed in the credits for the following albums:
Year | Artist | Album | Role |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | Graham Kendrick | Paid on the Nail | Acoustic Guitar, Vocals |
1982 | Sheila Walsh | Future Eyes | Songwriter |
1983 | Sheila Walsh | War of Love | Songwriter |
1984 | Sheila Walsh | Triumph in the Air | Songwriter |
1990 | Morris Chapman | Live Worship | Songwriter |
2013 | Graham Kendrick | Worship Duets | Songwriter, Vocals |
Graham Kendrick is a prolific British Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader. He is the son of Baptist pastor, the Rev. M. D. Kendrick. He now lives in Tunbridge Wells and is a member of Holy Trinity with Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells. He is a member of Ichthus Christian Fellowship. Together with Roger Forster, Gerald Coates and Lynn Green, he was a founder of March for Jesus, which mobilized millions of Christians to go beyond the walls of the church, taking praise, prayer and acts of charity and reconciliation to the streets.
Kendrick began his songwriting career in the late 1960s. His most enduring accomplishment is his authorship of the words and music for the song, "Shine, Jesus, Shine", which is among the most widely heard songs in contemporary Christian worship worldwide. His other songs have been primarily used by worshipers in Britain. He received a Dove Award in 1995 for his international work. In 2000, Brunel University awarded Kendrick an honorary doctorate in Divinity ('DD') in "recognition of his contribution to the worship life of the Church". He was awarded another DD in May 2008, from Wycliffe College in Toronto, Canada.
Although now best known as a worship leader and writer of worship songs, Graham Kendrick began his career as a member of the Christian beat group Whispers of Truth. Later, he began working as a solo concert performer and recording artist in the singer/songwriter tradition. He was closely associated with the organisation Musical Gospel Outreach and recorded several albums for their record labels. On the first, Footsteps on the Sea, released in 1972, he worked with the virtuoso guitarist Gordon Giltrap.
Kendrick worked for a time as a member of "In the Name of Jesus," a mission team led by the Rev. Clive Calver. Calver went on to run British Youth for Christ and the Evangelical Alliance, and then left the United Kingdom for the Evangelical Church in the United States. Kendrick, however, has remained firmly fixed in the UK church as probably the most influential Christian songwriter of his generation.
Kendrick also released "Let the Flame Burn Brighter" as a single in 1989, which reached 55 in the UK Singles Chart.
He is a member of Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith from Delirious?.
Graham Kendrick. (2014, December 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:08, January 1, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Graham_Kendrick&oldid=640425112
For more than 30 years, worship leader and songwriter Graham Kendrick has been at the forefront of Christian music in the United Kingdom, crafting songs such as “Shine Jesus Shine,” “The Servant King,” and “Amazing Love” that have inspired worshipers around the globe.