Brian Doerksen, Beloved Worship Songwriter, Enters Heaven at 61
For an entire generation of worshippers, the songs of Brian Doerksen were the soundtrack of the modern worship movement.
From the reverence of “Refiner’s Fire” to the global anthem “Come Now Is the Time to Worship,” Doerksen helped define the sound of congregational worship throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. His songs found their way into churches of every denomination, conference halls, youth camps, weddings, funerals, and living rooms around the world, giving believers language for praise, repentance, surrender, and hope.
Brian Doerksen has passed away at the age of 61, leaving behind an influential catalogue of contemporary worship music.
Among his best-known compositions are “Refiner’s Fire” (1990), “Light the Fire Again” (1994), “Come Now Is the Time to Worship” (1998), “Faithful One” (2002), “Hope of the Nations” (2003), and “Today (As For Me and My House)” (2008). These songs that have been translated into numerous languages and sung by millions of Christians across the globe.
The Canadian songwriter was also a trailblazer in Christian music, becoming only the second Canadian songwriter to receive a GMA Dove Award, further cementing his place among the most respected voices in modern worship.
Doerksen’s influence reached far beyond his songwriting. As one of the founding voices of the Vineyard Worship movement, he helped shape a style of worship that emphasized intimacy with God and authentic expressions of faith. This approach that continues to reverberate on Christian radio and in churches decades later.
In a heartfelt tribute, Vineyard Worship reflected on the immeasurable impact of his ministry.
“Brian was one of the fathers of Vineyard Worship. Through his songs, leadership and friendship, he helped shape worship in the Vineyard and, far beyond that, the worship of the global Church.”
The organization continued by recognizing the lasting impact of songs that became staples of worship services worldwide.
“Generations of us have encountered God through songs like Come, Now Is the Time to Worship, Refiner’s Fire, Faithful One, Your Love Is Amazing, and so many more. These songs have been sung in countless churches, at weddings and funerals, in conferences and living rooms, in moments of celebration and seasons of suffering. They have given language to our hearts and pointed us, time and again, to intimacy with Jesus.” Vineyard Worship also emphasized that Brian’s impact extends well beyond the music.”Brian’s legacy is far greater than the songs he wrote. Those who knew him speak of a man marked by humility, kindness, generosity and deep faith. He was a worshipper before he was a songwriter, and his life reflected the One he so faithfully sang about.”
Throughout his career, Doerksen was known not only for writing songs that resonated across denominations but for mentoring worship leaders, encouraging younger artists, and consistently pointing attention away from himself and toward Christ.
Legendary Christian music radio promoter Chris Hauser shared a personal reflection that echoed the sentiments of many who were impacted by his music.
“Brian Doerksen consistently wrote and performed songs I needed to hear in many important stops in my faith journey. His 30 year old album through Vineyard Music Group ‘Isn’t He – Acoustic Worship’ still holds up. ‘Come Now is the Time to Worship,’ ‘Refiner’s Fire,’ ‘Purify My Heart’ and many others have been the soundtrack for tens of millions over decades.”
Even as Christian music has continued to evolve stylistically over the past three decades, Doerksen’s songs have remained timeless fixtures in churches around the world. Their enduring appeal speaks not only to memorable melodies but to lyrics rooted deeply in Scripture and a genuine desire to draw people closer to Jesus.
CCM Magazine extends its deepest condolences to Joyce, their children, the entire Doerksen family, and the countless friends, ministry partners, and worshippers mourning this tremendous loss. May Brian Doerksen’s songs will continue to echo in sanctuaries around the world for generations to come.
Those wishing to support Brian’s family during this difficult time are encouraged to donate to and share the family’s GoFundMe campaign:
https://gofund.me/d23998cc4
Brian Doerksen, Beloved Worship Songwriter, Enters Heaven at 61
For an entire generation of worshippers, the songs of Brian Doerksen were the soundtrack of the modern worship movement.
From the reverence of “Refiner’s Fire” to the global anthem “Come Now Is the Time to Worship,” Doerksen helped define the sound of congregational worship throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. His songs found their way into churches of every denomination, conference halls, youth camps, weddings, funerals, and living rooms around the world, giving believers language for praise, repentance, surrender, and hope.
Brian Doerksen has passed away at the age of 61, leaving behind an influential catalogue of contemporary worship music.
Among his best-known compositions are “Refiner’s Fire” (1990), “Light the Fire Again” (1994), “Come Now Is the Time to Worship” (1998), “Faithful One” (2002), “Hope of the Nations” (2003), and “Today (As For Me and My House)” (2008). These songs that have been translated into numerous languages and sung by millions of Christians across the globe.
The Canadian songwriter was also a trailblazer in Christian music, becoming only the second Canadian songwriter to receive a GMA Dove Award, further cementing his place among the most respected voices in modern worship.
Doerksen’s influence reached far beyond his songwriting. As one of the founding voices of the Vineyard Worship movement, he helped shape a style of worship that emphasized intimacy with God and authentic expressions of faith. This approach that continues to reverberate on Christian radio and in churches decades later.
In a heartfelt tribute, Vineyard Worship reflected on the immeasurable impact of his ministry.
“Brian was one of the fathers of Vineyard Worship. Through his songs, leadership and friendship, he helped shape worship in the Vineyard and, far beyond that, the worship of the global Church.”
The organization continued by recognizing the lasting impact of songs that became staples of worship services worldwide.
“Generations of us have encountered God through songs like Come, Now Is the Time to Worship, Refiner’s Fire, Faithful One, Your Love Is Amazing, and so many more. These songs have been sung in countless churches, at weddings and funerals, in conferences and living rooms, in moments of celebration and seasons of suffering. They have given language to our hearts and pointed us, time and again, to intimacy with Jesus.” Vineyard Worship also emphasized that Brian’s impact extends well beyond the music.”Brian’s legacy is far greater than the songs he wrote. Those who knew him speak of a man marked by humility, kindness, generosity and deep faith. He was a worshipper before he was a songwriter, and his life reflected the One he so faithfully sang about.”
Throughout his career, Doerksen was known not only for writing songs that resonated across denominations but for mentoring worship leaders, encouraging younger artists, and consistently pointing attention away from himself and toward Christ.
Legendary Christian music radio promoter Chris Hauser shared a personal reflection that echoed the sentiments of many who were impacted by his music.
“Brian Doerksen consistently wrote and performed songs I needed to hear in many important stops in my faith journey. His 30 year old album through Vineyard Music Group ‘Isn’t He – Acoustic Worship’ still holds up. ‘Come Now is the Time to Worship,’ ‘Refiner’s Fire,’ ‘Purify My Heart’ and many others have been the soundtrack for tens of millions over decades.”
Even as Christian music has continued to evolve stylistically over the past three decades, Doerksen’s songs have remained timeless fixtures in churches around the world. Their enduring appeal speaks not only to memorable melodies but to lyrics rooted deeply in Scripture and a genuine desire to draw people closer to Jesus.
CCM Magazine extends its deepest condolences to Joyce, their children, the entire Doerksen family, and the countless friends, ministry partners, and worshippers mourning this tremendous loss. May Brian Doerksen’s songs will continue to echo in sanctuaries around the world for generations to come.
Those wishing to support Brian’s family during this difficult time are encouraged to donate to and share the family’s GoFundMe campaign:
https://gofund.me/d23998cc4
Veteran CCM Contributor John J. Thompson Enlists Keaggy, Hindalong & Friends for New Song
Author, songwriter, professor, and former CCM Rock News Editor and regular feature writer John J Thompson will release his first new single in several years this week when “Sweet Marianne” comes out on Friday, July 24. The tune comes from the pages of his latest book, a “rock and soul fable” called The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville (no connection to the real-life band), and features electric guitar and backing vocals by Phil Keaggy, accordion by Jeff Taylor (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, Keith & Kristin Getty), percussion by Steve Hindalong (The Choir, the real Lost Dogs,) and backing vocals by his longtime musical partner (and wife) Michelle Lynn Thompson of The Wayside. He is also performed last night at Hope Church Nashville with Scout and The Saints and Grable Howie both to celebrate the launch of “Sweet Marianne” and to support the organizers of a new festival called Holy Mountain. (Thompson’s group with his wife, The Wayside, will be playing their first official Nashville show in many years on August 16th at Sacrament Church in East Nashville.) Details can be found at JohnJThompson.com.
Longtime CCM readers may remember Thompson’s contributions to the magazine as a feature writer between 1999 and the end of the initial run. But his history with CCM goes back much farther than that. “The first time I had an article published by any magazine other than my own True Tunes News, was when CCM hired me to review a John Fischer and Noel Paul Stookey show at Wheaton College in the early 90s.” And while Thompson has been writing and recording music – primarily as The Wayside – as far back as 1991, most people outside of the fringes of the alternative rock or the Cornerstone Festival world only knew him for his work with True Tunes. In recent years he was featured in The Jesus Music film as a historian. He has two previous books, Raised By Wolves; The Story of Christian Rock and Roll (2000) and Jesus Bread and Chocolate: Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass Market World (2015). The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville is his first novel. He currently serves as a professor and as the Director of Music Industry Studies at Lipscomb University and manages Community Music, the Chicago worship writers behind the song “Make Room.”
“I never stopped making my own music,” Thompson insists, “but I have been very busy for many years helping other artists and writers get their work out. I spent nearly 10 years working on this story and got to write several songs within the context of the novel. That was a totally new experience for me. But this one, “Sweet Marianne” is central to the whole story. It starts as a lullaby – just a chorus that a young father composes on the fly for his baby girl – but then it keeps coming back throughout the story. I wanted the song to grow that way, so I brought different friends in along the way. Dan Wheeler helped me expand it harmonically and even lyrically. Then when Phil Keaggy offered to record it and play on it, things really opened up.”
Thompson’s story includes a sort of “accidental band” made up of people of different ages, ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds, who initially come together in a garage in East Nashville just for fun. One of those characters, Cesar Jimenez, is a 70-something man originally from Mexico who brings a David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) type of accordion style to the mix. Thompson and Wheeler tapped Jeff Taylor to add that element to the track. “Jeff read some of the book,” Thompson explains, “He immediately understood what we were going for. He contributed such lovely, important elements. The accordion really does represent the prayer-like aspect of the song, and it was a dream to have that in there.”
As much as the song captures the essence of that spirit of his story, Thompson insists that it hits a different nerve he hadn’t even considered when he was writing it. “This really is the sound of community,” he adds. “I could not have done this on my own. I had to let people in, trust others with ‘my’ thing. The result is so much stronger than what I could have accomplished if I had insisted on control. Community and control don’t work together. That Thompson’s “solo” show on the 21st includes Sam Wade (who recently completed a 2-year run as the guitarist for the touring company of the massively popular Hadestown musical), and 2 especially talented Lipscomb students just adds to the sense of community found in the book, and his long story in music.
“We are collectively living through an era of toxic voices and fractured community on all sides,” he says. “There’s a verse that gets me every time I hear – or sing it. ‘Many the voices, many the choices, that told us who we are. Running on fumes, living in ruins, loving from afar. But there is a sound, calling us home, back to that light in the dark. Where we find our names, trade beauty for chains, and hearts that carry the scars.’ That, to me, is the Gospel.”
More info and links at JohnJThompson.com
Stellar Awards to Honor Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Pastor Mike Jr.; Performers Announced
Today, Central City Productions announced the first wave of performers and special honorees for the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, hosted by Kirk Franklin. Under this year's theme, "Feels Like Home," gospel music's greatest night will bring together the genre's most celebrated artists, trailblazers, and rising stars for an unforgettable evening of worship, inspiration, and world-class performances. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Spectrum Center. Tickets are available now at StellarAwards.com.
Jeremy Camp Added to Line-Up of World's Largest Christian Music Festival
Shane Davis Releases "Gold Dust" to Christian Radio
Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Pastor Mike Jr. Set to be Honored at 41st Stellar Awards
Destiny Barber Signs with Seacoast Music
Seacoast Music welcomes singer-songwriter and worship leader Destiny Barber to its artist roster with the release of her first single, “what happened to love." Blending Christian pop, soul, and singer-songwriter influences, "what happened to love" introduces listeners to Barber's honest approach to songwriting, one that embraces the beauty, questions, and grace found in everyday life. The song also introduces listeners to Barber's upcoming full-length project, for ordinary life, arriving September 4. Listen to the new song here.
For King + Country Announces Return of 'A Drummer Boy Christmas' Tour
Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning duo for KING + COUNTRY is bringing back the most wonderful tradition of the year with the return of its beloved A DRUMMER BOY CHRISTMAS tour. Following the release of the band's brand-new Christmas album and theatrical film, DRUMMER BOY, brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone will embark on an 18-arena tour across the United States this holiday season, delivering an unforgettable evening of music, storytelling and celebration.
The CCM Avengers Just Declared: Christmas Is Coming!
It’s Christmas in July and the first major Christmas tour announcement of the season has arrived, and suddenly we’re craving hot cocoa.
There’s something wonderfully disorienting about scrolling through Christmas tour dates while your weather app still says 97°.
We’re halfway through July. Kids are still squeezing in summer vacations. Pumpkin Spice hasn’t returned. Mariah Carey is (presumably) still asleep.
And yet…Christmas officially arrived in Christian music and we are here for it.
Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans have become the first major Christian artists to throw open the holiday season, announcing the return of their Christmas Together arena tour.
After a successful inaugural run, Christmas Together returns and once again pairing three of Christian music’s most beloved voices.
The tour launches Thanksgiving weekend before winding through arenas across the country during the first half of December.
Full Tour Dates:
Nov. 27 — Columbus, OH
Nov. 28 — Hershey, PA
Nov. 29 — Charlotte, NC
Nov. 30 — Raleigh, NC
Dec. 2 — Fort Wayne, IN
Dec. 3 — Grand Rapids, MI
Dec. 4 — Saint Paul, MN
Dec. 5 — Lincoln, NE
Dec. 7 — Kansas City, MO
Dec. 8 — Loveland, CO
Then the MegaZord of Christian music disassemble, but the Christmas magic doesn’t end there.
Amy Grant will once again return home to Nashville for her annual Christmas at the Ryman residency with Vince Gill. For many Middle Tennessee families, it’s simply part of Christmas.
The combination of Amy, Vince, the Ryman Auditorium, storytelling, carols and surprise guests has quietly become one of Nashville’s most treasured holiday traditions. A matinee show sounds pretty perfect!
Dec. 14 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 15 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 17 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 — 3:00 p.m.
Dec. 19 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 20 — 3:00 p.m.
Dec. 20 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22 — 3:00 p.m.
Dec. 22 — 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 23 — 3:00 p.m.
Dec. 23 — 7:30 p.m.
For Cece, Once Christmas Together wraps, she’ll head west for Christmas with CeCe Winans, joined by sisters Angie and Debbie Winans for a special series of holiday concerts.
Dec. 10 — Seattle, WA
Dec. 11 — Portland, OR
Dec. 15 — Phoenix, AZ
Dec. 16 — Bakersfield, CA
Dec. 17 — Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 18 — Sacramento, CA
Here’s the question we’re already asking…
Will Michael W. Smith return to Belmont University’s Fisher Center?Over the last several years, the Fisher Center has become Michael’s Nashville Christmas home.
While nothing has been announced (yet), it would almost feel strange not to see another residency added once the arena tour concludes.
We’re certainly hoping.
Then There’s that Jaw Dropping Arena ShowWhile the legendary trio defines the Christmas season… let’s not forget about the dark horse arena show everyone is talking about. Not a tour. Just two unforgettable nights. CCM Magazine Cover Story artist Tommee Profitt will bring his Christmas spectacular The Birth of a King LIVE to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on December 12–13. Billed as “The Most Epic Christmas Event in History,” the production transforms Profitt’s acclaimed cinematic Christmas album into an unforgettable live experience featuring more than 20 guest artists, a 60-piece orchestra, 100-person choir, and full band.
This is on my can’t miss list this year!
