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Graham Kendrick (born 2 August 1950) is a British Christian music singer, songwriter and worship leader.
He is the son of Baptist pastor M. D. Kendrick and grew up in Laindon, Essex, and Putney. He now lives in Tunbridge Wells and is a member of Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells. He was a member of Ichthus Christian Fellowship. Together with Roger Forster, Gerald Coates and Lynn Green, he was a founder of March for Jesus.
Although now best known as a worship leader and writer of worship songs, Kendrick began his career as a member of the Christian beat group Whispers of Truth (formerly the "Forerunners"). 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 Clive Calver. He was based at St Michael le Belfrey, York in the late 1970s and was involved in student and university ministry with British Youth for Christ. At this time he recorded the albums Triumph in the Air and Cresta Run. Calver went on to run British Youth for Christ and the Evangelical Alliance, and then left the United Kingdom for the Evangelicalism in the United States.
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?.
In more recent years Kendrick has developed the concept of "Psalm Surfing".
In May 2020 he took part in The UK Blessing, a worship song video collaboration of 65 churches released during the national coronavirus lockdown.
Career
Kendrick began his songwriting career in the late 1960s. His most successful accomplishment is his authorship of the lyrics 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 worshippers in Britain. Kendrick is a co-founder of the March for Jesus. He received a Dove Award in 1995 for his international work. In 2000, London School of Theology and 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.
Popularity
"Shine, Jesus, Shine" is regularly highly placed in hymn popularity polls. Fellow songwriter and former Kendrick bandmember Stuart Townend has said, "I have no doubt that in 100 years time the name of Kendrick will be alongside Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley in the list of the UK's greatest hymnwriters". Kendrick also has his critics, among them the journalist Quentin Letts, who has described him as "king of the happy-clappy banalities".
Theology
Kendrick's songs written for March for Jesus feature themes of spiritual warfare and prophecy. Regarding the territorial spirits engaged in spiritual warfare, Kendrick has stated, "Satan has the real estate of villages, towns and cities overshadowed by ruling spirits which work untiringly at his command to bring about his malevolent will... ruining lives which God intended for joy, happiness and true worship."
Discography
Albums
Singles
EP
Collections
Bibliography
External links
Categories: Official Website, 1950 Births, 20th-century Anglicans, 20th-century British Male Singers, 20th-century British Singer-songwriters, 20th-century Evangelicals, 21st-century Anglicans, 21st-century British Male Singers, 21st-century British Singer-songwriters, 21st-century Evangelicals, Alumni Of The University Of Greenwich, British Anglicans, British Evangelicals, British Hymnwriters, British New Church Movement, British Performers Of Christian Music, Christian Hymnwriters, Evangelical Anglicans, Living People, Musicians From Kent, Musicians From Royal Tunbridge Wells, People From Royal Tunbridge Wells, People From West Northamptonshire District
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