Kelsey McGinnis

Iowa

Music writer @CTMagazine | PhD | Teaching at Grand View U | Book: Myth of Good Christian Parenting @Brazospress (fall ‘25)

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Articles

Amid Mainstream Fame, Brandon Lake Is 'Still a Worship Pastor'

1 week ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

The "Hard Fought Hallelujah" singer remains "really passionate about reaching people who don't know who Jesus is yet."The week of June 2, four of the ten most-sung songs in American churches were cowritten by Brandon Lake. That's nothing new for the long-haired worship artist, whose songs "Gratitude," "Praise," and "Trust in God" have become staples for congregations that use contemporary worship music.
Worship Music Made with 'Bubba in Mind'

2 weeks ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

Barstool conversion rock from artists like Jelly Roll is masculine, country, and faith flavored. Why is it so popular right now? When Christian musician Brandon Lake and country-hip-hop artist Jelly Roll performed " Hard Fought Hallelujah " for 75,000 people at a country music festival in April, they stood in front of an LED backdrop, a row of arched "windows" flanking a huge backlit cross.
Fandom and the Plague of CCM Scandal

3 weeks ago | kkramermcginnis.substack.com | Kelsey McGinnis

This week, two stories rattled the Christian music world. The first to break was about allegations of financial mismanagement and morally bankrupt behavior by right wing worship protester Sean Feucht. The second came from The Roys Report, alleging sexual assault and substance abuse over decades by veteran CCM artist Michael Tait, who co-founded DC Talk and has been the frontman for the Newsboys since 2009. The personal lives of Christian musicians have always been subject to evaluation.
Sean Feucht Accused of Mismanaging Millions in Ministry Revenue

3 weeks ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

On a new whistleblower site, former employees call for the evangelist to be "removed from positions of leadership and financial stewardship." For years, in city after city, Christy Gafford would invite Christians to come pray and worship with Sean Feucht. "It's time to take back this ground for the Kingdom!" she wrote on Facebook as Feucht toured state capitols in 2023 and 2024.
Stop saying "it's not that deep"

1 month ago | kkramermcginnis.substack.com | Kelsey McGinnis

Yesterday, I posted a short video about a recent release by Sons of Sunday (SOS), a Christian music supergroup that includes some of the biggest names in contemporary worship music: Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Chandler Moore, Leeland Mooring, Pat Barrett, and Chris Brown.
Israel Houghton alaba a Dios, ahora en español - Christianity Today en español

1 month ago | es.christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

El exuberante álbum del veterano artista discográfico busca preservar la tradición centenaria de los coritos. Cuando Israel Houghton y su banda, Israel & New Breed, lanzaron el álbum Feels Like Home, Vol. 1 en 2021, una de las canciones dejó a los fans con ganas de más: "Coritos Medley".
Israel Houghton Is Praising God-in Spanish

1 month ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

An exuberant album by the veteran recording artist and his wife seeks to steward the centuries-old tradition of coritos. When Israel Houghton and his band, Israel & New Breed, released the album Feels Like Home, Vol. 1 in 2021, one track had fans asking for more: "Coritos Medley." The eight-minute song, featuring a series of linked praise choruses, captured Spanish-speaking listeners, who immediately recognized a style and practice their faith communities have long treasured.
American Idol's "Songs of Faith" Wasn't a "Night of Praise"

1 month ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

When I was 18, my mom drove my younger sister and me to Kansas City in our family Suburban for American Idol open auditions. I sang "Mercy" by Duffy for a panel of barely interested producers. (I later learned it was a pretty popular audition song.) My sister sang the song "Plain" by contemporary Christian girl-group Zoegirl. At the time, American Idol was in its eighth season, and it was the singular singing competition in the burgeoning world of American reality television.
Josh Garrels Is Making Music Again

2 months ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

Nearly 15 years since "Love & War & the Sea In Between," the singer-songwriter is moving into the next phase of his career. These days, Josh Garrels spends a lot of time in the loft of the barn on his property in rural Michigan, where he lives with his wife and five children. The space doesn't look as if it's been home to barn owls in a while; Garrels recently finished enclosing it and turning it into a studio. There's fresh green paint on the walls and can lights in the ceiling.
Oldest-Known Hymn Inspires New Worship Song

2 months ago | christianitytoday.com | Kelsey McGinnis

Historian teams up with Chris Tomlin and Hillsong's Ben Fielding to adapt rare music dating back to the third century. Historian John Dickson knows that "early" Christian music usually refers to sacred chants from the ninth or tenth century. So when he noticed a reference to an ancient Christian hymn from hundreds of years before that-way back in the third century-he was immediately curious.