Graham Kendrick (born 2 August 1950) is a British Christian 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.
Contents
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.
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 Evangelical Church 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.
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 Watts and 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
Footsteps on the Sea (Key Records) 1972
Bright Side Up (Key Records) 1973
Paid on the Nail (with Peter Roe) (Key Records) 1974
Breaking of the Dawn (Dovetail) 1976
Fighter (Dovetail) 1978
Jesus Stand Among Us (Dovetail) 1979
Triumph in the Air (Glenmore Music) 1980
18 Classics (Kingsway) 1981
Cresta Run (Kingsway) 1981
The King Is Among Us (Kingsway) 1981
Nightwatch (Kingsway) 1983 – cassette only release
The Blame (Kingsway) 1983
Let God Arise (Kingsway) 1984
Magnificent Warrior (Kingsway) 1985
Make Way for the King of Kings: A Carnival of Praise (Kingsway) 1986
Make Way for Jesus: Shine Jesus Shine (Make Way Music) 1987
Lamb of God (Integrity's Hosanna! Music) 1988 (British version of a 1987 album by Jim Gilbert)
Make Way for Christmas: The Gift (Make Way Music) 1988
Make Way for the Cross: Let the Flame Burn Brighter (Make Way Music) 1989
Singles
Let the Flame Burn Brighter (single) (Make Way Music) 1989
EP
No Scenes of Stately Majesty (E.P; Megaphone/Alliance) 1998
Where It Began (Make Way Music) 2022
Collections
The Easter Collection (Make Way Music/World Wide Worship) 2001
Rumours of Angels / The Gift Double CD (Make Way Music/Furious!) 2001
The Prayer Song Collection (Make Way Music/World Wide Worship) 2002
The Psalm Collection (Make Way Music/World Wide Worship) 2002