CT: Some people think being a worship leader is easy but is it harder than it looks?
BB: Well, it depends. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s amazing. The best part is looking at the start of worship and then looking at the end and just seeing the way God has touched all of us in a group. You can’t make that stuff up.

We are just singing simple songs, we are just church musicians. It’s an amazing thing to watch how people look like they just made it through the week to, by the end of the worship, having a sense that God is near and that it’s going to be ok. That is an amazing feeling.

CT: What have you learned leading worship?BB: Very often I am doing exactly the same set or the same kind of thing. Sometimes things go amazing. Sometimes they don’t go great - or at least they don’t feel like they went great - and those moments are king of humbling.

In those moments you feel like the Lord is the one who is ordering our steps and he is shepherding our souls. He is the guy in charge. And that is kind of humbling, especially when you don’t do anything different but still see the power of God, that people’s lives have been changed and that something important is happening. That is a wonderful lesson to learn.

CT: Was there ever a situation where things went really wrong for you when you were leading the worship?
BB: Have you lead worship before?

CT: No
BB: Actually I used to lead a small church in Oxford in England. When I first arrived there were about 60 people. There was no one in the worship team except me and my mate and a drum machine and I would get confused when I had to lead the songs and programme the drums for the next track and some of my most memorable moments happened as we set up and I got the drums mixed up and I just pressed play and the place would just erupt in this massive beat and then the people started to mellow out and connect with God. Those were some of the moments when I would think ‘oh dear, alright everyone, let’s stop and try that one more time’.

CT: Your new album, ‘Our God Is Near’, is coming out soon. What’s your main focus with this album?BB: As the title suggests, the kingdom of God is within reach and that’s a good thing. Not only is God strong and powerful, he is merciful and kind. The first songs are ready to hit that theme. Our God is mercy if your heart is heavy, if your soul is thirsty there’s a refuge, a home for the lonely. Our God is near.

The second song is joyful: you’re the one who saves; you’re the one whose hands lifts us from the grave; you’re the light of life everlasting day; you’re the one who takes our sins away.

The powerful God, this man Jesus Christ conquered death. He has overcome all the obstacles we have to face as human beings and his strength and his comfort and his powerful hands are near to us and ready to help.

CT: How long has this project been in the making? BB: It was one of those projects that popped out quickly. We were touring and we thought, we have five songs, let’s go and record them, and as we started to record, more songs came and we had the songs finished in a relatively short time. It was like the album just came out fully formed in about three weeks. It was really fun for us.

CT: Do you believe this is your best work so far?BB: I think so, it’s hard to say but I feel that the record is most complete, certainly the happiest record I have done.

CT: Could it be the deepest record you have done?BB: Sure, it could be a misconception that deep is heavy, deep is dark but I think joy is as deep as sadness, and in fact the joy that we get from the Lord is that much deeper, because it’s a joy that comes from a God that overcomes the trials, that God has brought us through the hardship.

CT: Some of the songs were co-written. Did you enjoy working with other artists?BB: I loved it. I loved collaborating and especially collaborating with people that I get on with, have a good time with and just had so much fun with. I wrote a song with Marty Sampson (Hillsong United). He’s an Australian, so a South African and an Australian working together is quite unusual - we still like each other! Jason Ingram is a producer out here in the United States and he has done some great tracks that I love. It was great fun.

CT: Which song do you like the most out of all the songs you’ve done?BB: It’s hard to choose. I suppose that Everlasting God is the song I get the most comments about and the most feedback to, so it’s probably that.

CT: What is the future for Brenton Brown?As a worship leader, my job is to inspire and encourage people in God’s name. I know that sounds too simple but when we worship together something happens, something that takes place and there is a strengthening. For the future, my hope is more encounter for the people who listen to my music, whether it’s on a record or live. I just want to help people connect with God through worship and prayer because I have seen what it could do in my life.