Brian Doerksen’s hallelujah still sounds in my home 

On July 21, 2026, the Lord called Brian Doerksen home after decades of faithful service in Christian music. It was unexpected; he was diagnosed with stage four cancer only weeks earlier. He was 60 years old.

Doerksen, an internationally cherished songwriter, producer and mentor from Abbotsford, British Columbia, began his ministry in the 1980s as a worship pastor at the Langley Vineyard Fellowship in Langley, B.C. He lived in the U.K. for two years in the 1990s, mentoring worship leaders and songwriters like Brenton Brown and Kathryn Scott. 

“Surer than a mother’s tender love
Surer than the stars still shine above
I can rest in your faithfulness . . . ”

“Your Faithfulness” by Brian Doerksen

Growing up together 

I first heard Doerksen’s lyrics, “Purify my heart, let me be as gold, pure gold . . .” when I was in middle school. It was the 1990s, and the church I attended in Winnipeg had formed a second, contemporary worship service after the traditional service on Sunday mornings. Those of you who remember this era may recall the shift from hymns accompanied by piano and/or organ to worship choruses and songs accompanied by keyboards, acoustic guitar and, sometimes, drums. Our youth pastor led the contemporary service, so I persuaded my parents that it was okay to attend. Most Sundays, we sang “Refiner’s Fire,” “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” and “Faithful One.” Through this music, I was introduced to Brian Doerksen.

In 2002, Doerksen released his first solo album,You Shine, with Integrity Music. I received his CD for my birthday that year. I played the songs over and over in our home. “You Shine,” “Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing,” “Your Faithfulness” and “I Lift My Eyes Up (Psalm 121)” were among my favourites. As a young mom, my son’s little ears also heard Brian’s music.

One day, I heard my son spontaneously singing while playing in his room: “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, your love makes me sing . . .” It brought tears to my eyes. These words Doerksen shaped from Scripture were now flowing out of the depth of my son’s young mind.  

Global reach and awards

Doerksen wrote and produced over 15 solo and collaborative albums. He is known globally for songs like “Come, Now Is the Time to Worship,” “Hope of the Nations,” “The River,” “Faithful One” and “Holy God.”

He received a Gospel Music Association Dove Award in 2003. In 2007, he received six Covenant awards including album of the year, song of the year and artist of the year for “Holy God.” Then, he received his first Canadian JUNO award in 2008 for the same song.

After years of writing and collaborating with other songwriters and worship leaders, Doerksen released his first Christmas album in 2019 with 13 original Christmas songs sharing the story that God is with us in the mess of our lives. This album was nominated for a JUNO award in 2020, Brian’s third JUNO nomination.

In response to the covid pandemic, Brian released Everlasting Arms, with five songs of comfort to help us find peace during troubled times.

He strengthened his gift of mentoring by founding Unlocking Your Songs, a program to help songwriters write and find their own voice in their music.

Memorable concert

More recently, Doerksen partnered with Terry M. and Darlene Wildman from Rain Ministries and The First Nations Version Project, a new translation of Scripture by and for Indigenous peoples. In collaboration with the Mennonite Central Committee B.C., they shared their passion and heart for reconciliation through music and storytelling. 

One of the most memorable concerts I attended was hosted two years ago by Abbotsford Christian School, where I work. Doerksen and the Wildmans led the audience of about 150 people in honest and humble worship and teaching, including a version of Refiner’s Fire that was updated to include reconciliation themes. I remember the heart they shared for The First Nations Version translation and for reflecting the language of unity and reconciliation in worship songs. 

Doerksen had plans to record new music with the Wildmans in 2026, until his illness prevented him from doing so.

Doerksen’s accolades and awards are impressive, but his true legacy is the intergenerational impact of his worship music and ministry. Those of us who first heard Doerksen’s music in the 1990s are still singing it as we worship with our families today. That little boy who sang “Hallelujah, Hallelujah” in my home is now 25, playing Doerksen’s music during worship services at church. The power of Doerksen’s legacy rests in his thoughtful, intentional lyrics. His ministry was never about him; it was about drawing Christians back to the Lord, the one who created us and who is faithful, from everlasting to everlasting.

In 2021, Brian Doerksen released a song, “215,” in honour of missing Indigenous children. In a public statement shared by St. Matthew Anglican in Abbotsford, B.C., he wrote, “Grief is slow, and some of the unraveling for us with colonizing ancestry is going to be difficult and uncomfortable. We’re not in a rush to get anywhere, other than there is urgency to end our denial of this ancient wound and to face the truth so that work of reconciliaction can continue. I’m grateful to be a small part of this healing journey in our beautiful country.”