GOSPEL
Andrae Crouch
By
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– FORTY YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE
Andrae Crouch’s name is synonymous with Gospel music. He wrote his first gospel hit at the age of fourteen and has been in the music industry for forty years. Reflecting on these last four decades, Andrae has learned he can trust God, God will always answer, and God is the keeper of everything. One thing that Andrae would like his work to show for these many years is that he's been steady and faithful in his service to God. Andrae says sometimes when he hears a song he wrote earlier in his career, like "The Blood Will Never Lose It's Power," it seems like someone else wrote it.
Andrae has been known as a force behind the successes of some of the biggest names in music. He’s collaborated on projects with Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Barbara Mandrell, Elton John, Madonna, Vanessa Williams, etc. Despite his musical success Andrae has had his share of difficulties, hard times and tragedy. Perhaps his deepest losses came with the deaths of his father, Benjamin Crouch, Sr, his mother, Catherine, and his brother Benjamin, Jr, all within two years.
For the last ten years, besides his music career, he has simultaneously been pastoring the church his parents started, Christ Memorial Church. Andrae says, "God lives there and His Presence is known." The church has seen spiritual growth in being faithful to God and has seen God breakthrough in different areas they've been asking Him to. Andrae says that church work is hard, but God gave Andrae and his twin sister, Sandra, the heart for the people in their church. Just as Andrae has been faithful in his service to God, his congregation is faithful too.
THROUGH IT ALL
God honors anybody who says yes to Him and Andrae is a witness to that. Satan has his attacks, but Andrae has seen miracles. And he feels he has more of a personal relationship with Him. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. God doesn't give us rubbish. Whatever the Lord has given us, we should use. Andrae wants to use the gifts God has given him as long as they can be used. He wants to finish the work God has given him to do.
Andrae hasn't stopped and knows he can always depend on God. Over the last 9 years, Andrae has been afflicted with different forms of cancer 4 different times and the Lord delivered him out of them all. He also developed congestive heart failure 1 ½ years ago. He was hospitalized in the morning, stabilized in the afternoon, and had a concert that weekend. During Christmas 2005, he fell and broke a rib, but God worked it out for good. As they were examining him for his broken rib, the doctor found out that his heart didn't have enough calcium, which could have been fatal.
MIGHTY WIND
Andrae’s renown in Gospel music has earned him many awards and public acclaim. His contributions to Gospel music were highlighted in the Grammy-winning “Tribute” CD which featured an all-star lineup of Christian music artists, including Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, CeCe Winans, etc. singing songs he had written.
His new CD, Mighty Wind, has 14 selections – a combination of new songs and some classic favorites. Andrae wanted to put together artists with the same spirit and worship the Lord in spirit and truth. He would like people who hear the songs to feel like they can join in the worship. If Andrae can get people truly worshipping, then he knows he's accomplished what he set out to do.
During the making of the album, he had a cancerous growth on his throat. The doctors cut it out and found seven nodes/polyps surrounding it. When the doctor checked it again after cutting the growth, the nodes were gone! Andrae's mother, father, and brother all died of cancer. Andrae told the devil, "The buck stops here." No matter what, Andrae has learned to praise God. He says God will put the praise in you even before you feel like it.
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