’Reckless Love’ writer Cory Asbury: ‘I’ve been cancelled for being honest about the problems in Christian music’

Musician and singer-songwriter Cory Asbury grew up in church and always loved music. But by the time he was a teenager, his lifestyle was spiralling out of control. Out partying on a Saturday night before leading worship on a Sunday morning, his parents staged an intervention. Telling him it was a ‘music school’, he arrived at the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) unprepared for a year of intensive Bible study and ministry. He hated it - until the Holy Spirit turned up one day and changed the trajectory of Cory’s life.

Signed to Bethel Music, his worship anthems ‘Reckless love’ and ‘The Father’s house’ have been sung around the world – and made Cory a lot of money. But he became disaffected by what he saw in the Christian music industry and eventually left it behind for country music. After almost two decades of working as a worship pastor, he still loves to lead worship, he says, but he no longer wishes to make money from people’s praise.

For a globally famous Christian musician, Cory’s social media presence is refreshingly candid and surprisingly funny. But he has also paid a high price for being prepared to speak out and – occasionally – poke fun at the Church.

In this episode of The Profile, he speaks to deputy editor of Premier Christianity magazine - Emma Fowle – about his thoughts on recent scandals in the Christian music industry, the problem of platform and self-promotion, and what being honest on social media has really cost him.