Name Stuart Townend Education University of Sussex | Labels Kingsway Communications | |
 | ||
Origin West Yorkshire, England Occupation(s) Songwriter, worship leader, music publishing executive Instruments Vocals, piano, guitar, banjo Website www.stuarttownend.co.uk Role Music writer · stuarttownend.co.uk Albums The Paths of Grace, Personal Worship Genres Contemporary Christian music, Hymn, Contemporary worship music Similar People Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Lou Fellingham, Graham Kendrick, Robin Mark Profiles | ||
Stuart Townend (born 1963) is an English Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music. His songs include "In Christ Alone", (2002, co-written with Keith Getty, Townend's first collaboration with any other songwriter), "How Deep The Father's Love For Us", "Beautiful Saviour" and "The King of Love". As of 2008, Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) lists "In Christ Alone" in its Top 25 CCLI Songs list.
Contents
Career
Townend, son of a Church of England vicar in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, was the youngest of four children. His father, Rev. John Townend, was vicar of Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge from 1974 until his death in a motor accident in 1985. Townend started learning to play the piano at age 7. At the age of 13, he made a Christian commitment, and began songwriting at age 22. He studied literature at the University of Sussex.
At university, he met Caroline, whom he married in 1988. They now have three children; Joseph, Emma and Eden. He has attended and regularly leads worship at the Church of Christ the King (CCK) in Brighton one of the Newfrontiers network of churches headed by Terry Virgo.
Townend has led worship and performed events across the world at many conferences and festivals, including the Stoneleigh Bible Week in the early 1990s to the early 2000s, Together On A Mission, Mandate, Mission:Worship, Keswick Convention, Spring Harvest and many more. He has also featured on Songs of Praise and worked alongside other high-profile Christian musicians including Keith Getty, Lou Fellingham and Phatfish.
In 2005, Cross Rhythms magazine described Townend as "one of the most significant songwriters in the whole international Christian music field". The Christian website Crosswalk.com commented that, "the uniqueness of Townend’s writing lies partly in its lyrical content. There is both a theological depth and poetic expression that some say is rare in today’s worship writing".
Honours
In June 2017, he was awarded the Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury "for his outstanding contribution to contemporary worship music".