‘I Saw a Lot of People Abusing the Platform’—Cory Asbury Explains Why He Left Worship Music

After spending more than five years away from worship ministry, Cory Asbury says God has brought him back to the place where it all began. While on the road with Forrest Frank’s “The Jesus Generation” tour, Asbury spoke with ChurchLeaders about his upcoming album, “Outsing the Angels,” releasing Sept. 18. During the conversation, Asbury opened up about why he stepped away from the worship music industry, what led him back, and what he hopes believers rediscover through his new music. Asbury, best known for the triple-platinum worship anthem “Reckless Love,” said the past several years have been nothing short of a spiritual renewal. “Man, there’s been so much going on. I think it’s felt like a renaissance of the soul for me,” Asbury said. Cory Asbury Says Forrest Frank Helped Restore His Love for Worship According to Asbury, years in the worship industry left him discouraged and cynical. “When you’ve been in it a long time, you can get bored with it. You can get cynical. You can get jaded,” he said. “I thank the Lord through Forrest [Frank], honestly. It’s awesome that we’re here for this concert.” RELATED: How Forrest Frank Influenced Cory Asbury’s Return to Worship Music Asbury credited Frank with reminding him that ministry doesn’t have to lead to cynicism. “He was a big catalyst to show me that, hey, you can be in this thing and you can keep your heart pure. It doesn’t have to be cynicism that creeps in,” he said. “You can stay completely transparent, completely honest, and completely pure before the Lord, and that’s all that matters.” The worship leader said seeing his teenage son and his friends passionately pursuing Jesus also reminded him of his own first encounter with God. “I think it reminded me of what it was like for me as a kid getting encountered by the Lord for the first time and that raw passion and that love and that exuberance,” Asbury said. “I think this song and this album is hopefully a reflection of that.” The title track, “Outsing the Angels,” reflects that renewed passion.