Young girls dream about becoming lawyers, fashion designers, nurses or mothers. Kari Jobe knew at 10 that she would be a worship leader. Raised in a Christian home with a father who was a traveling minister, Kari began singing in church when she was 3. She remembers her mother playing worship music in the house while growing up and even recalls the constant tug inside her toward worship. “I remember hearing a worship song that applied perfectly to a family that I knew and I knew that I wanted to write songs like that, for hurting people, songs that someone could speak to the Lord when they can’t find the words.”
Through high school and college, Kari watched God set the path before her as she began leading worship in various places. She spent time studying at Oral Roberts University, Christ For The Nations and Dallas Baptist University, where she finished her psychology and Pastoral Ministries degree. Her home church for 6 years thus far, Gateway Church in Southlake Texas, hired her as a worship pastor after graduation, an opportunity that caught her off guard. “I thought, ‘Are you sure? Me be a pastor?’ But once again God was right on. I saw how God networked my life through ORU, Christ For The Nations and Dallas Baptist, giving me the tools to not only be a worship leader but a pastor.”
A featured worship leader on Gateway Worship projects, Living for You and Wake Up the World, Kari Jobe released her self-titled debut through Gateway Create Publishing and Integrity Music on February 10, 2009. Produced by Ed Cash, the album contains a collection of worship pop/folk songs written by Kari Jobe as well as co-writes with worship leaders/songwriters Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Mia Fieldes, Ed Cash and Klaus Kuehn.
