| 講者 | 周巽光、曹之懿 |
|---|---|
| 編輯 | Asia for JESUS媒體部 |
Joshua Band's First English Album is Here!
In January 2025, Joshua Band officially launched their first English album, "You Fight For Me,"; on YouTube and streaming platforms. Four fresh yet familiar voices lead this release, and keen listeners may notice that these English lyrics are different from their past translated works. What’s the story behind this groundbreaking project?
In a recent episode of a live stream with Pastor Ewen, album producer Isabelle shared the prophetic journey that led to this moment.
A Prophetic Call to Write & Release Worship
From their very first album, members of Joshua Band have been writing original songs. During a conference in Hong Kong, Phil Wickham, one of the songwriters of "At Your Name", prophesied over them, saying:
"You’ve translated so many English worship songs. Now, it's time to write your own and translate them into English to bless the nations!"
With tears in her eyes, Isabelle responded “Amen"—and took action, committing to write at least one song every year, regardless of whether it made it into an album.
In 2018, at the Supernatural Worship Conference, the senior leader at Bethel Church’s prophetic ministry Dano McCollam reaffirmed the calling:
"Joshua Band is to write their own songs, releasing the unique sound of this land. God wants to bless the nations through the voice of the Chinese, especially from Taiwan."
Fast forward to 2023. As Bread of Life Heights Campus underwent renovations, Pastor Ewen and the team sensed that the time had come. After years of writing, they had enough songs to respond to this call. But a major question arose:
"If Gateway, Hillsong, and Bethel seek native Mandarin speakers to translate and sing their songs, shouldn’t we do the same for English? But where would we find the right people?"
Even Sidney Mohede, worship leader of JPCC Indonesia, had posed the same challenge to Pastor Ewen.
Overcoming Self-Doubt and Stepping into Faith
Some might assume that Pastor Ewen, known for his self-assurance (as confirmed by Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment), would charge ahead without hesitation. But he admitted:
"Honestly, I never wanted to do this. I’m the kind of person who prefers fewer complications. Producing an English album felt full of barriers—first, we didn’t have enough original songs at the time; second, I struggled with insecurity."
He then reflected on two forms of pride:
1. Overconfidence – believing oneself capable of everything.
2. Insecurity – questioning whether one is good enough.
"People listen to Gateway, Hillsong, and Bethel because they carry a strong anointing. Do we? These doubts stem from pride, and neither is pleasing to God."
The reality hit even deeper as he traveled globally with Pastor Nathaniel Chow and saw firsthand how BOL’s 700+ churches worldwide were reaching diverse, multicultural communities. Many congregations didn’t speak Mandarin, and even second-generation Chinese immigrants were more fluent in English.
"This isn’t about whether we can do it. It’s about realizing that we must do it."
Finding the Right Voices & Translators
With this conviction, Isabelle spearheaded the project, but the biggest challenge remained: finding skilled translators and the right vocalists.
The breakthrough came when American friends introduced John Hendrickson, a recording engineer from Rivers of Life, and Ian Kilpatrick, a longtime musician with IHOP (International House of Prayer). As the son of missionaries in China, Ian understood both English and Chinese worship culture deeply. He refined the English lyrics to preserve both meaning and poetic flow.The album features Redo Daeng Badjie, Jordan Marcotte, and Christina Reynolds, all well-known gospel vocalists, bringing anointing and emotion to these five powerful tracks:
"Perfect Timing"
"All Leads to You"
"You Fight For Me"
"Because of You"
"Wonderful Grace"