Christian Canadian worship leader, singer and songwriter Brian Doerksen, known for songs such as “Refiner's Fire,” “Faithful One” and “Come Now Is The Time To Worship,” has died following a brief battle with stage 4 cancer. He was 60.
He died “peacefully in his sleep” at home on Tuesday morning “surrounded by those who loved him most,” according to a statement shared on his social media.
“Till the very end, Brian continued to love those around him, encouraging them in who they are, and shared incredible gratitude to those in the medical field who tried their best to help him. He was a beacon of light even in his final moments to his close family and friends, and loved well right to the end,” the statement said. “May we all be like him, to love freely, be kind, and grateful even in the midst of the hardest of times.”
Doerksen, who was part of the Vineyard Churches and Vineyard Music Group, was hospitalized after he began experiencing severe pain from “undiagnosed medical issues for months,” which began in February, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to help pay for his healthcare.
The campaign stated that he and his wife, Joyce, are the parents of six adult children with Fragile X syndrome, one of the most common inherited causes of intellectual disability and autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two of those children require full-time care.
“His heart and purpose has been to sing love over people, inspire hope, comfort the grieving, and bring peace amongst the chaos in a hurting world,” the campaign organizers said.
In a statement honoring Doerksen’s life Wednesday, Vineyard Worship thanked God for his “extraordinary life and ministry, and for the lasting gift he has given to the Church.”
“It is with deep sadness, and with profound gratitude to God, that we honor the life of Brian Doerksen. Brian was one of the fathers of Vineyard Worship. Through his songs, leadership and friendship, he helped shape worship in the Vineyard and, far beyond that, the worship of the global Church,” the group said.
“Generations of us have encountered God through songs like 'Come, Now Is the Time to Worship,' 'Refiner’s Fire,' 'Faithful One,' 'Your Love Is Amazing,' and so many more. These songs have been sung in countless churches, at weddings and funerals, in conferences and living rooms, in moments of celebration and seasons of suffering. They have given language to our hearts and pointed us, time and again, to intimacy with Jesus,” the statement added.
Beyond his music, however, Vineyard Worship also remembered Doerksen for his character.
“Those who knew him speak of a man marked by humility, kindness, generosity and deep faith. He was a worshipper before he was a songwriter, and his life reflected the One he so faithfully sang about,” the group stated. “Even in the midst of suffering, he continued to encourage others, overflowing with gratitude and hope.”
