Ron Kenoly returns to Nairobi

By Stevens Muendo

He has come to be accepted by many Christians as the professor of praise. Years after his first visit to Nairobi where he performed with the African Children choir at Nyayo Stadium, Ron Kenoly, America’s most popular praise and worship leader is back for yet another grand tour.

The singer jetted in the country in the company of evangelist Jimmy Jack and rap star Jaz mid last week.

Joined by numerous local choirs and singing groups, the two time Dove Awards winner will be leading masses through praise and worship today at the Kamukunji grounds where the Rock Block Youth Explosion crusade has been going on for the last two days.

Ron Kenoly

In 14 years, Ron has risen from an obscure Sunday morning congregational hymn leader to a renowned praise and worship leader.

His uplifting paeans such as Lift Him Up, Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord and Use Me are regular fare at Charismatic churches all over the world.

Moreover, Ron has carved a niche for himself as a black man in a predominantly white field. Ron’s diverse audience of white, black and Hispanics continues to expand. The third of six sons, Ron was born in 1944 in Coffeyville, Kansas where he knew both joy and heartache.

"My mother put happiness and love into our household," he says of his mother, Edith, who worked as a housemaid.

Ron’s paternal influence was not as strong. "My father was in the military and gone all of the time," he says. After high school, Ron ventured to Hollywood. Faced with poor job prospects, he joined the Air Force in 1965. While in the military, Ron met and married his wife, Tavita. In 1968 Ron left the Air Force and resettled in Los Angeles where he planned to seek his fortune in the music business. Over the next few years, Ron launched his recording career by singing

Marital woes

As his career took shape, Ron’s family life suffered. He worshiped his career and neglected his wife and children. His marriage became abusive — emotionally and physically. They separated and were nearing a divorce.

"My wife rededicated her life to the Lord in 1975 and began praying for the healing of our family," Ron recalls.

"I began to realise the goodness of God through the changes He was making in her life. That’s when the lights began to come on for me."

Ron remained in R&B music another year to fulfil contractual commitments. When he left L.A., he relocated to Oakland. There he took the humbling job of passing out towels at the Alameda College locker room while taking night courses.

"I just surrendered my life to the Lord, allowing Him to do some character building in me," says Ron.

Musical breakthrough

One summer evening, he sat alone in church for hours, playing, singing, praying, worshipping and laying his burdens before the Lord.

"From that night on, the record companies ceased to matter. The Lord had met me and shown me so much that I felt I had gone beyond what any company could offer me."

Leading worship for high-profile pastors like Lester Sumerall and Jack Hayford brought Ron to the attention of evangelist Mario Murillo who commissioned Ron to lead worship at his crusades. Through Murillo, Ron met Pastor Dick Bernal, who founded the Jubilee Christian Center, a congregation in San Jose, CA.

In 1990 Don Moen, then the creative director for Integrity Music, heard about Ron’s ministry and approached him about the possibility of recording one of his praise services. Ron’s first album Jesus Is Alive was released in 1992 and became an instant hit. What followed was Lift Him Up, which has since sold a half million copies and won an Angel Award in 1993.

The worship hits kept coming. The God Is Able set broke records for praise music and Billboard magazine voted Sing Out with One Voice the number one independent Christian music album of 1995.

The next year’s Welcome Home album earned Ron his first Dove Award after which he released High Places:

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