This article was not written by Nick Harding, but we thought it may be of interest, written by Jo Brazier.

Resting in His Presence - Rex Allchurch

In 2004, Rex Allchurch was an up-and-coming worship leader with a debut album, ‘To Love The Lost’, under his belt.  Playing at churches and Christian festivals across the UK, Rex was already working passionately for the Kingdom when God stopped him in his tracks and changed his focus forever.

“I was at a conference in Toronto,” Rex remembers, “People around me were worshipping, but I was analysing everything - from the guitars to the chord sequences to the lyrical content.  God really struck me and I realised I’d put all this weight on the quality of the music, judging whether it was ‘good enough’ to lead me into the presence of God!  I didn’t know what it was to just enjoy my Father’s love.”  Later in the conference, Rex was introduced to the concept of ‘soaking’, a practice that has become central to his life and ministry.  “Soaking is just waiting on the Lord, being in His presence and giving yourself to Him.  It changes your perspective – earthly things slow down and your way of thinking is transformed as you say, ‘Father, what’s on your heart today?’”

Power and Purpose

Today, Rex’s ministry is based on his biggest goal: to love God.  He sees himself not as a ‘worship leader’ but as a son who simply wants to be intimate with his Father.  “I don’t feel like I need to lead people,” Rex says.  “That’s the Holy Spirit’s responsibility, not mine. I’m just going to jump straight in and invite people to jump straight in with me!  I think if you focus on being in God’s presence, then whatever wells up and comes out of you is going to draw others into His presence too.  I want to meet with the Lord, and people seem to gravitate to that.”

No stranger to the spiritual needs around him, Rex has witnessed the power of God at work from the prisons to the streets through his Sussex-based ministry.  Working with band members Nick Harding and Mikey Randon, who have shared his passion from the beginning, Rex’s desire is to see salvation and renewal in the lives of those he meets.  “We’re seeing lives transformed,” Rex says.  “People are searching for something they haven’t got, and what they’re searching for is absolutely natural: it’s the creator, whom we were born to love.”

God in Reality

Rex’s new album, ‘Jesus Instead’, is a refreshing blend of contemporary influences, with songs ranging from joyful abandon to the face-on-floor intimacy of its title track, an exquisitely simple ballad of God’s grace.  A powerful testament to real-life encounters with miraculous grace, healings and conversions, the album is also honest about the sorrow and suffering we all have to face.  “The songs are weighted in a reality that we want to see God’s kingdom come, but also that we’re praying for things and not seeing them happen.  There are frustrations in life, and in some cases devastation - but that doesn’t change my faith in God.”  He shares about friends who received the record on the day they lost their unborn child, and were comforted by God through the music.  For Rex, this is enough to make the album worthwhile.  “Whatever it does now, it’s already done what I wanted it to do,” he says.  “Maybe it’ll touch other lives - I really hope it does.  I really pray it’s a CD that is soaked in the Father’s love.”

After a six year hiatus, returning to his platform as a recording artist was not Rex’s plan, but God’s.  “I had no intention of signing with another record label,” he says.  “I wasn’t interested in getting involved with the industry again, but it was like God had been preparing stuff for me.  I just spent my time seeking and worshipping Him, and everything fell into place around me.”  Rex’s future is still to be written, but if there is one lesson he’s learned so far, it is to be ready for anything.  “Give up all your ambitions.  Make your ambition to seek after Christ, see what the Father is doing and just join in!  It’s uncomfortable at times ‘cause you just don’t know what’s going to happen, but you keep trusting God, and you realise that it’s all taken care of.”