Worship Leader Recalls Exact Moment God Called Him to Ministry

Published: October 3, 2024

Worship Leader Recalls Exact Moment God Called Him to Ministry

By Movieguide® Contributor

Worship leader Josh Baldwin opened up about how he got involved in music and the moment when God revealed His plan to him.

Baldwin grew up as a pastor’s kid in a small town in North Carolina.

“I grew up in a home where my dad was a pastor but also led worship in our church and was very, very involved in music,” he revealed on the “Jesus Calling” podcast. “My mother was very involved in music, too, and sang in the choir. And my intro into music was playing drums. I played drums for my dad as he led worship, and I think I was twelve or thirteen when I started playing drums in our church.”

Despite his very Godly upbringing, tragedy struck his family when Baldwin was only 16. “My parents separated and then a year later divorced. And that was a pretty traumatic thing, I mean, especially being the son of a pastor. My dad’s a preacher in a small town. You know, that was like a big scandal in my little town.”

Baldwin relied on God as he walked through that difficult time. He eventually moved out and went to college. During his sophomore year, he got to lead worship at a youth camp.

“It was just one of those amazing weeks of this meeting with the Lord. There were times of worship that were really powerful. And then there was one night in particular I was leading this old Delirious? song, ‘History Maker.’ And at the end of that, the pastor came up and just had this time of ministry and we just kept the music going. I remember I felt like I needed to lay down and I just laid down on the stage, and I started bawling. I don’t know what came over me, I just felt the Lord so strong. There was just like nothing I could do except just lay there and just cry,” he said.

When a pastor at the camp told him, “Josh, this is who you were called to be. You were called to lead worship. You were called to write songs,” Baldwin decided to leave college and pursue ministry.

Today, Baldwin is married with a family and serves as a worship leader. He recently released a song that means a lot to him and his family.

“’Prince of Peace,’ that song is so special to me and my family,” he explained. “Me and my wife, we went through a season where my wife started having anxiety and panic attacks and a really rough year.” Through prayer and worship, his wife found healing and that song continued to touch their lives.

Movieguide® previously reported on the song:

Baldwin explained that his wife had struggled off and on with anxiety throughout their relationship but had everything under control.

“Out of nowhere, she got hit with a lot of anxiety and panic attacks and falling into depression…I needed to be home,” he said. “We were just like, ‘We’ve got to go hard after this and seek the Lord and find His peace…’”

During the session, the other writers could tell Baldwin was preoccupied. He shared what he and his wife were dealing with, which led the others to share their own experiences. “Prince of Peace” came out of their conversation.

“I just felt like it needed to be so authentic to the way we were feeling in that moment…just crying out to the Lord for His peace,” he shared.

Baldwin recently took to Instagram to share a vulnerable moment of him playing the song. The caption reads, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 RIGHT NOW WHAT I NEED IS YOU TO BE MY PRINCE OF PEACE.”