Bill Batstone

I grew up in a Christian family and knew the reality of Christ from an early age. My dad and mom loved God and were committed Christians and so were almost all of the members of my extended family. I prayed to accept Jesus when I was 8 years old at Vacation Bible School, but I didn't consider really following Him until I was a senior in high school. I didn’t get in any trouble as a kid but I was sort of passively rebellious toward God, trying to find my identity in the music and the culture of the late '60's. My life was kind of a quiet mess, I realized I couldn't live any other way than devoting my whole life to God.

I believe now that my interest in music was a gift that God brought to my life. That gift blossomed as I surrendered my life to Him. I got involved doing Christian music in 1970. I wrote my first song then, it was pretty terrible. There were no songs at that time that expressed what I wanted to say about my new found faith so I wrote my own, or at least stole some other song and changed the lyrics.

Since then I've gotten to perform all over the U.S. and the world, made records and had many songs recorded. God also brought me the wonderful gift of my wife, Kathy, when we were both working for a music publisher, she as a secretary and I as a music writer. I've played music at this church since Pastor Greg taught a Sunday night Bible study at All Saint's Episcopal in 1972. I've also played at nearly all of the Harvest Crusades since 1990.