Pre-edited article about Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe

Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, best-selling contemporary Christian artists, will be part of a first ever “Mega Tour” with Chris Tomlin and Bethel Music in August and September of 2021. Preparation includes asking God which songs to sing and what He wants to do and say. They are ready to have fun and celebrate God’s faithfulness after not being able to tour much due to COVID.

Carnes said, “This tour is special. These worship leaders that are coming together have never been together like this before. We love these collaborative nights… where it’s a bunch of friends. Obviously, there will be a lot of songs that have been very impactful in the Church. It’s going to be a such a strong night of worship.”

A favorite that Jobe and Carnes wrote is “The Blessing.” It includes promises straight from scripture and has been translated into about 140 different languages. Jobe said that it’s very powerful to watch those in the audience be encouraged.

Jobe and Carnes have more in common than being Christian singers, songwriters, worship leaders, having supportive parents, and their marriage… they also both grew up in musical families, began music at a young age, and fell in love with worship music in their early teens.

Carnes’ dad was a professional musician who encouraged him to start playing drums at age 2. Carnes started performing with his dad at 10-years-old and started leading worship in his youth group at 15. From 5-years-old, Jobe traveled with her parents who sang and preached.

Jobe said, “I love the power of what happens when people sing songs of hope and scripture and truth about the Word of God. I started realizing it actually shifts an atmosphere to invite the presence of God to fill a room. I started loving that.”

Early on, each experienced a good deal of stress and anxiety, worrying that they wouldn’t be able to do this for a living. If they could go back in time, they would remind themselves to surrender, give God everything, and trust... then watch what happens.

Carnes said, “Everything I feel like I’m doing now is beyond what I dreamed when I was a kid. And I dreamed a lot. I dreamed big. But I have done some things in this early part of my life that are mind-blowing to me.”

Jobe and Carnes met at a local church in Dallas, TX. At this time Jobe was already touring but needed to make some changes, asking Carnes if he would join her band. They quickly became best friends but it was five years before they started dating. Jobe didn’t marry until she was 33-years-old, after many tear-filled times while waiting.

“I’m very thankful I finally fell in love with him,” said Jobe.

Both love being with people and have had a difficult time during COVID. They never thought that this kind of corporate worship would go away and missed it. However, they didn’t miss sometimes coming home after being out of town and realizing there was no food in the fridge.

“Here, eat this piece of cheese. You’ll be fine,” said Jobe, laughing, to which Carnes responded, “Hope it’s not too old,” also laughing.

Traveling with their 2- and 5-year-old sons, Jobe said, “We’ve chosen to do this as a family and there’s so much beauty that outweighs how uncomfortable and not glamorous it can be sometimes. [For example,] to be on a bus and not get to get a shower because they ran out of water. But those are minor.”

Despite the downside, this travel can have its perks. The couple spent their first anniversary on tour with Matt Redman in England. They have performed all over the world and love the unbelievable worship experiences with those of other cultures.

“We love getting to see and lead people in worship and closer to the heart of God, reminding all of us in the room, ‘God is for you. He loves you. He’s with you. He’s a healer. He’s a father. He’s a savior. He’s a friend.’ It’s our favorite thing to walk away from a night and be able to know that people connected with God and connected with the love of God more than anything,” said Jobe.

Jobe and Carnes rely on Psalm 27:14 and Matthew 11:28 to help them get through the demands of recording, touring, and raising two young boys.

“He gives us peace; He gives us rest – the peace that passes all understanding and the rest that doesn’t make sense. We can be so rested and have peace in the midst of a chaotic world. There’s a lot of hope in that,” said Carnes.

The Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe/Cody Carnes, Bethel Music tour will be performing at amphitheaters in Albertville on August 29^th, Tuscaloosa on September 1^st, and Orange Beach on September 2^nd. For more information, go to any of their websites.