My Story

My call to ministry happened on a dirt path overlooking the ocean in my hometown of Bandon, Oregon. I was a confused 15 year old who had spent two hours on the beach asking God to give me sign if He was real.

Nothing happened.

I left the beach and started for home. As I walked up the dirt path I heard the words of Jesus in my mind, “You shall not put the Lord to the test”. In my heart, I told God, “I’ll just believe in You anyway”. I took two steps, and noticed a piece of paper lying at my feet.

Jokingly, I said to myself, “Maybe this is my sign”.

I flipped over the piece of paper, and it read:
RAISE YOUR VOICE AND SING FOR THE LORD
HALLELUJAH!

Since then, I have been devoted to seeking to know God, and to glorify Him through song. Artistically, this had led me down many dirt paths and alleyways, but the heart of the mission has always been the same.

When I was 20, I was working in a cranberry field on my brother-in-laws farm. As I was working I prayed that God would lead me somewhere where I could get good at recording. When I got home I got a call from Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan. I believe that God led me on the first step of a great journey through that phone call.

I ended up leaving town with barely enough money to live on, no money for school, and without knowing anyone in Canada (I had never been north of Seattle). I got on a bus with only my suitcase and my guitar and left on a 48 hour trip into the unknown.

I got dropped off at 5:30 am in 40 below weather in a town where everything was closed. I had never seen weather so cold in my life! Growing up on the Oregon coast, I had seen snow less than 10 times, and never had experienced cold like that. Fortunately, I had a thick red winter coat that had been given to me by a friend about six months earlier. She saw me walking one day, pulled over and said, “I think that God is telling me to give you this jacket”. Honestly, I thought she was a bit crazy, because at that point I was thinking “What in the world am I ever going to need a jacket like this for?” That jacket saved my life as I huddled in a phone booth for the next hour.

Over the next four years I had an opportunity to be saturated in the Word of God in a way that transformed and matured my faith. I made great friends with some fine people, learned how to think critically, got my bachelor’s degree, and made a couple of CD’s with Slyngshot Records (Another Hard Tomorrow, In Stereo). The Lord truly did something significant in my life in that time.

One of the key relationships I made in that period was with Marc Martel and Jason Germain of the band Downhere. These men are two of my deepest brothers in the world. I ended up traveling with Downhere for two summers, and got to experience real community and learn about servant ministry. There are many amazing stories that I could tell.

In 2001, I moved to Kelowna, BC to marry the love of my life. Angela and I were married 4 days after I moved.

Over the next two years I recorded The Altar of Each Moment and started working as the worship pastor at Willow Park Church South. Working at a church was the last thing I had ever expected to be doing. It was, however, one of the best things that could have happened to me in that season. I had burnt out on touring after a couple of rough experiences on the road. In retrospect I understand that God was drying up my ministry as a songwriter, and bringing to life my ministry as a worship leader.

There were a few interesting plot twists over the next few years. One of the most significant was that I had a bad case of tendonitis for a year. I had been playing guitar obsessively for about 4 years (3-5 hours a day), and I think it was God’s way of teaching me some lessons. Ironically, the first time it broke out was when I was recording the guitar part for “Torn”. Towards the end of the song I felt a pain, and my forearm grew red and swollen. The lyric for the song is “For You have torn me/But You will heal me/I will reach out and take hold of Your mercies”. Even in the midst of the trial I always believed that God would eventually heal me.

Being forced to stop playing guitar forced my creative forces to go elsewhere. I started writing and studying poetry. This ended up being a very influential part of the process for my next record Light on the Darkest Line. It is an album of poetic psalmistry. It got more recognition than any of my previous recordings, being nominated for the Western Canadian Music Awards, and 3 Covenant Awards, including worship song of the year (Lift Voice; Lift Soul). I didn’t bring home the hardware, but I was still pretty stoked that it got honored. I feel that I made one of the most unique albums in Canadian Christian Music for 2006.

During that season of my life God gave me back my ability to play guitar. My tendonitis is completely gone. Another thing that happened was that my ministry as a songwriter started to come back to life in a more powerful way than I had ever seen. I remember the first time I heard the church singing The Altar of Each Moment during a worship service. As the praises of God rose from the saints I stood at the back of the room on the verge of tears. I was amazed that God was using my words and music to draw His people into a place of intimacy with Him. I started to believe in a new way that the song of one pilgrim can play a profound role in bringing the kingdom of God to earth.

I recently stepped down after 3 great years at WPCS, because I have felt a tugging at my heart that God is leading me on the next step of my journey. I’m not sure exactly where God is leading, but I’m certain that I’ve heard His voice. The scriptures speak of this kind of faith, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb.11:8). I think back to how richly God has blessed me when I step out in faith, and I find the courage to obey.

I’m currently writing & recording a new worship album, focusing on playing concerts, and leading worship at Deep Roots Night-A valley wide worship night for young adults with Alive Ministries at WPC. Every month we’re seeing hundreds of young adults draw closer to Jesus.

My mission in life is to increasingly know God and lead the people of God to a place of deeper intimacy with Him. My songs are more devotional than evangelistic. I have a dream that I will be a prophetic voice to the Church-one that edifies, exhorts, and consoles the saints (I Cor.14:3).

My soul has been awakened to the grace of God, and I realize that life as we know it is but a shadow of the greater reality…the land promised to the strangers, the ramblers, the poets and the meek. Mine is the voice of one calling to Jesus to open the sky and meet us on the journey home.

Thanks for listening to my story. I hope that you find some encouragement in these pages.

Peace;

Corey Doak

I’ve stumbled through the foreground
I’ve wrestled in the empty fields
The wind was my companion
Out on the autumn roads where I have kneeled

I’ve been as empty as the sunrise
I’ve fallen, but I won’t back down
The deal You’ve made is set in stone
I will not wade these waters alone

From Both Sides of the River
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“There is a certain moment during the sunset when the light paints the landscape in such a way that it seems as if you’re looking at the world for the first time. The radiance remains, if only for a scattered moment. These are the moments when Heaven visits earth, grace pours across the landscape, and the voice of the Father proclaims His love for His children. As beauty awakens our soul, we realize that life as we know it is but a shadow of the greater reality…the land promised to the strangers, the ramblers, the poets and the meek. Mine is the voice of one calling to Jesus to open the sky and meet us in our sojourn.”

-Corey Doak on songwriting
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Light on the Darkest Line, the fourth record
by songwriter/poet Corey Doak is an intelligent
collection of songs; a rich tapestry of poems,
psalms and prayers. It has been called
“an in-your-face Christian album, addressing
the issues of sin and salvation, but presented
to a musically adventurous soundtrack-one that
blends modern folk, roots and rock with elements
of gospel”

Event! Magazine, March 22, ’06
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Into Your heart I ride
A stream of laughter from inside
Bleeds like diamonds on this dusty floor
Where I have lost the will to hide

From Light on the Darkest Line
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Corey leads a valley-wide worship service called Deep Roots Night (Alive Ministries-Willow Park Church-Kelowna). This event speaks to a new generation through experiential worship that seeks to touch the heart of God and see Him move on the earth in a way that awakens souls and transforms lives.

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“Light on the Darkest Line”, the first release on
Doak’s own label, Deep Roots Recordings, has
been featured on radio programs such as CBC
Radio One’s North By Northwest and Daybreak.
It has also earned him nominations for the upcoming Okanagan Music Awards in the categories of Best Gospel Artist and Best Male Artist.