Cody Carnes is an American worship singer and pastor born in 1989 in Atlanta. A former worship leader at Gateway Church in Dallas, he is now known for songs sung around the world like Firm Foundation (He Won't) and The Blessing, co-written with his wife Kari Jobe.
Cody Jay Carnes was born on March 25, 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Big Spring, Texas, where he began leading worship for his youth group at just fifteen years old. After high school, a music project with friends brought him to the Dallas area, where he joined Gateway Church and became a worship pastor with the Gateway Worship team in the early 2010s.
In 2011, Kari Jobe invited him to join her band: the two artists grew close before marrying in November 2014. Cody Carnes launched his solo career in 2017 with the album The Darker the Night / The Brighter the Morning, then cemented his place with Run to the Father in 2020, which earned a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, the song The Blessing, co-written and performed with Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, became a worldwide hit and won a Dove Award.
- Origin
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA (now based in Nashville, Tennessee)
- Style
- Contemporary worship
- Active since
- 2017 (worship leader since the early 2010s)
- Good to know
- Married to singer Kari Jobe, he now serves at The Belonging Co church in Nashville
How did Cody Carnes get started?
Raised in a Texan family, Cody Carnes was already leading worship for his youth group at fifteen. After high school, he settled near Dallas and began serving at Gateway Church, where he became a worship pastor and joined the Gateway Worship team in the early 2010s.
Meeting Kari Jobe, who invited him to join her band in 2011, changed the course of his career. Their marriage in 2014 came with an increasingly visible artistic collaboration, before Cody Carnes launched his own solo career in 2017.
What makes Cody Carnes distinctive?
Cody Carnes writes worship centered on the fatherhood of God and trust through trials, a theme that runs through the entire Run to the Father album. His song Firm Foundation (He Won't), later carried further by Maverick City Music, has become one of the most sung worship songs in churches around the world. He also remains committed to local church service, alongside Kari Jobe, at The Belonging Co.
Where should you start with Cody Carnes?
Start with Firm Foundation (He Won't), his most universally sung song, then discover Take You At Your Word and Hope Of The Ages for more intimate worship. The Blessing, co-written with Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, remains essential to understanding the scope of his influence.
songs
Firm Foundation (He Won't)
A song of trust that became a worldwide worship classic, later carried further by Maverick City Music; here in a live medley with Great Are You Lord.
Take You At Your Word
A song affirming the faithfulness of God's word, drawn from his most personal solo repertoire.
Hope Of The Ages
A worship song about hope that spans generations, in a live recording typical of the Cody Carnes style.
Discography
- 2023Firm Foundation· Live album
- 2022God Is Good!· Live album
- 2020Run to the Father
- 2017The Darker the Night / The Brighter the Morning
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Cody Carnes?
Cody Carnes is an American worship singer and pastor born in 1989 in Atlanta. A former member of Gateway Worship, he has pursued a solo career since 2017 marked by songs like Run to the Father and Firm Foundation (He Won't), and he is married to singer Kari Jobe.
What is Cody Carnes's most famous song?
Firm Foundation (He Won't) is his most universally sung song in churches, followed by The Blessing, co-written and performed with Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, which became a worldwide hit in 2020.
Is Cody Carnes married to Kari Jobe?
Yes, Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe married in November 2014, after meeting in 2011 when she invited him to join her band. They are now one of the most visible couples in American worship music.
Where can you listen to Cody Carnes?
His albums are available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, and his official videos are published on his YouTube channel.
Is Cody Carnes Christian?
Yes, Cody Carnes is a worship pastor and his entire repertoire falls within contemporary Christian worship. He now serves at The Belonging Co church in Nashville, alongside his wife Kari Jobe.
Is there a French version of Cody Carnes's songs?
The song The Blessing, which he co-wrote and performed with Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, has been adapted into French under the title La Bénédiction and taken up by several French speaking communities.