Singer seeks to combat human trafficking, share gospel

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—As the writer of praise songs such as "Better is One Day," "Blessed Be Your Name," "The Heart of Worship" and "You Never Let Go," Matt Redman's work is a staple of contemporary worship. With his newest song, "27 Million," Redman is calling worshippers to move from worship to action by combating human trafficking.

The idea for the song came from a conversation between Redman and his wife, Beth, who was shocked to discover that about 27 million people are trapped as modern-day slaves and only about 2 percent of victims are rescued. 

From there, the Redmans wrote "27 Million," based on the true story of a girl trafficked from Eastern Europe in London's sex trade.

Proceeds from sale of the song support the A21 Campaign , which is based primarily in Europe and focuses on abolishing injustice in the 21st Century. This nonprofit organization works closely with police, hospitals and government officials to seek justice for victims of human trafficking. It also provides shelter, medical care, psychological assessment, educational assistance, counseling and access to legal assistance to people who have been rescued.

"If public attention and opinion is focused on something, then those in positions of influence soon follow," Redman said. "Music has always had a great way of communicating, and we really hope this song will shine a light on this outrageous issue. How can it be that right now there are 27 million slaves on the earth? It's horrific."

Redman debuted the song in front of nearly 45,000 college students during Passion 2012, a four-day worship gathering held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. Throughout the conference, students from more than 1,700 campuses in 31 countries learned about the horrific realities faced by the 27 million people worldwide who are victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

Further desiring to help increase awareness on this issue, Redman recently embarked on "The 27 Million Tour" throughout England.

Through his music and message, Redman hopes to connect people to the unshakable truth of the gospel while offering hope and healing to those in need. The songs on his latest album, 10,000 Reasons, focus on God's faithfulness, glory, unending love for his children and the countless reasons he is worthy to be praised.

"When people come to a concert or worship service, you never know what they might be dealing with," Redman said. "I really want to encourage people and let them know that when all around is sinking sand, God's faithfulness and his enduring love is the solid ground we can stand upon.

"I've heard thousands of stories about people struggling with different issues and dealing with brokenness in their lives. It gives me conviction to present the gospel each night while leading songs. So many people are searching for answers and wanting to know about the hope and security that can only be found by having a relationship with Christ."

Realizing the huge responsibility of crafting theologically sound worship songs, Redman spends a great deal of time reading the Bible and consulting with pastors about songwriting material. In addition to writing songs and leading worship at events, Redman has written several books that offer practical advice for worship leaders and praise teams.

"When I sit down to write songs, I think about the congregations singing the songs and try to help people voice their praise, prayer and adoration to God," Redman said. "I try to find a universal truth and then think of a unique way to present it to congregations. Often, the process starts with a phrase, word or Scripture that is a springboard to a new idea.

"For me, that's how the songwriting process works. It has to start with some kind of theme. In songwriting, I feel like the lyric is definitely the most important thing. If the lyric is based on the word of God, it can be enduring and can speak truth into people's lives, hearts and minds.

"One of my biggest quests is to try and somehow paint a bigger picture of Jesus in our worship. It seems like so much of society wants to shrink him down or kick him out of the equation altogether. But we know him as the majestic, magnificent one who has no equal and is completely off the charts of our comprehension. I hope these songs help point people higher.

"In this world, we see so many broken promises, but God never breaks his promises. He never turns or changes, never breaks the faith … yesterday, today, forever the same. Everything else in this world changes, but God stays the same. Therefore, his word and kingdom endure. My prayer is that these songs inject hope into people's lives and hearts, and that they are connected to the gospel truths."