Stephen A. Hurd currently serves as the Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Landover, Maryland.Hurd, 36, has been involved in music ministry since 1986 but has been involved in music since childhood. He has studied at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Howard University College of Fine Arts. He was consecrated as a minister in September 1988.
In addition to his roles as worship and praise leader, he has also served on ministry teams with renowned evangelists including the Reverend Jackie McCollough, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Dr. John Kenny, Bishop Paul Morton, Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. and Tommy Tenney.
From 1992 until 1995, he served as the music director for the late Rev. Donald Vails and the DC Choral Kaleidoscope and the Capital City Mass Youth Choir. In 1993, Hurd recorded his first song, “Calvary†with Rev. Vails. In August of 1994, he recorded “Phillipians 4:13 (Stand)†with the renowned Gospel Music Workshop of America Mass Choir, and later recorded “Lord and King†with the GMWA choir in 1996.
Hurd eventually launched his own publishing company and ministry known as "Hurd the Word Music". Since then, he has worked with Christian and Gospel artists all over the world including Tramaine Hawkins, Richard Smallwood, Calvin B. Rhone, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Karen Clark-Sheard, Ricky Dillard, Donnie McClurkin and many more.
This young minister is rapidly becoming one of the most requested praise and worship instructors in the country and abroad. In 1996, he answered yet another call to develop a singing team in the form of a Levitical ministry. Thus was born Corporate Worship, a 15-member worship team.
In 1999, Stephen A. Hurd & Corporate Worship entered another arena with their self-titled freshman CD. Then, in November of 2001, he released In The Overflow.Hurd has since signed with Mobile, Alabama-based Integrity Gospel with whom he recorded a powerful, live album in the Washington, D.C. area. That project, A Call To Worship, releases within the U.S. and abroad in May 2004.
The Brandywine, Maryland-bred worship leader, songwriter and recording artist returns with a sophomore set appropriately titled, My Destiny. This collection was recorded live at the Temple of Praise in Washington, D.C. and further expounds on the practice of praise and worship Stephen introduced in his Integrity Gospel debut, A Call To Worship.
It was at his home church where Stephen was given the vision for My Destiny. "The message of My Destiny came as I reflected on the lives of people around me and the church community. I believe that a lot of people are operating in frustration primarily because they don't know where they are called to serve. My sister Michelle really provoked me to petition the Lord to actually be sure I was flowing in my lane," says Stephen.
Stephen hopes that My Destiny helps God's people prepare for the next level of worship. "The Lord told me that the next level of worship is going to be in 'Warfare' and the saints of the most high God must prepare a 'War Cry' in His name."
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