Died: Ron Kenoly, 'Ancient of Days' Singer and Worship Leader

Kenoly fused global sounds with contemporary worship music, inspiring decades of praise.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Ron Kenoly, one of the first celebrity worship leaders to rise to prominence as a recording artist with Integrity Music, changed the sonic landscape of contemporary worship music during the early 1990s. Kenoly was an energetic performer and song leader, celebrated for his ability to engage a crowd or a congregation and inspire participation. His music blended gospel and Afro-Caribbean styles, ushering contemporary worship music into a new era of experimentation and expansion. Kenoly died on February 3, 2026, at the age of 81.

Why it matters

Kenoly transformed people's imaginations for culturally coded praise and worship, demonstrating that worship has no boundaries or color lines. His music inspired a new generation of worship leaders and artists who have built upon the foundation he laid.

The details

Kenoly's 1992 album 'Lift Him Up' featured high-energy praise songs like 'Ancient of Days' that blended gospel and Afro-Caribbean style characteristics and became popular with congregations across denominations and continents. The album was a surprise success, initially proposed as a straightforward recording of a live worship service with a very limited budget. The quality of the music and the live performance captivated listeners and catapulted Kenoly to celebrity status in the contemporary worship world.

  • Kenoly was born in 1944 in Coffeyville, Kansas.
  • Kenoly joined the Air Force and moved to Hollywood, performing with a pop cover band called the Mellow Fellows from 1965 to 1968.
  • Kenoly married his first wife, Tavita, in 1968, and they had three sons.
  • In 1975, Kenoly's wife rededicated her life to Christ, sparking Kenoly's own spiritual reckoning.
  • Kenoly accepted a job as a worship leader at the Jubilee Christian Center (now Redemption Church) in San Jose, California, in 1985.

The players

Ron Kenoly

One of the first celebrity worship leaders to rise to prominence as a recording artist with Integrity Music, known for his energetic performances and ability to engage congregations in worship.

William McDowell

Kenoly's former music director.

Tavita Kenoly

Kenoly's first wife, with whom he had three sons.

Don Moen

Former vice president of Integrity Music, who invited Kenoly to record an album with the label.

Tom Brooks

Integrity producer and keyboardist who helped assemble the backing ensemble for Kenoly's album 'Lift Him Up'.

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What they’re saying

“He wanted everyone to be singing. He cared deeply about everyone in the room experiencing God in worship.”

— William McDowell, Kenoly's former music director (Christianity Today)

“Worship in spirit and truth requires more than fancy vocal aerobics, beautiful poetic lyrics and sweet or hot musical passages on the instruments. God is pleased with our talents, but He is not impressed by them. … God is always looking at the true heart of the worshiper.”

— Ron Kenoly (Christianity Today)

“Kenoly transformed people's imaginations for culturally coded praise and worship.”

— Adam Perez, Assistant Professor of Worship Studies at Belmont University (Christianity Today)

“He showed worship leaders that you could be high-energy and orchestrated, yet deeply intimate and scripturally grounded. There would be no Maverick City today without Ron Kenoly. There would be no Brandon Lake, no Michael W. Smith as we know them today.”

— Muyiwa Olarewaju, British gospel singer (Christianity Today)

“To see a Black man lead millions of people from multiple cultures in 1991 quite literally ignited a flame in me. He gave me permission to be my cross-cultural self and not have to assimilate into a copy or caricature of someone else.”

— Israel Houghton, Recording artist and worship leader (Christianity Today)

The takeaway

Kenoly's music and ministry showed that worship has no boundaries or color lines, inspiring a new generation of worship leaders and artists who have built upon the foundation he laid. His legacy as a unifying and transformative figure in contemporary worship music will continue to be felt for years to come.