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About

Biography

Matt McChlery

Speaker, author, songwriter and worship leader, Matt McChlery was born in Zimbabwe. From an early age, it was apparent that he had natural musical ability. Shortly after his 13th birthday, at a ‘Penguins In Africa’ Christian rock concert, he committed his life to Jesus.

Following this, Matt started getting involved in his school youth group. With a little guidance, Matt taught himself how to play guitar and started facilitating worship at the age of 15. It was at Rhodes University, South Africa, where Matt’s songwriting really started to show signs of maturity and were increasingly used to bless his local church.

Songwriting runs in the family as Matt’s great, great, great grandfather, Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the classic hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’. Matt believes that some of the anointing he carries is part of a generational blessing as well as an individual mantle and calling upon his own life.

After recording his first single in 2002 , Matt has won various awards for his music and blog and racking up airplay on hundreds of radio stations around the world as well as appearing on the telly a few times.

In early 2016 Matt was diagnosed with cancer (non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) so took some time out of performing and recording. However he continued to write his blog and chronicled his journey whilst battling the disease which has since become a source of insight and inspiration for thousands of people around the world. Later that year, shortly after finding out that he is now in full remission, his blog achieved ‘Finalist’ position in the Premier Digital Awards in the ‘Most Inspiring Leadership Blog’ category. He has written a memoir about this experience and ‘Standing in the Storm: Living life with faith and cancer’ will be published by Instant Apostle in May 2022.

Matt has also written other books including: ‘Songcraft: Exploring the Art of Christian Songwriting’ and ‘All  Things New: Stories of Transformed Lives’ which led to Matt adding speaking and preaching to his repertoire and come out of developments already happening within his ministry in his local church. His book ‘Standing in the Storm: Living with faith and Cancer’ was released in May 2022 (published by Instant Apostle) and ‘The Prison Letters: a 40-day devotional for lent’ (Kevin Mayhew) was published in November 2022.

Matt lives with his wife Verity and their three children in the UK. He is an Overseer (Elder) at his local church, The King’s Church, Wisbech, where he preaches, leads worship and is working on the strategic development of the church.

He is represented by ‘Ministry of Music’, a management and bookings agency.

Matt continues to write books and worship songs that he hopes will continue to point people to Jesus.

Social Media

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Instagram
Twitter
YouTube

Publicity Photos

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • 2008 Songcraft: Exploring the Art of Song Writing
  • 2014 After Hours Live: Little Book of Poetry
  • 2017 All Things New: Stories of Transformed Lives
  • 2020 Songcraft: Exploring the Art of Christian Songwriting (Second Edition)
  • 2021 Songcraft: Exploring the Art of Christian Songwriting (Revised and Updated)
  • 2021 All Things New: Stories of Transformed Lives (Second Edition)
  • 2022 Standing in the Storm: Living with faith and cancer
  • 2022 The Prison Letters: A 40 Day Devotional for Lent

ANTHOLOGIES

  • 2021 The BRF Book of 365 Bible Reflections – ‘Justice and Mercy’
  • 2022 Upper Room Devotional, May-August edition – ‘When the Music Fades’
  • 2023 May-August New Daylight Bible reading notes (1-6 May on Ephesians 1-2)
  • 2023 The Jesse Tree Anthology

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

  • SPRING 2019 Christian Writer (ACW Magazine) – ‘The Rhythm of Writing’
  • WINTER 2021 Christian Writer (ACW Magazine) – ‘A Local Gospel’
  • 2022 Sorted. (Men’s Magazine) September/October edition – ‘Staring Death in the Face’
  • SPRING 2023 Christian Writer (ACW Magazine) – ‘Book Trailers’
  • 2023 June – Sorted. (Men’s Magazine) Website – ‘Making Memories at the Big Church Festival’
  • WINTER 2023 Christian Writer (ACW Magazine) – ‘Getting the Most from a Radio or Podcast Interview’

DISCOGRAPHY – SOLO ALBUMS

  • 2006 ‘Fly’ (worship album)
  • 2011 ‘A Deeper Longing’ (worship EP)
  • 2014 ‘All Things New’ (worship EP)
  • 2021 ‘No One Like Jesus’ (worship EP)

SINGLES

  • 2002 ‘Jewel of Africa’
  • 2019 ‘Humble Heart’
  • 2019 ‘Unlimited’
  • 2019 ‘Sweet Surrender’
  • 2019 ‘Long Ago in Bethlehem’
  • 2021 ‘Hallelujah Christ is Risen’
  • 2021 ‘Great is the Lord’

COMPILATION ALBUMS

  • 2007 All Around on ‘Released 5’
  • 2009 Ten Thousand, Thousand on ‘Released 7’

CO-WRITTEN SONGS ON OTHER ALBUMS

  • 2008 Here I Stand on ‘Mercy Tracks Me Down’ – Andy Rogers
  • 2012 Cry Holy & Alive on ‘The Deepest Part’ – Ryan Baker-Barnes
  • 2013 Cry Holy on ‘God Over All’ – Revival Fires

BACKING ‘GANG’ VOCALS

  • 2019 ‘Let Praise Resound’ – RESOUNDworship
  • 2019 ‘Waking Up the Parishoners’ – Homegrown Worship
  • 2020 ‘Doxecology’ – RESOUNDworship
  • 2022 ‘1000 Voices’ – Rob Westall
  • 2022 ‘Hymns of the Son’ – Reawakwen Hymns
  • 2022 ‘Hymns of the Spirit’ – Reawaken Hymns

CHARTS

  • 2002 ‘Jewel of Africa’ top 10 position on Zimbabwean Radio Charts
  • 2006 ‘Fly’ Number 13 on  the NCM Euro (New Christian Music) Chart
  • 2009 ‘Ten Thousand, Thousand’ number 1 on the NCM UK Chart
  • 2014 number 11 on UK Reverbnation.com UK Christian Rock Chart
  • 2018 ‘All Things New’ album featured as ‘Album of the Week’ on Flame Christian Community Radio (UK)
  • 2019 Three of my singles featured on UCB Ireland as ‘Artist of the Week’ as part of Homegrown Worship
  • 2023 UCB Ireland’s ‘Artist of the Week’ featuring my ‘There’s No-One Like Jesus’ EP.

MUSIC FESTIVALS & CONFERENCES

  • 2001 Youth Encounter (Zimbabwe)
  • 2002 Youth Encounter (Zimbabwe)
  • 2013 KingsStock Music Festival (UK)
  • 2014 KingsStock Music Festival (UK)
  • 2015 The Pursuit (UK)
  • 2015 KingsStock Music Festival (UK)
  • 2016 The Pursuit (UK)
  • 2017 KingsStock Music Festival (UK)
  • 2017 Wisbech Rock Fest (UK)
  • 2018 Supporting Noel Robinson on his ‘Unfailing Love’ UK Tour in Milton Keynes (UK)
  • 2018 Wisbech Rock Fest (UK)
  • 2018 Celebrate King’s Lynn (UK)
  • 2018 We Are One Festival – Milton Keynes (UK)
  • 2019 Celebrate King’s Lynn (UK)
  • 2019 ‘Connect’ London Singles Conference (UK)
  • 2019 KingsStock Music Festival (UK)
  • 2019 Word on the Wash Conference (UK)
  • 2020 Burn 24/7 UK – Virtual Event
  • 2021 Cedarwood Festival – Virtual event
  • 2021 Wisbech Rock Fest (UK)
  • 2022 Cedarwood Festival (UK)
  • 2023 Uncommon (UK)
  • 2023 ‘Connect’ London Singles Conference (UK)

MEDIA – MAGAZINES / NEWSPAPERS

  • 2006 Soteria Magazine
  • 2007 Christian Living TODAY  – South Africa (April)
  • 2007 The Baptist Times (August)
  • (Various) The Wisbech Standard
  • (Various) The Fenland Citizen
  • 2014 Cross Rhythms in-depth interview on website
  • 2021 Village People – Norfolk
  • 2022 Sorted. Magazine (September/October)

MEDIA – TV

  • 2001 TBN South Africa
  • 2011 (UKCMC) UCB TV UK & Europe
  • 2011 (UKCMC) Dove TV USA

AWARDS

  • 2006 NCM (New Christian Music) Radio Mike Award – Rock Male Artist UK & Eire
  • 2008 NCM Radio Mike Award – Worship Leader UK
  • 2010 NCM Radio Mike Award – Praise & Worship Artist England
  • 2010 Semi-Finalist for song ‘All Around’ in Rock/Indie category of The UK Songwriting Contest
  • 2010 Commended Entry for the song ‘Ten Thousand, Thousand’ in the Faith/Christian category of The UK Songwriting Contest
  • 2013 Finalist in the ‘Best Leadership Blog’ category in the New Christian Media Awards
  • 2014 Finalist with the song ‘Fingerprints’ in the Faith/Christian category of the UK Songwriting Contest
  • 2016 Finalist in the ‘Most Inspiring Leadership Blog’ category in the Premier Digital Awards
  • 2019 Semi-Finalist with song ‘Humble Heart’ in the Faith/Christian category of The UK Songwriting Contest
  • 2019 Semi-Finalist with song ‘Unashamed’ in the Faith/Christian category of The UK Songwriting Contest
  • 2020 Highly Commended with a piece of devotional writing in the BRF Upper Room writing competition
  • 2023 Finalist in the ‘Page Turner Awards 2023’ – book category
  • 2023 WINNER of the Page Turner Awards 2023 ‘Book Award, Best Christian Genre’