Brad McKee
Oconee Worship Pastor
I grew up in a chaotic household. My father was an addict and eventually it was an overdose that took him from us in May 2019. My mom did her best to raise five kids on her own, and she loved and cared for us so well. I didn’t grow up attending church and wouldn’t have really called myself a Christian. I spent the majority of my childhood searching. First, I searched for an identity. I was always looking to everyone and everything in my life to tell me who I was because honestly, I had no idea. Second, I searched for purpose. I wasn’t particularly gifted at anything, and I watched as my friends slowly started developing natural abilities and hobbies into passions. I wanted to know what I was supposed to do and wanted it to matter.
We started attending church in 2006 after my mom got remarried. In February 2007, I was attending a youth conference in Tennessee where I began to have this internal conflict during worship one night. I had been calling myself a Christian for about a year, but I wasn’t taking it seriously. Pretending was beginning to take a major toll on me. It was impossible to keep up both lives that I was living. I spent the next ten minutes giving my life to the Lord and deciding then and there that I would pursue a righteous life moving forward. That night I discovered that I could sing (or at least that I had developed a desire to sing). In one night and after one quick decision, I was offered purpose and identity. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of this story and for other people to know that there is a loving God who wants them to know that they are valued, loved, and have worth. I have made lots of mistakes and my journey since that day has been messy, but I have been surrounded by people who continue to challenge me to try again and to continue growing.
While the story of who I was before I encountered Jesus may not be common, the story of redemption and grace offered to me is one that is freely available to every single person regardless of what your story is. Having the honor of leading worship at Graystone Church and proclaiming the truth of who God is every week is one of my absolute favorite things. I love the community here, and they continue to remind me that every one of our stories matters. Every one of our stories is a reminder of the goodness of God.
We started attending church in 2006 after my mom got remarried. In February 2007, I was attending a youth conference in Tennessee where I began to have this internal conflict during worship one night. I had been calling myself a Christian for about a year, but I wasn’t taking it seriously. Pretending was beginning to take a major toll on me. It was impossible to keep up both lives that I was living. I spent the next ten minutes giving my life to the Lord and deciding then and there that I would pursue a righteous life moving forward. That night I discovered that I could sing (or at least that I had developed a desire to sing). In one night and after one quick decision, I was offered purpose and identity. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of this story and for other people to know that there is a loving God who wants them to know that they are valued, loved, and have worth. I have made lots of mistakes and my journey since that day has been messy, but I have been surrounded by people who continue to challenge me to try again and to continue growing.
While the story of who I was before I encountered Jesus may not be common, the story of redemption and grace offered to me is one that is freely available to every single person regardless of what your story is. Having the honor of leading worship at Graystone Church and proclaiming the truth of who God is every week is one of my absolute favorite things. I love the community here, and they continue to remind me that every one of our stories matters. Every one of our stories is a reminder of the goodness of God.