Mark Tedder

It’s impossible to be around Mark Tedder for very long before his passion for worshiping God in every corner of the world infects the conversation. An Arkansas native, Tedder has spent the majority of his life in planet-hopping mode. After having invested several years living and expanding his musical base throughout Europe, he and his family returned to the States.

Tedder has been around the Christian music scene most of his life, primarily as a professional drummer. It wasn’t until his wife, his two sons, and he moved to Prague, Czech Republic, that he first started to feel God’s call to worship leadership. He traded in his drum sticks for an acoustic guitar and began a new chapter of his calling.

After having spent four years cutting his teeth as a worship leader for the International Church of Prague, the Tedders moved back to Arkansas to lead worship at a church in Little Rock. There, Mark and Carrie witnessed firsthand the desperate need for worship leadership training in countries they had visited over the years—a realization that catalyzed the creation of Worshiplanet.

Worshiplanet is a worship-equipping ministry that models, mobilizes, networks, and equips worship leadership around the world through the vehicle of serving local churches. After three years of planting the Worshiplanet vision in several nations, they were prompted to move to Colorado, an environment where they could interface with, and spread their vision to, dozens of international ministries. They quickly found their home at Woodmen Valley Chapel, where Tedder served as worship leader. He admits that leading worship for a church of that size (weekend attendance of 5,000) was a huge step of faith. But because the senior pastor and worship team understood his heart for the nations and allowed him the leverage that passion in his leadership style, the role was a perfect fit, and the Worshiplanet mission was furthered yet again.

After touring with his band throughout China in 2003, Tedder was asked by the Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF) to develop the worship ministry for the 3,000+ member church located in the heart of China’s capital. Mark Tedder spent two years, from 2006-2008, leading BICF in worship.

Tedder is a singer/songwriter is formally of Kingsway Music/EMI, but has since become an independent artist with his new CD/DVD, The Door. He continues to travel extensively throughout the world leading worship alongside such worship headliners as Tim Hughes (Here I Am To Worship), Stuart Townsend (In Christ Alone), the Newsboys, and Steven Curtis Chapman. With Kingsway, he released two record projects: Worshiplanet: Live Worship from the USA (2004) and Pilgrims Journey (2006). In addition, Mark wrote several songs that were considered for use in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mark has had the honor to play for audiences as varied as the BOCOG staff (Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games) to the 2008 Miss World contestants.

Mark’s most recent recording project, The Door, is the first live worship album to ever be recorded in Mainland China. The Worshiplanet band comprised of international musicians from Iceland, the US, Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Amsterdam came together in Beijing, China to worship alongside fellow Chinese brothers and sisters. Beijing International Christian Fellowship opened its doors for the event and thousands of Beijing residents attended the recording. The CD/DVD features new worship songs by Mark Tedder, multiple Chinese instruments, and Spoken Worship from Gerard Kelly.

In September of 2008, Mark and his wife Carrie moved back to Colorado to lead worship locally, and continue the planet-hopping by sharing The Door around the world.

Tours of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe are being planned, with the possibility of many others in the future.