Biography
Born on November 17, 1965, to Harry and Agnes Doerksen, Brian Robert Doerksen came from humble Mennonite roots and grew up in Abbotsford, B.C. Brian was a songwriter, recording artist and songwriting instructor who loved spending time with his family, which includes his high-school sweetheart Joyce. They were married for 41 years, and together, they had 4 adult daughters and 2 adult sons with Fragile X Syndrome. From when the Doerksen kids were young to adulthood, Brian was faithfully intentional about spending quality time with his family. Both as a father and a husband, Brian knew family mattered more than anything else, and his family will carry on his legacy of love.
His songs are known and sung internationally in faith communities of all kinds, including ‘Come Now is the Time to Worship’, ‘Refiner’s Fire’, ‘Hope Of The Nations’ and ‘The River.’ Throughout Brian’s long journey within the Christian music world, the songs he wrote and sung inspired and encouraged countless people. In 1989, Brian began sharing songs he wrote with his local church, the Langley Vineyard, to which were recorded on the album ‘Changed By Your Glory’. The album included songs like ‘Faithful One’ and ‘Father I Want You To Hold Me’, and eventually had global impact, and was the very beginning of Brian’s musical impact on the world.
In 1994, Brian created a musical, ‘Father’s House’, which also became Brian’s first independent release and had a several-year run in B.C. and in England. In the summer of the same year, Brian and family, along with friends, travelled across Canada for 9 weeks for the Cross Canada tour.
In 1997, Brian moved his family to the UK, where he mentored worship leaders and songwriters in the Vineyard Churches of the UK and Ireland (including Kathryn Scott & Brenton Brown). The following year, Brian wrote ‘Come Now Is The Time To Worship ', and in 1999, Brian produced the Vineyard album, ‘Hungry’, which went on to be Vineyard’s best-selling recording. Brian also purchased his childhood home and moved his family back to Canada that same year.
In 2001, Brian moved from Vineyard Music and signed with Integrity Music. In 2002, he released his first album with a major label, ‘You Shine’, recorded live in Dublin, Ireland. In 2003, Brian was presented with the “International Award” by the Gospel Music Association in America. In 2004, Brian filmed his first concert DVD, TODAY, in his hometown of Abbotsford. The TODAY CD became his best-selling album in partnership with Integrity. In Oct 2007, Brian received six Covenant Awards (Canada’s Gospel Music Association Awards), including “Artist of the Year”, “Album of the Year” & “Song of the Year” for ‘Holy God’. In April 2008, Brian received a JUNO award for ‘Holy God’ (Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year – produced by long-time producer and friend Philip Janz), while recording the album “It’s Time” the same year.
In 2010, he released ‘LEVEL GROUND’ as a live CD and concert film. That year also marked the completion of a double album recording of a musical with Christopher Greco called ‘Prodigal God’. The years that followed were difficult years after a devastating relational breakdown in his faith community. Brian previously described that period as a “prolonged winter of wordlessness,” with an inability to write new songs. In 2013, Brian, with the help of his friends Calum Rees, Brian Thiessen & Teresa Trask, began creating new inspirational folk-rock settings of the ancient Psalms as part of a new band: The SHIYR Poets. They recorded three albums and one EP, having received awards in the following years for ‘Inspiration Album of the Year’ at the Covenant Awards. In 2014, Brian began to work as a songwriting professor at Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta.
In 2017, Brian rediscovered his ability to write songs and shortly began a career as an independent artist. His comeback album ‘Grateful’ was released in February 2018 and won ‘Inspirational Album of the Year’ at the 2019 GMA Awards, and a few months later was filmed as a live concert. In the summer of 2019, to mark 30 years of making music, Brian released ‘Faithful One’, a compilation of re-recordings and original versions of his past songs, while also releasing his Christmas album ‘The Heart Of Christmas’.
In May of 2020, Brian released the first single ‘In The Middle’ (Your Peace) from his EP ‘Everlasting Arms’, produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Bobby Harty and with songwriting collaboration with long-time friend and songwriter Cindy Rethmeier. In Christmas 2020, Brian ventured into creating special event programs for network television in collaboration with his friend, creative and touring partner Marika Siewert. This began the first of many projects and tours that brought Brian and Marika’s families together to work and create. The first special “Christmas At Our House” was recorded and filmed and went on to win Best Direction in a variety series at the Leo Awards in British Columbia. In 2021, Brian and his father, Harry Doerksen, recorded and released the album ‘Hymns For Life’, as well as releasing his second special ‘Easter At The Shining Rose’. In 2023, ‘Unlocking Your Songs’ was launched: a masterclass course on songwriting taught by Brian from his home. That same year, Brian released his third filmed special, ‘Hymns for Life’. In 2025, Brian released a love songs album called ‘Love For A Lifetime’, while Brian filmed and released his fourth filmed special, ‘Home For Christmas’.
Brian’s last years included celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Come, Now Is The Time To Worship” with a brand-new compilation tour release album, the 30th anniversary of “Father’s House,” and the 30th anniversary of “Refiner’s Fire (Purify My Heart) and touring across Canada, the UK and the West Coast of the USA. Brian was also invited to sing as a special guest at the King’s Coronation Prom at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2023.
In February of 2026, Brian recorded and filmed two specials. The “Love for a Lifetime” special and his last musical project, ‘Breathing’. At the start of 2026, there was no indication this project was going to be Brian’s last album, as an unexpected illness took over mid-February. The illness led to surgery, later to a stage four cancer diagnosis, and to Brian’s death on July 21, 2026. Although the creation of ‘Breathing’ was not directly linked to Brian’s health challenges, the songs became companions for the long road of painful and difficult illness.
Brian’s heart was to sing love over people, lead worship with a whisper, teach songwriters to write the songs that were uniquely theirs to write, and create inspirational television and film. From local prisons to global stages, Brian’s songs will continue to inspire all who listen. As Brian’s family continue his legacy of love for all people, may more discover and connect with Brian’s heart and his life as a model for loving and serving all people in all places all over the world.