Fidelity to God’s calling motivates musician

Posted: 9/07/07

Fidelity to God’s calling motivates musician

By George Henson

Staff Writer

CARROLLTON—Blake Bolerjack enjoys singing for congregations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. The concert and recording ministry he began two years ago is beginning to blossom—and he and his bride of less than two years, Jenna, are thrilled about that.

But the most invigorating thing is that they believe they are living and ministering squarely in the center of God’s will.

“I have the feeling God is going to let me do this for a long time, but whether or not it does, I feel like I can’t get away from ministry God has a calling on my life,” he said.

For now though, he is thrilled at the opportunity to sing.

“I get to sing in a wide range churches, and I like that because I get to worship and fellowship with a very diverse body of Christ,” he said.

A legacy of music ministry runs through his veins. His father, Buddy, sang with a quartet from his church, and the music of Southern Gospel quartets like The Cathedrals rang through their home.

“Since junior high, I’ve known I wanted to sing—to do something with singing,” he said.

But he acknowledges he has encountered his share of bumps along the road. Bolerjack, who grew up in Perryton and graduated from high school there, suffered severe depression and even attempted suicide.

A counselorhelped him through that dark period, and a rededication of his life to Christ was the ultimate outcome of that tumultuous time.

Shortly thereafter, he traveled with the Continental Singers group.

“While traveling with them, I was able to see God use my testimony and that summer really confirmed I was to sing,” he said.

While his parents always were very supportive of his pursuing a singing ministry, sometimes others were less enthusiastic about his plans, he recalled.

“They weren’t saying those things to be mean or anything, they just cared about me and thought I should pursue something with more security,” he said. “But I knew what it was that God had called me to do.”

And after his graduation from Oklahoma Baptist University, he said singing was really the only opportunity that opened up for him.

He feels strongly that for him to minister in the manner he has been called, the focus has to remain on Christ and not himself.

“I pray for a humble spirit because I’m scared to death of being humbled,” Bolerjack admitted.

“It’s a constant struggle not in all of life, not just singing or any other kind of ministry, to give him all the glory. It’s so easy to give yourself the credit.

“It’s all about the heart. Any singer or worship leader, no matter how sincere, there is always that sort of struggle. The most important thing is to communicate the message clearly. The way the message is communicated has a tremendous bearing on how it is received,” he said.

That desire to follow where God is leading is his motivation.

“I’m trying to do everything just like God wants me to do it,” he said.

Bolerjack can be contacted at (469) 323-8747 or www.blakebolerjack.com.