Terry MacAlmon (born May 12, 1955) is an American Christian singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, worship leader and author. He is known for writing the popular song 'I Sing Praises', that has been a Top 40 Christian song around the world and is still regularly sung in many churches. The song was published by Integrity Music in 1989 and is included in many modern hymnals.
Background
At birth the doctor informed MacAlmon's parents that he would likely not live through his first month, due to cranial stenosis (a premature closure of the soft spot in his head). According to his mother, she was pacing the floor with him every day and praying, "Lord, if You let him live, I will give him to You for Your service." Not long thereafter her baby healed, which MacAlmon ascribes to his mother's cry for help. MacAlmon believes that he not only received the gift of life at that time but also a special anointing and gift of music.
At the age of three, MacAlmon's mother began sitting him on the piano bench to occupy him, while she looked after his brothers. Quickly he began to discover the notes of “Jesus Loves Me,” a song he had learned in Sunday school. A steady progression took place. By the time he was five, he played his first solo in church.
MacAlmon became the church pianist at the age of 11. Winning state and national talent awards in his denomination became a regular event during his teenage years.
In the summer of 1973 MacAlmon claims to have had an unusual visitation from God, after an evening service at a youth retreat. He recalls, "It was as if God's presence was sitting on me like a cloud. His presence was so heavy that I physically could not even lift my head. I just knelt and trembled while His Spirit dealt with me. I knew that He was placing His mantle of worship upon me. I have never been the same since that special August night.”
Career
In the following 17 years, MacAlmon served in music ministry positions for several churches and traveled in concert work across America. After moving his family to Colorado Springs, in December of 1990, MacAlmon started a church and soon fell upon hard times. Instead of a successful ministry venture, it became much less than that. It was the start of what MacAlmon calls 'a long season of wilderness'. Despite his efforts to start a church and to organize worship meetings, nobody showed up.
After eight years of trying and waiting on what MacAlmon calls 'the Lord's promotion', he claims to have heard God speaking to him again, in August of 1998. He recalls, "God said to gather the worshipers, for He wanted to bring an open heaven to Colorado Springs." However, after so many years of seeing nothing happen, he was reluctant to step out again. Finally, he did launch a weekly noon worship hour on Wednesday's, which became known as "Lunch with the Lord". That turned out to be a success and the meetings were visited by several hundred people each week.
In 2001 MacAlmon was contacted by tele-evangelist Benny Hinn, who invited him for one of his crusades in Shreveport, Louisiana. Hinn believed that God had raised MacAlmon to lead the church into a season of worship, or as he called it, 'a new era of worship'. During the event Hinn said that MacAlmon's songs were affecting his life, his ministry and his staff, claiming that each of his staff members had MacAlmon's cd's.
In the days following, the event was broadcasted on Hinn's tv show 'This Is Your Day', which reached a worldwide audience. From that moment on, MacAlmon's cd sales went up drastically and he started to receive invitations from all over the world.
In April 2010, MacAlmon founded New Glory International, which became his full-time ministry. At the end of that same year he also started to do international events.
In the following decade, MacAlmon has traveled through the United States and all over the world, leading worship and teaching at conferences, retreats, worship seminars and churches of all kinds of different denominations, which he still does this present day. Since the start of New Glory International, MacAlmon has also published several new cd albums and a book.
Connections
Early in 2010 MacAlmon met and began to date Liz Valentine of Daytona Beach, FL. The couple were married in December of that year.