Bethel leaders open up about ‘miracle adoption,' inspiration for worship anthem
Worship leaders Brian and Jenn Johnson say the adoption of their son, Ryder Moses, was the inspiration behind the song, "Goodness of God."
The co-founders of Bethel Music in Redding, California, were interviewed by Fox News this week where they described their fourth child as a “gift from God at just the right time.”
Just over a year ago, Jenn signed up with Christian Adoption Consultants, an agency that helps match up adoptive parents with birth mothers for adoption. The couple completed the process faster than anyone had done before and their third match was a charm.
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"It was just a miracle," Jenn told Fox News. "When we got matched, the birth mom said when she saw our profile picture, she knew we were the ones. And we started to develop a relationship with the birth mom and then at the hospital when he was born we got to be with her and prayed with her at the hospital, and be with her in the hospital for several days. And even six months later connect with her."
Adoptive parents and birth mothers usually choose to keep their distance in these instances, but the Johnsons were open to connecting with their son’s birth mother and were even in the room during the baby’s delivery. The bond they all had following the adoption even touched the judge and everyone in the courtroom during their final adoption hearing because the birth mom sat with them during that final step.
"She came to final closure ceremony in the courtroom and the judge said that’s the first time in his entire career he’d ever seen a birth mother come to the finalization of adoption," she added. "It was just one thing after the next, just amazing."
The singer revealed that it was during the adoption process, that she found herself writing the song "Goodness of God” while driving on a long country road. She recorded the words "faithfulness" and "kindness of God" on her phone and that led to an impromptu recording session which resulted in the worship anthem.
The Johnsons testified of their adoption at the "Heaven Come" conference held in Dallas and Los Angeles back in May.
"It was like Heaven met our heart,” Jenn said at the conference while holding her son, Ryder, in her arms. "And I just felt like the Lord said, 'I have this for you if you want this, like a gift. I have a present for you.' And it was like, 'yes' before you even asked."
The worship couple said their adoption journey has inspired many others to pursue adoption or find other ways to help people around them, as the Bible commands.
"Ask the Holy Spirit how you apply the call that we are called to take care of widows and orphans. How are you doing that, and how is God asking [you] to do that?" Jenn said.
"Maybe it’s not to adopt a child into your family. ... Maybe it’s to give to someone that wants to adopt but can’t afford it," she added.
