Church of the City

Church of the City is a collective of artists, songwriters, and musicians based in the Nashville, Tennessee area, creating modern Christian and worship music. The group originated from a family of churches founded by pastor Darren Whitehead in 2013. In 2016, a group of these artists began writing songs in response to their experiences within their church community and the city.

The collective is led by worship leaders including Chris McClarney, Jon Reddick, Brantley Pollock, Tasha Layton, Ileia Sheraé, and Laura Cooksey, alongside a rotating cast of musicians. Their collaborative songwriting process reflects their mission to create music for the renewal of their city.

Church of the City has released several projects, including the EP Church of the City (Live) in 2020, the album Defiant Joy (Live) in 2021, and the EP Jesus is Risen in 2022. Their singles include “He Lives” featuring Chris McClarney and “God Turn It Around” featuring Jon Reddick, both from 2020, as well as later releases “Lamb of God” (2025), “Dry Ground” (2024), and “Who Is Like You” (2024).