Just when fans thought they knew the story behind one of the most influential worship albums ever recorded, a new documentary is revealing the jaw-dropping chaos that nearly stopped it from happening altogether.
More than three decades after Ron Kenoly's iconic God Is Able transformed modern worship music, a newly released documentary from Shouts of Joy is pulling back the curtain on the dramatic events that unfolded behind the scenes. What many listeners hear as a seamless night of praise was, in reality, a production hanging by a thread just moments before the first note was played.
According to interviews featured in the documentary, Kenoly faced a devastating setback before the recording even began. During rehearsals at Atlanta's Civic Center, the worship leader reportedly pushed himself so hard that he blew out his voice the night before the live recording. Rather than cancel the event, Kenoly pressed forward, later admitting that he had to creatively work around his vocal limitations throughout the performance.
But that wasn't even the biggest crisis.
Just one hour before thousands of attendees were scheduled to enter the venue, union officials reportedly threatened to shut down the entire production. Months of planning, expensive recording equipment, video crews, and a packed auditorium suddenly appeared headed for disaster. Executive producer Tom Brooks recalled that organizers believed everything they had worked for was about to collapse.
In a moment that has become the emotional centerpiece of the documentary, the musicians and production team gathered around a pile of music charts on an empty stage and prayed. Brooks described the group surrendering the entire event to God, even asking Him to destroy their plans if He had something better in mind. Moments later, circumstances mysteriously shifted, the doors opened, and the event proceeded as scheduled.
The recording that followed would become one of the defining worship albums of the 1990s.
Featuring an all-star lineup that included Abraham Laboriel, Chester Thompson, Alex Acuña, Justo Almario, Carl Albrecht, and the Hosanna Music Mass Choir, God Is Able blended gospel, jazz, funk, and congregational worship in a way that many believe helped reshape contemporary worship music worldwide. The documentary argues that the album's enduring impact was rooted not merely in musical excellence but in the intense prayer, collaboration, and spiritual vision behind every arrangement.
The film also highlights how little preparation time the musicians actually had. Despite the album's legendary status, many of the performers had only two days of rehearsal before recording. Yet the resulting performance continues to inspire worship leaders and musicians more than thirty years later.
Perhaps the biggest revelation is that what fans now celebrate as a landmark moment in worship history nearly disappeared before a single song was recorded. Had the venue dispute ended differently, God Is Able-along with its lasting influence on modern worship-might never have existed.
For longtime worship music fans, the documentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the prayer, pressure, and providence that helped turn a near-disaster into one of Christian music's most enduring live recordings.
