Debbie is a singer / songwriter / retreat & conference speaker / worship leader and pianist with a passion for music, worship and missions. She weaves her spoken messages, testimony and worshipful music into a well-received gift of real – and Biblical -- refreshment to audiences of all ages and stages.
"When peace like a river attendeth my way / When sorrows like sea billows roll / Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say / It is well, it is well with my soul ..." "Though trials should come / Let this blessed assurance control / That Christ has regarded my helpless estate / And has shed His own blood for my soul..." The words of this beautiful old hymn have echoed through the seasons of Debbie's life.
At the tender age of 5, Debbie's heart was stirred with her need for Christ. Following a bedtime Bible story with her mother, she said "yes" to Him that night and her life has never been the same. Not long afterwards, she sat down at the church piano where her father pastored, and suddenly realized that she knew how to play it -- without ever being taught! She began piano lessons, and wrote her first song when she was 6 years old. At age eight, surrounded by her church family at Veneta Alliance Church (Oregon) she was baptized by her father, Rev. Matt Knighton. The following year, the little fourth grader with pony tails experienced a significant personal call to full-time ministry!
But a few weeks after this experience, Debbie contracted a medically-undiscovered degenerative disease that quickly ransacked her body with pain and slowly stole her sight. For the active Oregonian pre-teen, it was the beginning of a series of events that would radically alter her life and its direction! Climbing trees and riding bikes and skateboards were soon replaced with quiet days at home where she learned to cope with pain. It was also in this quiet setting that she began to "consume" the Scriptures, put them to music, and was mentored by her parents’ faith.
The three-year journey ahead would be difficult and confusing, filled with pain, hundreds of X-rays, experimental treatments, medicines, diets, doctors, needles and children’s hospitals. With her family's growing awareness that anything could happen, (including her life being cut short) God began to craft a unique, childlike faith in Debbie, stirring up her gifts in music and worship. No one knew how beautifully He was preparing her for a lifetime of ministry ahead. Prayerful, worshipful music began pouring out of her soul as she sat at the piano, singing the Word of God for hours. Surrounded by the knowledge of His great love and sovereign purpose in this dark season, the old hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" became her life’s theme song.
Three years later, as suddenly as her disease had begun, she experienced God’s miraculous Hand heal her body and completely restore her eyesight! With unparalleled gratitude, she hasn't stopped singing, speaking or writing of His Amazing Grace!
(Her testimony of this miraculous healing has been published in Jill Briscoe’s International magazine for Ministry Wives, Just Between Us and The Alliance Life, USA).
Though this was only the first of many painful seasons of her life – it was the only one that God chose to miraculously remove! Throughout her 38 years of life, she has experienced growing up in a pastor's home, loss, deeply broken family relationships, depression, viral meningitis, degenerative arthritis, the joys and sorrows of motherhood, high ministry mountaintops and deep valleys. God has sovereignly used all of it to shape her into a compassionate leader (which is the literal Hebrew translation of her name, Deborah!) She keenly understands the joys and sufferings of the people & leaders to whom she ministers.
Debbie’s worship ministry began to gain wide attention in BC, after she formed one of the first youth and young adult interdenominational Worship Gatherings of its kind. Her ministry quickly grew in size and scope, which eventually -- through Dr. Ravi Zacharias International Ministries -- brought her in touch with Dick & Melodie Tunney (internationally acclaimed producers, arrangers and songwriters for Steve Green, Larnelle Harris, Sandy Patti, The Imperials and many others). The Tunneys produced and arranged Debbie’s first recorded album entitled, OASIS OF THIRST featuring 12 original worship / Scripture songs. OASIS OF THIRST received great acclaim, reviews and media attention, bringing Debbie’s music and speaking ministry to a much wider public.
Debbie then spent the next few years raising her babies and being a mommy! After almost 5 years, she recorded her second CD, TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED with Canadian Producer / Artist Chris Janz, and released it in February 2005 to coincide with a massive Tsunami Fundraiser that she coordinated, in which she donated all the proceeds. TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED showcases Debbie’s strong, sensitive vocals, songwriting talent, depth of character and theology.
TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED was nominated for FIVE Canadian Maja Awards in 2006 and won BEST INSPIRATIONAL PRAISE & WORSHIP ALBUM 2006 and also hit the TOP 5% of all Canadian Artists’ CD’s sold in 2005, and its title track HIT #1 ON THE EUROPEAN INSPIRATIONAL RADIO CHARTS IN FEBRUARY 2006, staying on the TOP 20 charts for 6 months.
Through her music Debbie has been involved in various missionary and relief efforts, including Asian Tsunami Relief, her adopted village of AIDS orphans in Uganda, Africa (to whom she has personally ministered and facilitates child sponsorship). In the Fall of 2005, she embarked upon a Tour of Healing Hope to minister to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, where she gave free concerts and thousands of dollars worth of CD's to those who had lost everything. In July of 2006, Debbie and her family headed for Vincente Guererra, Mexico with Stoney Creek Expiditions and Yarrow Alliance Church to build a home for a needy family of 8.
She has been featured on international TV several times , as well as the national Canadian television shows 100 Huntley Street and Night Light, where her TV-recorded songs are being continually utilized.
Debbie was one of the worship leaders at the first Canadian Women’s Conference to host best-selling author/speaker BETH MOORE. Debbie’s own Speaking Ministry continues to be utilized in Women’s Ministries throughout the USA & Canada, including Canada’s own WOMEN ALIVE! Three of Debbie’s songs join Canadian Christian artists Lianna Klassen and Steve Bell on The Gospel Music Foundation’s Windows of Hope compilation CD. She also shares space on other USA compilation CD’s with Steve Camp and Don Francisco. Her original songs have been recorded by international artists Bobby Michaels (Musicianaries International) and DuSharme Lanusa (Miss Oklahoma) and she has been involved in performance and leadership in numerous national and international conferences and events.
Receiving rave reviews from 100% of the Canadian Gospel Music Association Judges for the NEW ARTIST SHOWCASE in the Fall of 2006 -- and because of her unprecedented success as an Canadian Independent Worship Artist (14 Canadian Music Award Nominations in 2 years) -- Debbie was asked to take part in two panels of Canadian Indie Artists at the Canadian GMA Week in Calgary, AB in October 2007.
With five Independent albums to her credit "OASIS OF THIRST" (FAMC, 1999) and "TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED " (FAMC, 2005), “THE CHRISTMAS PIANO” (FAMC, 2006), “THE BEAUTIFUL PIANO” (Easter 2007) and “THE HEALING PIANO” (Spring 2008) her music is travelling through the airwaves, TV stations, churches, camps, women's ministries, and word of mouth, in several countries throughout North America, Europe and Africa.
Debbie is a missionary at heart, so her INSTRUMENTAL SERIES of three piano CDs is an evangelistically-based project to intentionally influence and infiltrate the New Age Market with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! This is why Debbie is a good fit as a Guest Musician & Speaker for your Missions Conferences!
In the Fall of 2007, Debbie's first two instrumental piano CDs received a total of EIGHT Canadian Music Award Nominations and two awards! Universal Records Canada is now distributing THE BEAUTIFUL PIANO throughout Canada in every Canadian WalMart! Debbie's heart-stirring, soothing instrumental music is beginning to penetrate pre-saved hearts and homes in this way!
She sang a powerful duet with Brian Doerksen on his newest and Canadian JUNO-Award-winning CD, “HOLY GOD” (Integrity, November 2006) and ministered with him at his two British Columbian CD Release Concerts in March 2007. She also performed with him at the 2007 CGMA Covenant Awards Ceremonies in Calgary, AB. Other international artists such as Bobby Michaels of Musicianaries International (New Man, 2002) have recorded and performed Debbie’s music throughout the globe, also with heart-warming results. She shares space on compilation CD’s with Canada’s Steve Bell and Lianna Klassen, and the USA’s Steve Camp and Don Fransisco. Portions of her life story have been published in Jill Briscoe’s international publication for Ministry Wives, "Just Between Us" and the Alliance Life (USA), Growth Track Family Magazine Growth Track Family Magazine and New Orleans’ magazine, L.O.I.R.E. Magazine .
Debbie resides in Chilliwack, BC with her husband of 17 years, Rev. K. Scott Fortnum and their three children, Moriah, Shanna and Noah. She enjoys almost any form of fitness, nature hiking in the forest or along the ocean, dancing with her children, cooking/baking/hospitality for her extended family, movies, chocolate, and decorating her home and wardrobe with Thrift Shop Treasures! Since Scott is finishing his Masters Degree at Regent Theological Seminary, she is freed up to minister to Churches and Women’s Ministries throughout North America 3-4 weekends per month.
She continues to speak and perform across Canada and the USA, as her vocal and instrumental music gains favour with Churches, New Age Markets and Radio Stations everywhere. Her Beautiful Piano CD is now available via Universal Records at every WalMart, Zellers in Canada, along with Christian Supply Stores throughout Canada.
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BIOGRAPHY (The Star Bucks Version!)
- Debbie was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on April
9,
1970 to her American parents who were attending Canadian
Bible College preparing to enter full time ministry with the Christian
and Missionary Alliance denomination.One March evening in 1975, at the young age of 5, her
mother (who declined attendance at a church prayer meeting)
stayed home with Debbie to tuck her in bed with a Bible
Story instead. Debbie's heart was stirred to accept
Jesus as her Saviour that night.
Two weeks later, Debbie decided to sit down at the
church piano. It was then that she realized she could
play it without ever being taught! She composed her
first song the next year...
- The family move from Richmond, BC to Veneta,
Oregon, when Debbie was seven. At age 8, she
was baptized at age 8 by her father, Rev. J.
Matthew Knighton, pastor of Veneta Alliance
Church. It was in this little country church that Debbie
was raised and began expressing her gifts in music
and worship by age 12.
(Interesting note: Debbie's daughter Shanna (age 9)
was also baptised (Easter 2005) by her father in
their little country chruch in Yarrow, BC CANADA!)
- At age 9, Debbie experienced a call from God to a life of
full time ministry.
- But soon afterwards, she was struck with a debilitating
disease, that wracked her body with pain and began to take away her eyesight. It was in this painful season of her pre-teen years that God prepared her for worship ministry. She read and memorized the Word of God, and hundreds of hymns. She also began to write worship songs and hymns of her own as she propped up her Bible on the piano and "sang it" for hours.
Her health and eyesight continually deteriorated until she was declared legally blind. God graciously gave her immense faith during those years. As a 10 year old, she chose a theme song during this painful season of life:“It Is Well With My Soul”.Three years later at age 12, while worshipping the Lord well into the night, Debbie experienced the Hand of God instantly heal her, restoring her to perfect health -- with perfect vision!
-
Not long after her healing, Debbie sang and played the piano for the first time publicly. She continued to sing/play for many venues throughout Junior High and High School including banquets, weddings, funerals, retreats, community events, and civic celebrations. She became the full time pianist for Veneta Alliance Church at age 13, and helped develop the worship team.
(Interesting note: Two years after "Oasis of Thirst" was recorded, Debbie returned to Veneta Alliance Church to give them a "THANK YOU CONCERT" for the role they played in mentoring her for a life-time of ministry, and for allowing her to express and cultivate her gifts at such a young age!)
-
She continued heavy involvement in Sports, Leadership and Music during highschool, and was already ministering at retreats by age 15. She often performed publicly at school, her own graduation, wrote the town's theme song. In addition to this, she developed a small campus Prayer/Bible Study Ministry at Elmira High School called "Triumphant Teens".
-
After graduating from high school in 1988, Debbie was faced with the difficult decision to attend a prominent music school in the USA, or to pursue ministry education Canadian Bible College in Regina, Saskatchewan, the land/city of her birth. She chose the ministry path and attended CBC (now Ambrose University in Calgary), graduating two years later with the Diploma of Christian Ministries, with an emphasis in Evangelism and Church Planting. There, she furthered the development of a church plant, continued to write music, led worship for Youth / Missions Conferences, Chapels, and Concert Choirs, Vocal Training, won a Songwriting Contest, and recorded her first Cassette Tape, entitled "All The Way To The Throne", and sold 500 in two weeks!
In her first year of CBC, she met a fourth year Batchelor of Theology student and Varsity Volleyball Player named Scott Fortnum.
- In August 1990, Debbie married the man of her
dreams, Rev. K. Scott Fortnum, a College Ministries Pastor
at Sevenoaks Alliance Church in Abbotsford, B.C. After a few months, she began to serve alongside him in the areas of worship and discipleship. She became the Director of the C&C Worship Ministry, started two single women's small groups, and developed a monthly Youth / Young Adult Worship Gathering,
the first of its kind in the Lower Mainland, BC.
By 1996, over 30 different denominations from surrounding cities were represented at these monthly worship gatherings, first called "45 Alive", later called "Awakenings". Debbie was often accompanied by singers and musicians from the Langley and North Langley Vineyard, and other musicians from the area.
- In June of 1994, after a difficult pregnancy and an emergency C-section, Debbie gave birth to her first baby girl, Moriah Grace. She weighed in at 11 pounds, 12 ounces! A year later, in August of 1995, she became a mommy again to Shanna Rachelle (they opted for a planned C-section this time! At three weeks early, Shanna weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce!)
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By 1996, Debbie, was being pursued by a large Vancouver area church to become their worship pastor, and Scott was planning on going back to seminary. None of Scott and Deb's plans included pastoring a tiny, hurting rural church out in the country! But in mid-1996, this is exactly where God transplanted them -- to Yarrow, BC, where Scott served as the Sr. Pastor from 1996 -- 2006. www.gffyac.org
It was there that Debbie founded a strong worship ministry; leading, equipping and forming multiple worship teams within their rapidly growing congregation, which has now tripled in size. Five years later, she handed the worship ministry over to a new full-time worship pastor Dwayne Toews, and then served as Women's Ministry Director for seven years until 2005, developing leadership for multiple women's Care & Discipleship Groups, Bible Studies and Evangelistic events in their town. -
In 1998, as Debbie's ministry to the broader church continued to grow, some miraculous events and mutual friends of Dr. Ravi Zacharias put her in touch with Dick and Melodie Tunney in Nashville, TN.
In March of 1999, Debbie gave birth to Noah Scott, 9 lbs, 10 ounces! (He was two weeks early!)
Five months after the birth of her son Noah, she was headed to Nashville to meet Dick and Melodie Tunney, Producer and Arranger for her first project, "Oasis of Thirst". (Dick Tunney is an internationally acclaimed producer and musical director, and Melodie is the founding member of the Grammy Award-nominated group "First Call". Both are Dove Award-winning songwriters for Steve Green, Larnelle Harris, Sandy Patti, the Imperials and many others.)
- After releasing "Oasis of Thirst", Debbie's music and songwriting began to receive
great reviews from newspapers, Internet music sites, and
radio stations in the USA, Canada, and around the world. Live
radio interviews and appearances on international TV have also helped to fix Debbie and her music in the hearts of all who hear
her musical messages of encouragement and truth.
- In 2001, Brian Doerksen (Integrity artist) asked her to become part of his songwriting circle, a 10 week training time for immerging worship songwriters. She sang a duet of "Faithful One" with Brian at Canada's National Day of Prayer in Abbotsford in 2002.
- She has been a Guest Soloist and Worship Leader for the
National Day of Prayer and Praise (Ottawa, ON) alongside Canadian Worship
Leaders, David Ruis, Luc Gingras, Steve Kuban, and Mark Masri. She has played and sang alongside Brian Doerksen, Lianna Klassen and led worship for the first Canadian Beth Moore Conference in 2004 as well as been a guest soloist for the Montreal Women Alive Conference in 2005.
- In the fall of 2004, Debbie recorded her second CD with Producer Chris Janz, son of Canadian legend, Paul Janz (Songwriter of "Amazon Rain" and "Believe in Me". Her double CD-Release Concerts in Lynden, Washington and Abbotsford BC in early 2005 benefitted the Tusnami Victims of Southeast Asia, just weeks after the tragedy struck. She has been an artist with Canadian Food for the Hungry International for over 6 years. Read more about it here: www.cfh.ca
- Debbie's passion for AIDS orphans took her to Uganda, Africa where she met her adopted village of Makhai. AIDS ransacked their community, and five years ago, it was becoming desolate. But through the Child Development Program of CFHI, Makhai is back on its feet again, nurturing its orphans and building a better future for them! To sponsor a child from Makhai, please contact the Child Development Department of Canadian Food for the Hungry Int'l, please visit this link now!
- Debbie's heart for the victims of natural disaster also took her to the Gulf Coast in the Fall of 2005. There, she gave free concerts and gave away thousands of dollars worth of CD's to the victims of Hurricane Katrina during her "Tour of Healing Hope".
- Debbie is also the great (x4) granddaughter of Dr. Andrew
Murray, the South African Author, Pastor, and Missionary Statesman who led
a revival in the 1880's that shook the country! He has written such classics
as "With Christ in the School of Prayer", "Humility",
"The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer", and "The Spirit of
Christ." Read about him here:
http://www.farawayworship.com/drandrewmurray/andrewmurray.html
MORE TRIVIAL PURSUIT!
1. One of Debbie’s favourite musical venues is weddings. She began singing and playing piano for weddings when she was just 12 years old. To date, she has played and sang for over 100 weddings, including her own!
2. Debbie won an Oregon State Essay Contest in grade 10. The title of her essay was “Debbie’s Discerning Discourse on the Dignified Disposition of Disposable Diapers”!
3. Debbie played Girls “Powder Puff” Flag Football in high school and college. (Woo hoo! Go Falcons)! One of the high points in Debbie’s shortlived "football career" was ... her winning 95-yard touchdown-return
4. Debbie’s main sport in High School was Track and Field where she excelled at... the 400 and 800 meters, mile relay, the javelin and shot put
(Note to parents: Debbie encourages women of all ages and stages to find and participate in a sport or physical activity that they enjoy. Sports helped Debbie learn LIFE-LONG valuable skills, endurance, character-building lessons, teamwork, self-esteem, and how to work hard, and how to push herself to discover what she was capable of! Debbie believes that sports and ministry need to go hand in hand!)
5. When Debbie entered college, she tried out for the Canadian Bible College Women’s Varsity Basketball Team as a joke -- she'd never played basketball in her life! One week later, she found herself on the starting line-up. She is best known for ... doing cartwheels down the court after she scored!
6. Debbie met her husband-to-be (Scott) at Canadian Bible College (Ambrose University) when she and her friends bought him at a School "Slave Auction" Fundraiser!
7. The Hebrew meaning of Debbie’s name is ... “Compassionate Leadership".
8. Debbie has an eclectic taste in authors: She enjoys books by: Brennen Manning, Leonard Sweet, John Piper, C.S. Lewis, Larry Crab, her great (x4) grandfather Dr. Andrew Murray, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, Carolyn Arends, RC Sproule, J.R. Packer, Michael Horton, Jann Arden, Chuck Swindoll, Paul E. Billheimer, Robert Farrar Capon, Robin Sharma, The Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews (some say it was a woman!)
9. One of the most influential books in Debbie's life and ministry is called "The Raggamuffin Gospel" by author Brennen Manning!
Enjoy the Lord today...
Love, DEB :)
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FarAway Phone: 604 793 4580
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E-mail: Info@FarAwayWorship.com