Published: November 20, 2025
NASHVILLE, TN – JULY 30: Kristian Stanfill of Passion performs during the OUTCRY tour at Bridgestone Arena on July 30, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
By Gavin Boyle
Five years after deciding to get a hold of his alcohol addiction and go sober, Christian artist Kristian Stanfill opened up about his sobriety journey through a new album, not shying away from discussing substance abuse.
“Five years ago was a really low point,” Stanfill told Relevant. “Talk about a rock bottom, come to Jesus moment, good grief.”
While this sounds like the reflection of a man who had a major public crash out, the reality is that he simply realized just how much alcohol was running his life – and pulling him away from Jesus.
Related: This Worship Leader Got Sober. Why He Wishes Churches Would Talk About Alcohol Addiction.
The journey to sobriety was not easy, but now that he is five years on the other side of it, he can share the joy that he has experienced since taking back control over his life and relinquishing it to Jesus. This is apparent through his new solo album Come To Jesus which is full of the joy he has been experiencing over the past five years.
“The album is just real life. I don’t have to promote anything, it’s just what I’ve been living,” Stanfill explained. “I have a desire to infuse [my songs] with so much joy because we have so much to sing about.”
At the same time, Stanfill has made it his mission to normalize talking about substance abuse in faith circles so that those who are currently struggling with addiction can find hope and freedom.
“After a couple years of being in the recovery world and the sobriety conversation, I started realizing, man, there’s so many people who feel alone,” Stanfill told Crosswalk Headlines earlier this year. “They feel so isolated, and they think…[that] no one in the church is talking about this openly. And I would sit across from other guys, and we would talk about sobriety, and all these other guys would say, ‘Man, me, too.’”
Stanfill shared a similar sentiment in 2022 as he reflected on what he had learned after being sober for two full years.
“I read somewhere that ‘when we struggle in silence, we suffer alone.’ Owning our brokenness and being honest about our humanity helps us heal and helps others heal, too. SOBRIETY IS A WE,” the worship leader urged. “I have taken every step of this journey WITH people. My wife, close friends, pastors, counselors…it takes a village! Community and connection is where we experience the power of Grace and begin to heal. If you’re addicted and hurting, the first step toward change is reaching out to someone and asking for help. We can’t do this alone.”
It is encouraging to see Stanfill not only continue to walk down this sobriety path but also make an effort to bring others along with him and fill a void in the church.
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