andi oakes

Irish based singer / songwriter, worship leader and speaker.

An experienced Christian music artist and event speaker, Andi has been using his gifts to serve God for over 20 years. 

Born in the Southern English County of Cornwall, Andi now lives with his wife Grace in Northern Ireland.Grace and Andi have been together since they were sixteen, having met at school, and it was actually in the hope of getting to know Grace that Andi came to commit his life to Jesus.

 “I started going to church because I really liked Grace and hoped that she would go out with me, but God had other ideas.  And so I soon noticed that the people at the church just seemed to have something that I didn’t.  So I began to really find myself thinking about God a lot and the fact that I really wanted to go to heaven some day – so, after a couple of weeks of debating with myself, I responded to the Pastor’s appeal one Sunday night; and the rest, as they say, is history.  Oh…and I also got the girl!”

Being enthusiastic members of their local Elim Pentecostal Church in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, they both found themselves immersed in the week to week activities of this busy local fellowship.  They were responsible for leading the youth work for the church for the better part of thirteen years, as well as lending a hand in several of the churches children’s organisations as well as the musician’s team. 

These days they are still active in the same fellowship, having been married there in the September of 1988; and although Andi’s singing and speaking schedule often means he is not able to attend his home church as often now, they can still both be found serving there, with Grace leading one of the high profile children’s projects and Andi continuing to serve as one of the churches worship leaders.

The last few years have seen significant changes to Andi’s work, with an ever increasing number of invitations coming to lead worship, sing and speak at various events around Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom.  2007 also saw the opportunity to go to India to lead worship at a church leader’s conference, which was a great encouragement to Andi as he believes that part of his responsibility as an artist and speaker is to encourage the church of Jesus Christ wherever God sends him.  

 India 2007                            

Andi is currently working with Shankill Parish, an Anglican Church based in Lurgan, as part of a team who are developing a fresh and contemporary worship and teaching stream called Arise based at the new £2.4 million Jethro Centre in Lurgan,  Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland - an exciting new community facility that Andi's late father Ivan, helped to bring to fruition. 

Andi is also helping one of the local Presbyterian churches develop their worship team and steering a new discipleship group for young adults, as well as providing important support for many local churches throughout Norther Ireland, who are interested in developing their worship teams and discipleship programmes.