The Prodigal Returns: Cory Asbury Reveals His Walk Away from Church—and How Forrest Frank Led Him Back
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Cory Asbury, beloved for the global worship anthem Reckless Love, has opened up about a hidden season of spiritual desolation that nearly cost him everything. In a raw and vulnerable series of new Instagram posts, Asbury confesses that despite receiving a Grammy nomination and three Dove Awards, he had grown deeply “cynical,” “jaded,” and “frustrated” in recent years. The man whose voice once led millions into worship admitted that he walked away from church entirely—abandoning not only the pews but the very career that made him a household name in Christian music. Drawing a striking parallel to the prodigal son in Jesus’ famous parable, Asbury paints a picture of a worship leader who lost his way not through scandal or rebellion, but through the slow erosion of the soul. He felt detached, disillusioned, and directionless—a shepherd who had forgotten how to find his own fold.
But every prodigal needs someone to leave the porch light on. For Asbury, that someone was fellow artist Forrest Frank. In a move that echoes the father’s running embrace in Luke 15, Frank didn’t preach or condemn—he simply loved, listened, and led. Asbury credits Frank with helping guide him back to faith, back to community, and back to the authentic worship he once knew. The revelation has sent shockwaves through Christian music circles, reminding believers that no title, award, or platform makes anyone immune to spiritual burnout. Yet it also offers profound hope: the journey back is possible, often through the gentle hand of a friend who refuses to give up. Asbury’s confession is not a farewell to ministry—it is a return. And in that return, he may yet write his most powerful song yet: the testimony of a prodigal who came home.
