Karen Lafferty

Karen Lafferty is an American contemporary Christian musician and songwriter who became a central figure in the "Jesus People" movement of the 1970s. Born in New Mexico in 1948, she graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in music education. Although she initially performed as a secular lounge singer, a profound spiritual awakening led her to relocate to Costa Mesa, California, where she joined the burgeoning community at Calvary Chapel. There, she became one of the pioneering artists for Maranatha! Music, a label that would define the sound of modern praise and worship.

She is most widely recognized as the author and composer of the globally beloved scripture song "Seek Ye First," written in 1971. The song was born out of a period of financial hardship; after quitting her secular job to pursue full-time ministry, Lafferty found herself struggling to pay her bills. While meditating on Matthew 6:33, the melody and lyrics came to her as a simple, repetitive chorus. The song’s inclusion of the "Alleluia" counter-melody made it a perfect fit for the emerging "praise chorus" style, and it quickly spread from informal beach baptisms to traditional church hymnals around the world. Today, it remains one of the most translated and frequently sung scripture songs in modern Christianity.

In 1981, Lafferty founded Musicians For Missions (MFM) as a specialized branch of Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Recognizing that music could serve as a unique bridge across cultural and linguistic barriers, she dedicated her career to training Christian musicians for global outreach. Under her leadership, MFM has equipped artists to use their creative gifts for evangelism and social justice, operating in dozens of countries. Her work helped shift the perception of contemporary music in the church from a mere performance medium to a strategic tool for international mission work.

Beyond her famous anthem, Lafferty has recorded several albums, including Bird in a Golden Cage and Sweet Communion, which showcase her folk-rock sensibilities and transparent songwriting. Though she is often associated with the California "Jesus Music" scene, she has spent much of her adult life as a resident of Amsterdam and a global traveler, continuing to mentor young artists. Her legacy is defined by her ability to turn a moment of personal struggle into a song of universal trust, providing the church with a simple but profound musical reminder to prioritize the "Kingdom of God and His righteousness."