The Collingsworth Family

The Collingsworth Family is an American gospel music group built around the musical partnership of Phil and Kim Collingsworth and their four children. Based in Ohio, the family is known for its blend of Southern Gospel, contemporary Christian music, inspirational music, traditional hymns, and highly arranged live performances. What began as a husband-and-wife ministry in the 1980s eventually developed into a full-time family concert ministry that has performed extensively across the United States and internationally.

Phil and Kim Collingsworth first performed together as musicians at a church camp in Petersburg, Michigan, in August 1986. For the next fourteen years, they balanced music ministry with their family and professional responsibilities before making the decision in 2000 to turn their musical work into a full-time concert ministry. Their four children eventually became an integral part of the group, creating the family ensemble that audiences came to know as The Collingsworth Family.

The group has become particularly recognized for its musical excellence and family-centered presentation. Kim is celebrated for her exceptional piano playing, while Phil contributes vocals, trumpet, and other musical leadership. Their children have also developed into accomplished musicians and singers, with violin playing becoming an especially recognizable part of the family’s performances. Over more than two decades of professional touring, The Collingsworth Family has established itself as one of the prominent family groups in contemporary Southern Gospel music.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Musical Background

Phil and Kim Collingsworth both grew up in Christian environments where church and music played an important role. Their shared interest in Christian music became one of the foundations of their relationship, and they began performing together while still young.

Their first major musical engagement as a couple took place at a church camp in Petersburg, Michigan, in 1986. That performance marked the beginning of a ministry partnership that would eventually span decades.

Phil pursued formal theological and ministry training and graduated from God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1986. Kim developed into a highly accomplished pianist, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable instrumentalists in Southern Gospel music.

After their marriage, the couple continued serving in Christian music ministry. They held positions in churches and Christian educational institutions while also performing at church camps, revival meetings, and other Christian gatherings.

Music was therefore not initially conceived as a conventional entertainment career for the Collingsworths. Their work grew primarily out of church ministry, and that ministry orientation remained central even after the family began touring professionally.

From Husband-and-Wife Duo to Family Ministry

For approximately fourteen years, Phil and Kim performed together while raising their growing family and managing other professional responsibilities. During this period, their children were introduced to music naturally through the family’s daily life and ministry.

The couple eventually had four children: Brooklyn Rose, Courtney Noel, Phillip Jr., and Olivia Diane. As the children grew older, each became involved in the family’s music.

In 2000, Phil and Kim made the decision to transition into a full-time concert ministry. Their four children became permanent members of the act, transforming the husband-and-wife duo into a family ensemble.

This transition marked the beginning of The Collingsworth Family in the form audiences would come to recognize. Every member contributed vocally, while several developed instrumental specialties. Brooklyn and Courtney became particularly associated with violin, while Kim’s piano playing remained a central feature of the group’s arrangements.

The family’s ability to combine sophisticated musicianship with the warmth of a family performance quickly became an important part of its appeal.

Establishing a Recording Career

The Collingsworth Family began recording professionally as its touring ministry expanded. The group signed with Crossroads Entertainment and Marketing in 2003, giving its music a larger commercial platform.

During the 2000s, the family released a steady stream of albums, including God Is Faithful, We Still Believe, Your Ticket to Music Hall, The Answer, Then and Now, and Fear Not Tomorrow.

The recordings showcased the family’s broad musical interests. Alongside original gospel songs, the group performed hymns, Christmas music, instrumental arrangements, and traditional Christian standards.

Their music also developed a recognizable production style. Large vocal arrangements, Kim’s elaborate piano work, Phil’s trumpet performances, orchestral textures, and the children’s instrumental contributions created a sound that could move between traditional Southern Gospel and contemporary Christian music.

Growing Recognition in Southern Gospel

The group’s growing popularity brought recognition from the Southern Gospel industry. The Collingsworth Family won the Southern Gospel Music Guild’s New Artist of the Year Harmony Award in 2007.

They also became regular participants in major gospel events and developed an increasingly extensive touring schedule.

Their albums began appearing on Billboard’s Christian music charts. Part of the Family, released in 2011, reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Christian Albums chart and represented another important milestone in the group’s development.

The family also began receiving recognition for individual musicianship. Kim Collingsworth became particularly celebrated for her piano playing, winning numerous awards in musician categories.

At the same time, the younger members of the family received recognition as they developed their own skills. This helped reinforce the unusual nature of The Collingsworth Family as a group in which multiple generations of one family contributed to the musical product.

Major Albums and Musical Development

The 2010s became one of the most productive periods in the family’s recording career. Albums such as The Lord Is Good, Hymns From Home, That Day Is Coming, and Mercy & Love expanded their catalog and demonstrated their ability to work across different styles.

Hymns From Home emphasized the family’s connection to traditional Christian music, while That Day Is Coming featured contemporary gospel songs alongside the group’s characteristic arrangements.

In 2016, the family released The Best of the Collingsworth Family, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, bringing together some of their most popular recordings. The first volume received a Grammy nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album at the 60th Grammy Awards in 2018.

Another significant project was Brooklyn & Courtney, which highlighted the musical talents of the two daughters. The project featured their violin performances and included an appearance by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

The family subsequently released Mercy & Love, a project featuring performances backed by the Prague Philharmonic. The album demonstrated the group’s willingness to combine Southern Gospel traditions with large-scale orchestral arrangements.

Family Members and Musical Roles

The identity of The Collingsworth Family has always been closely tied to the individual talents of its members.

Phil Collingsworth serves as a vocalist, instrumentalist, arranger, and musical leader. His trumpet playing has become one of the group’s distinctive instrumental features, while his role in arranging and directing the family’s performances helps hold the ensemble together.

Kim Collingsworth is widely recognized as the group’s principal pianist and one of its most celebrated musicians. Her performances frequently include extended piano arrangements that demonstrate classical technique, gospel improvisation, and a strong understanding of Southern Gospel music.

Brooklyn and Courtney developed into accomplished violinists while also contributing vocals. Their instrumental performances became an important part of the family’s concerts and helped distinguish the group from many traditional gospel ensembles.

Phillip Jr. and Olivia also became active performers within the family ministry. As the children matured, the group increasingly presented itself not simply as parents performing with their children, but as a genuine family ensemble in which every member contributed to the musical presentation.

International Ministry and Gaither Music

The Collingsworth Family’s ministry has extended well beyond the United States. The family has performed internationally in places including Kosovo and the Cayman Islands and has appeared at Christian events attended by audiences from many different backgrounds.

In Kosovo, the family performed Christmas concerts for thousands of U.S. military personnel stationed at military bases in the country. International appearances became part of a broader touring ministry that allowed the group to bring its music to churches, concert halls, Christian conferences, and other venues.

The group also became associated with the Gaither Homecoming movement, appearing alongside prominent Southern Gospel and Christian artists.

In 2021, The Collingsworth Family signed a recording agreement with Gaither Music Group. The partnership gave Gaither responsibility for marketing the family’s recordings internationally through its distribution relationship with Universal Music Group and Capitol Christian Music Group.

The partnership also placed the family within a broader network of influential gospel and Christian music artists.

Later Music and Current Work

The Collingsworth Family has remained active as a recording and touring ministry into the 2020s. Their later catalog includes Worship From Home, A True Family Christmas, Just Sing!, and Classics & Hymns.

Worship From Home, released in 2020, reflected the family’s response to the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project allowed the family to continue sharing worship music with listeners during a period when many live concerts and church gatherings were restricted.

Just Sing! followed in 2021, continuing the group’s emphasis on joyful Christian music and family performance.

In 2024, the family released Classics & Hymns, a project that returned to the traditional Christian music repertoire while incorporating the group’s elaborate arrangements and musicianship.

The family’s latest major release is His Gift, My Story: Kim’s Musical Journey, released nationally in February 2026. The project places Kim’s piano playing and musical story at the center while retaining the family’s broader ministry identity. The family has also continued releasing live performances and appearing in concert venues across the United States.

Awards, Influence and Legacy

The Collingsworth Family has accumulated a substantial collection of awards and nominations during its career. Among its most significant achievements are its Grammy nomination for The Best of the Collingsworth Family, Vol. 1, a GMA Dove Award for Long Form Music Video, and numerous Singing News Fan Awards.

The group has repeatedly been recognized as Mixed Group of the Year, while Kim Collingsworth has received repeated honors as Musician of the Year. Other family members have also received Young Artist and Horizon-related awards during their development.

Their longevity is one of the group’s most notable achievements. Family music groups can face significant challenges as children grow older and pursue their own interests, but The Collingsworth Family has maintained a functioning musical ministry across multiple decades.

Their influence comes not only from their recordings but also from their approach to family ministry. The group has demonstrated that highly polished musicianship and Christian ministry can coexist with the intimacy of a family performance.

The Collingsworth Family has also helped introduce Southern Gospel and traditional Christian music to audiences who may be more familiar with contemporary worship. Their combination of hymns, gospel songs, instrumental performances, orchestral arrangements, and family harmonies has allowed them to occupy a distinctive position between traditional Southern Gospel and modern Christian music.

More than three decades after Phil and Kim first performed together at a church camp, the family’s ministry continues to center on worship, musical excellence, and Christian fellowship. From a young married couple serving in church music to a multigenerational touring ensemble, The Collingsworth Family has built a lasting legacy around the idea that music can be both a family vocation and an expression of faith.