Michael W. Smith, Chris Brown 'Agnus Dei' Duet Releases From House of Worship Project Featuring 25 Renowned Artists
Iconic, multi-Platinum-selling, four-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith is joined by GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and Elevation Worship founding member Chris Brown on the new expression of 'Agnus Dei.' Available now at digital and streaming outlets everywhere, the song is the fourth single from the full-length, Billboard-featured House of Worship that releases Jan. 23, 2026. The album is available to pre-order/save now from The Fuel Music.
Originally released on Smith’s 1990, Platinum-selling album Go West Young Man, “Agnus Dei” was inspired by Revelation 19:6 and has been recorded hundreds of times over the years since. It is one of the most enduring and beloved worship songs today.
Smith recounts the steps that led to the original recording: “I think I was in a mode of writing something for my church and this song literally fell out of the sky,” he recalls. “I remember weeping at my piano, going, ‘Oh my God, what just happened here.’ Then I started thinking, ‘I need to record this song.’” While it didn’t seem to fit with the Go West Young Man album he was working on at that time, he “had this whole vision of going to New York City and working with the American Boy Choir.” Bringing in Ron Huff to create the orchestration, Smith sang the song with the boys and says, “The rest is history.”
“A lot of these young people, when they hear ‘Agnus Dei,’ they have no idea that the original song was from Go West Young Man,” continues Smith. “They just know it maybe from my Worship record (2001), or maybe the Passion album [Call On Heaven (Come, Lord Jesus) – Live] released this year. It still strikes a chord, ushering people into worship.”
“I think ‘Agnus Dei’ was one of my earliest memories, if not the first time I felt like the song that we see in Revelation being sung was set to melody,” reflects Brown, clarifying that he was about 12 at the time and thought it was the original melody the historical Church sang.
“One of our goals and hope when we record a night of worship is we want the presence of God to be experienced in the room,” continues Brown, who is nominated for two 2026 GRAMMY Awards. “But then we would hope people would find that same presence in the kitchen and waiting at the soccer field. And I feel like you did that with this song.”
“Agnus Dei” follows last month’s release of “I Want To Sing Of Your Love Forever - Live” featuring songwriter, producer and modern worship pioneer Martin Smith and Gold-certified singer, songwriter and worship leader Josh Baldwin; “Here I Am To Worship - Live” featuring original writer and Dove Award-winning Tim Hughes and four-time GRAMMY-nominated Cody Carnes; and lead single “Shout To The Lord - Live,” a duet by original writer and Dove Award-winning, RIAA Gold-selling Australian worship pioneer Darlene Zschech and 17-time GRAMMY Award-winning gospel icon CeCe Winans.
The groundbreaking House of Worship album unites for the first time the world’s most iconic worship artists with today’s leading and emerging voices in worship music. Twenty-five artists in all collaborate to reimagine classics, offering a fresh and inspiring expression that bridges generations and celebrates the enduring power of worship music. Together, these artists have received 48 GRAMMY Awards (142 nominations), including four nominations this month, and 183 Dove Awards, including seven awards last month.
