Christian Copyright Licensing International

Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) is a privately owned company that was founded in the US in 1988 by Howard Rachinski, who is the President/CEO. CCLI was launched after being developed by Rachinski for 3½ years while he was a Music Minister at a large church in Portland, Oregon. This prototype, called Starpraise Ministries, began in May 1985. CCLI offers copyright licensing of songs and other resource materials for use in Christian worship.

Since its foundation, CCLI has expanded around the world to Australia, Botswana, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.

The scheme of copyright solution invented by CCLI has been cited by the governments of United States and official copyright organization in United Kingdom when introducing the relevant policy.

This scheme of copyright license is not suitable to personal usage and also opposition view is heard regarding its for profit mode.

Joel Houston

Joel Timothy Houston (born 19 September 1979) is a musician, songwriter, pastor, and leader in the Sydney-based band Hillsong United, the youth worship band of Hillsong Church.

He has been co-pastor at Hillsong NYC since 2010. He is the head of the Christian worship band Hillsong UNITED, for which he sings, plays guitar, and writes songs. In 2008, he became the Creative Director at Hillsong Church. He is the oldest son of the church's Senior Pastors and founders Brian and Bobbie Houston and grandson of Frank Houston (who was the Senior Pastor of Sydney Christian Life Centre which is now the City venue of Hillsong Church). He has two siblings, a brother Benjamin and a sister, Laura. Houston was also the bass player for the band Able, which was composed of Marty Sampson, Michael Guy Chislett and Luke Munns, which won the Channel V Leg Up competition in 2001.

Biography

Early life

Houston wanted to play the piano at the age of seven and his parents told him he wasn't good and so after his discouragement changed to the bass guitar.

Steven Furtick

Larry Stevens "Steven" Furtick Jr. (born February 19, 1980) is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the author of three books, Sun Stand Still and the two New York Times bestselling releases, Greater and "Crash the Chatterbox".

Furtick was born and raised in Moncks Corner, South Carolina and attended Berkeley High School. At the age of 16, after reading the book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, he "felt called to pastor a church in a major city". Furtick received a B.A. in Communications from North Greenville University and a Masters of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

After serving as music director at a local church in Shelby, North Carolina, Furtick moved to Charlotte and started Elevation Church. The church had their first service on February 5, 2006.

Church growth

Furtick has seen the church grow to over 18,000 in regular attendance, currently meeting in ten different locations, the most recent being in Cornelius, North Carolina. Elevation was cited by Outreach Magazine as one of the Top 100 fastest growing churches in the country every year since 2007.