Carl Tuttle, Music Pioneer & Vineyard Founding Father on "Reckless Mercy"

Biography

Carl Tuttle is a pastor, worship leader, songwriter, church planter, and conference speaker. He has composed numerous songs and is most well-known for writing Hosanna, which is certified as a gold record and sung by Christians worldwide. Carl was an integral part of the birth of the Vineyard Movement and has been in ministry for over forty years. Carl is a father of six grown children and a grandfather of four. He currently serves as Pastor Emeritus at Vineyard at the River Church in Orange County, California.

Carl Tuttle: "My world came crashing down around me in 1997. It was entirely my fault. While it was an utterly devastating experience, followed by devastating years of slow rebuilding, I also realize that it was a beautiful act of God's reckless mercy toward me that brought me to such a place. At age 11, I walked into a church gathering for the first time and immediately felt the welcoming embrace of a new family of faith that could fill the holes that my natural family could not. Among the many emissaries of God's mercy to me was John Wimber. I was in my early 20s when an accidental revival put a guitar in my hands, song on my lips, and birthed what would eventually become the Vineyard Movement. As I continued to grow in worship abilities, song writing, and leadership, I also grew in mounting shame. I didn't deserve the recognition I was receiving. I certainly didn't deserve to work alongside John Wimber and participate in the overwhelming grace God was pouring onto the Vineyard. I felt like a fraud, and the only way I knew how to deal with that shame was to mask my insecurity with a veneer of confidence and charisma. I spiraled downward, at times indulging in unhealthy behaviors to escape the stress. Years of heartbreak, exile, and loneliness followed. Through that painful journey, I discovered that Jesus is enough."