Carrie Underwood Makes Unexpected Church Appearance in Franklin

Carrie Underwood surprised the congregation at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee, on Sept. 7 as she led a stirring worship rendition of "Pour Your Spirit Out." Thrive Worship posted a video that then showed Underwood performing with the church choir, and the video quickly appeared all over the internet, with people loving Underwood's passionate singing in front of the congregation.

This validated Underwood's commitment to her faith and worshiping community. She previously led worship at the same church in August 2024 with a heartfelt rendition of "Goodness of God" by Bethel Music, which went viral and received widespread praise from viewers.

Music and faith run deep for this Oklahoma-born artist. Her 2021 work My Savior brought old hymns to new life, catching the eye of GRAMMY voters for Best Roots Gospel Album. "These were just songs I grew up singing. I went to a very small Baptist church in my hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma. We would file in and sit in the pews, and they'd say, 'Open your hymnals to page...' or whatever. And off we went," she told NPR.

Underwood's GRAMMY-nominated album contains treasured hymns like "Blessed Assurance," "Amazing Grace," and "Victory in Jesus," which she wanted to share with a new generation. Her performances and CD underscore a personal faith journey and her perspectives on singing as a performance for an audience of one — God.

Over her career, Underwood has been open about her Christian beliefs. She famously sang "How Great Thou Art" during her run on American Idol during a special Easter episode, a moment that continued to be one of the most amazing highlights for many of her fans.

Underwood is demonstrating how worship is a top priority and gospel music is and continues to be an integral part of her life when she ultimately leads worship and records gospel music. Her surprise appearance of "Pour Your Spirit Out" helps show how Underwood hopes to use her platform through music and worship to motivate and uplift people.