Jeremy Camp says heart surgery brought him closer to God

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Monday, March 18, 2024

Jeremy and Adie Camp | Instagram/Screenshot

Christian artist Jeremy Camp said his recent heart surgery is evidence that his life is “in God’s hands” and shared how the ordeal has deepened his faith in a social media post revealing he’s gearing up to go back on tour this week.

In a video posted to Instagram just days after undergoing surgery to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition where the heart rhythm becomes irregular and often rapidly beats, the 46-year-old singer and his wife, Adie, opened up about the ordeal.

“I’ve been learning a lot,” Jeremy Camp said. “I’ve always battled with trust … with doing things in my own strength. Being the guy who’s super healthy and fit and I think, ‘I can get this, I’m gonna stay healthy forever.’ And this just came on, it’s just a defect. It’s nothing that I did or nothing that I caused. It’s just something that happened. Realizing that my life is in God’s hands, literally, like coming to grips with that. I can’t control it. I can do the best I can with my health, the best you can with protecting your family, protecting things or whatever.

“But ultimately, God is in control and He loves us more than we even know. And so, for me, I feel like He’s stripping apart every little ounce of control that I think I have in literally making me rely so much more on Him in a beautiful way. And it’s been so, so rich, and it’s drawing me a lot closer to Jesus.”

The couple described how, for years, Jeremy experienced rapid and irregular heartbeats, reaching up to 230 beats per minute, which led to the discovery of his heart condition. The surgery, while significant, was non-invasive, sparing him from the rigors of open-heart surgery, they said.

Camp shared that he had non-invasive heart surgery last year but chose to keep the matter private.

“I had this crazy rapid flutter arrhythmia thing and I went through heart surgery last year. I didn’t say anything to anybody,” the “Walk by Faith” singer said.

“Well, four weeks ago,” he added, “I started having these arrhythmias again — heartbeats that were beating that like 230 beats per minute for 30 minutes, and it happened twice in one day where it was like beating really, really fast.”

Jeremy shared that while playing a concert earlier in March in California, he went into AFib.

“It was just bad. I had to walk off stage early and they had a medical team for me,” Jeremy said.

“We debated on even saying anything, but honestly why would I not … [we thought], ‘You know what? As a family that’s what we do.’ You know you are our family, the family of Christ coming together. So I asked you guys to pray.”

Adie Camp shared the emotional toll the journey has taken on their family and expressed gratitude for the support from their community: “I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful the Body of Christ is coming together and being together in this,” she said. “We really felt so carried and so cared for by you guys.”

The Camps also announced Jeremy’s plans to hit the road for his “The Theater Tour” next week after his medical team, following multiple consultations, gave him the clearance to go on tour.

“Multiple times, they gave us the clearance for tour next week,” Adie said.

Jeremy added that the last couple of years have been “difficult” and served as material for a number of songs.

“It’s no joke that Jeremy’s album’s called Deeper Waters,” his wife agreed. “I mean, we really feel like it’s where God has taken us, is just to really learn to rely on Him in many ways.”

The Camps ended their message with a note of gratitude and a call to prayer for Jeremy’s recovery and the success of their upcoming endeavors. The duo asked their fans to pray for a “quick recovery” and said, “We’ll see you on tour next week.”

Jeremy often discusses how his faith has sustained him amid even the most difficult times, like when his first wife, Melissa, died from ovarian cancer less than a year after they were wed, a story documented in the film “I Still Believe.”

“In these times, I’ve loved John 16:33, where Jesus says we shouldn’t be surprised when we go through trials and says, ‘I tell you these things so you will have peace,’” he told CP in a previous interview. “He’s essentially telling us, ‘Guys, you’ll have trials in this life, whatever they may be. That’s a guarantee. But take heart: I’ve overcome the world.’”

“The reason we have trials,” the singer said, “is because we live in a fallen world. There will be sickness and death. There will be financial issues, unknowns, and confusion. But Jesus reminds us that even in all of that, He’s defeated death and the sting of death.”

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com