Profile: Robert Pierre

He sits beside you in the classroom on the weekdays, he works on promoting his new album when he's not studying and he leads a congregation of 900+ people in worship on the weekends. Robert Pierre might appear to be your everyday incoming freshman at UCF, but he has been balancing the roles of a student, recording artist and leader since the age of 13.

"A lot of people tell me I look like Elvis, but I wouldn't say he's a main influence," Pierre said with a chuckle.

As an 18-year-old business marketing major with his entire life ahead of him and a signed contract with Think About It Records, Pierre knows exactly what his inspiration is and why he must give his life to sing for it.

With his third and latest album, "I'm All In," released in July, Pierre has completed his most accomplished work yet. Alongside of the class-act production team of Matt Bronleewe and Jason Ingram, he has written and cowritten 10 of the 11 contemporary pop, Christian songs.

"The Bible talks in 2 Chronicles about how the Lord is searching to and fro throughout the earth for someone He can strongly support. God is looking for people He can support who are living all in for Him," Pierre said. "It's a challenge to Christians to not live on the fence anymore. We can't have a foot in each camp. We've either gotta be all in or not in at all."

Pierre was raised in a passionate family of faith. His parents, having planted churches in Michigan, Chicago and now Orlando, instilled within him and his sister a deep love for the Lord and Biblical teachings.

Opportunity upon opportunity has continued to open its doors to Pierre in a succession of album releases, life changing tours and shows and an ever-increasing amount of entrusted responsibility in roles of leadership.

Not only does Pierre's life look different than the average college student's, but it also takes a much different shape than the average recording artist as well.

Allan Hardin, a long-standing figure in the Christian music industry and Pierre's manager for five and a half, discussed the "healthy tension" that they as a team have had to work through in order to make the puzzle of Pierre's life investments fit.

"What I've appreciated most about working with Robert and the Pierres is their commitment first to their faith, to their family and to Robert's artist development," Hardin said. "We evaluate each and every step together to see what is most important for Robert's path."

For a year and a half, Pierre has been the full-time worship leader at Harvest Bible Chapel, his family's church plant. This opportunity has changed his life and helped him grow tremendously.

"He really does a great job of putting the spirit of worship first and foremost, before himself," Bronleewe said. "So many people get up there, and it becomes all about them. Robert is really able to both lead people but then also let the worshipfulness shine. He's very talented at doing that, and I can only see that increasing."

Pierre continues to use his music and the voice he's been given to help causes other than his fame by finding ways to support and stand for the pro-life movement, something he feels very passionately about.

With his focus set, his family and qualified team behind him and the next four years here at UCF set out before him, Pierre is excited for this new season ahead and remains open to whatever the Lord will lead him through next.

"I think, for me, the real thing that I'm working toward is making sure that I am walking everything that I say, living purely and really just being an example on and off the stage of everything that I stand for," Pierre said.