The year 2023 is fast going the way of past years and yours truly was ruminating about it.
Looking at the scorecard of the past and current years. When your friend called from Nigeria on WhatsApp that there is a particular shepherd he was in defence of the reason he preferred to invite secular artists than gospel artists trending on Youtube.
In his defence, he alleged that some of these gospel acts including Sola Allyson, Tope Alabi and Mega are always rude and ask for too much money when invited to Christian concerts.
While you are at it, you remember that you had once asked a popular radio and Television Nigeria minister, Pastor Peteru Plentymoney on behalf of a Christian group but not only did he snort and remember saying on the sixth attempt, ‘What Did you say you want?’
While you may not support this Man of God, who was already summoned by the Celestial Church of Christ for his audacity of inviting Fuji and hip-hop artists to a Holy Ground, the so-called gospel artists have lost the calling to bring salvation and are merely entertainers.
They give their performance to the highest bidder. However, it’s tough in the Nigerian economy because they have to support their families, pay their band members and also fit into the appearance of the social media apparatus.
Now, the most popular of these artists would ask you to pay N10 million to their account(About CAD 12,000).
The truth is that while many of these so-called pastors and Gospel acts may be vessels of honour and carry the anointing, their craze for money, power and entitlement is now something critics and lovers of sincere Christian worship are worried about.
Take the yearly Nigerian Xperience, the gospel concert that uses local and global artists, for instance, it does not come cheap in terms of stage and design mounting and artists’ payment. The organizers may be bleeding because of the current bad economy but the mandate of evangelizing must be carried by the God of heavens who sent them. And you guess it’s only this year, the 18th year that they were able to come with international brand sponsors like Coca-Cola, Bolt and Spotify.
Pastors who want to be worshipped and referred to as God himself need to be careful. Most Pentecostal pastors and even Christian artists would ask you to talk with their Assistants who may never get back once the money or five-star hotel arrangement is not in their favour.
Of course, their sermon and entertainment must be monetized at all times.
What is your take?
Why would any of them try to work on the sensibilities of vulnerable people and shove down their throats only the messages of prosperity and how they fly in private jets?
You have heard different stories from frustrated upcoming organizers and not-too-big churches. You guess that if they could meet in the middle and compromise, these concerned people would not raise any dust.
If the truth be told, 75 percent of these so-called artists are entertainers and nothing else.
In those days of Nigeria’s revival when artists like Ayewa, Bola Aare, Good Women Choir and Imole Ayo(Akin Adebayo) among others sang about salvation, miracles and blessings followed.
Now, you see or hear, some popular English and Yoruba gospel female artists twerk while performing and other times they speak the street language on stage.
They have lost it sincerely.
Your friend, Prophet Femi Adepoju sent a message yesterday while sharing notes on a viral video of a young girl in a house of God licking a stick of sugarcane that looks like a dildo and making porn suggestions.
And the text said: “The whole church thing is becoming very uninteresting. Unlike the days when people respect you just because they see a Clergy sticker on your car. But today, the mere mention of a Pastor or prophet would make people to be more careful in dealing with you. And the so-called Church members are always first to be identified with shenanigans of all sorts”.
You quite agree with him, even where you reside not too many black people attend churches owned by blacks because of fear of manipulation and all of that. Rather they want to go to orthodox gatherings where they would be able to get a tax receipt for every money contributed
You don’t blame anyone. Too much manipulation. Current gospel artists cannot be there forever, so whatever thing you do today, it has been destined and tread cautiously.
Your mother’s favourite saying was, “Tell Ijimere(The father of a Monkey) to tread cautiously so that he would not climb a tree full of Aladi (black oil).
Or what do you think?
See you next week.
