As the festive month of December beacons, many Christians and churches look forward to festive events such as concerts, gospel extravaganzas, inspirations, and carols. Some of the major events coming up include the annual interdenominational gospel concert that features some of the best-known musical talents, ‘The Experience;’ the largest annual Catholic concert in Africa, ‘Unusual Praise Concert;’ ‘An Evening of Worship with Sinach and her Friends;’ among others. Good as these concerts are, many have continued to ask questions about the motives behind this deluge of musical events, could it be for worship or for entertainment? ADEOLA OGUNLADE examines the expectations of Christians and gospel ministers.
A gospel music enthusiast, Comfort Adeleke, while speaking with The Nation, said that she is always upbeat about December as there are lots of musical concerts available for Christians to attend.
Adeleke, who is always excited about these events, advised that in the midst of celebrations, the purpose of the event should not be forgotten. “We should not forget the essence of our worship which has to be centered around Christ: his birth and the essence of his birth.
Also, Segun Eluyode from Ogun State said he is planning to join the concert online. “December is always a time to relax and remember how faithful God has been since the beginning of the year. Many have died, and some have been maimed and even missing but being alive, and healthy calls for celebration. I am excited and I believe it is going to be a great time in God’s presence. What I’m looking for at the various events is true worship and not just entertainment.”
On his own part, Silas said that worship is not about us. Christian music shouldn’t be about making us feel good but rather about turning our gaze upon Christ and reminding us of truth … even if that truth hurts and convicts.
Some Gospel artists take on worship
Temitope Lawal, also known as Monique, said that worship is what money cannot buy, which is leading people to Jesus Christ.
According to her, these concerts are always organized because they are a blessing to people and also contribute to their healing. “I consider that a huge achievement.”
She added that her most memorable moments as a gospel singer would be anytime she is ministering and she sees miracles happening. “It is something that always amazes her. It encourages me to do more for God.”
Also, another gospel artist, Asu Ekiye, who referred to himself as a product of the gospel, while quoting from the Bible said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What I reflect in my songs is a function of my encounters on the inside”.
He said he is more comfortable singing in vernacular singers, and confessed that he is always inspired to sing in his native language. “English songs never worked for me in all the years, I tried them,” he said.
Another popular gospel singer, Joseph Ebhodaghe, also known as Joe Praize said he embraced gospel music at an early age, disclosed that he was an altar boy, and did not really make the decision to become a gospel singer; “It was more of an assignment. I am not doing gospel music because I cannot do other kinds of music. It is because I am out to fulfill a purpose.
“Being a blessing to this generation is an achievement for me. When people tell me that my music helps them out of a particular situation, I feel uplifted. There is a man who is now the general overseer of a church in Delta State. At one point, it was my music that drew him back to church. Things that make spiritual sense are what I count as my achievements and not material things.”
Worldly music has entered the church
While many have testified that the gospel music has lifted them, a popular gospel Singer, Segun Elijah Ajidara , while speaking with The Nation, expressed sadness that the worldly music has entered into the church and this is being aided by many ministers of the gospel so they can keep their members.
“These gospel artists are not out to win souls but to showcase themselves as the best singer. We do not have gospel artists who are deep and compose original songs that glorify God. They are only recycling songs,” he said with regret.
He noted that gospel singers who trailed a blaze in the 80s and 90s promoted songs that led people to Christ. The likes of Shola Rotimi, Ojo Ade, Bola Are, Adegbola, were among the A-list gospel artists whose music helped to promote salvation, and restoration and point men to heaven.
He, therefore, advised that as December beacons, and many churches are putting up various musical programmes, “gospel artists must remember that God is a jealous God. God is not deceptive and He will never share his glory with any man no matter how popular or gifted the person may be.”
Ajidara added that “We were in a crusade in 1987, when our choir was singing, some drug addicts who were by the roadside where the crusade was being held, dropped their drugs, came to the crusade, and gave their lives to God.
“I composed a song in 1998, and as I finished the song, many souls were converted. These are the methods we met as gospel artists when we started. “The upcoming artists do not want to follow suit. God said that when I come, can I find faith on the earth, he did not say that I can find the church. He will find church but what faith will he find? The faith is dying and the songs we are supposed to hear are not what we are hearing today.”
He stated further that he once went with his friend to a club and was forced to minister at the club.
According to him, as soon as he got home, he felt sick and it was God that rescued him. “I was warned never to go and minister in such gatherings again in my life, I yielded and God has since been faithful”, he said.
Ajidara said that musical events should be centered on Christ and the winning of souls. We have performing artists and gospel artists whose goal is to lift us to Jesus and point their minds to the cross. “Christians must be able to discern between them and not be carried away.”
Worship must point people to Christ
A musicologist from the Department of Music at the University of Lagos, Professor Albert Oikelome while agreeing that there is an element of entertainment in worship, he however said the focal point of worship is the person we are worshipping.
“If we do not focus on the person that we are worshipping, the focus is lost. As December comes close and the various concerts are rolling in, my concern is that it is becoming a normal routine that we do and the objective of our worship is submerged.
“Today, it seems that some of the programmes are just an opportunity or platform to eat, drink, and hang out which is not bad in itself but the problem is that we do not see them as highly religious and Christ-centered.”
Oikelome noted that a President in the United States of America once came and removed the word Christmas in the USA and said that it should be called Happy Holiday, but was reversed to the Christmas Season when President Donald Trump was elected. “We should not change the reason for the season. Christ should be the center of our worship at this time and not the idols which included the stars and the singers. I look forward to a time when ‘The Experience’ and other gospel siesta will be a time for Christ to take its proper place through songs, messages, and prayers.
Aligning with Oikelome, the President of the Gospel Musician Association of Nigeria (GOMAN), Evangelist Philip Olayiwola said that entertainment should not be the focus of gospel music. “In this jubilation period, we need to make ourselves happy. Nigerians are going through a lot, people must be geared up and forget about their sorrow. Yet, we have to worship God with everything that we have.
“We have to worship God and remember he died for us and he was resurrected. People need to know about Jesus Christ, his birth, death, and resurrection, and what he died for. We need to proclaim them.
“In entertainment, we need to make people happy and rethink with them. The Bible says how they will know when they have not heard. Something has to bring them. You cannot give people outside, some may collect and some may. When you bring the people in and entertain them, they will come and listen to you. Something will bring people to God and one of the things is music”.
He added that one of the things a pastor cannot say can be said in music.
Adding that music buoys ministration. “Worshiping God and entertainment can go together. God sees our hearts.’
He said the motive of what you are doing is also germane. Why are you singing? Are you worshipping to entice the people or taking the people to God? No one can deceive God,” he submitted.
Business of worship
Predictably, there is another side of worship that comes to mind. It is obvious that business cannot be separated from worship.
The Nation gathered that most of the time, from the initial preparations, planning, strategizing to the physical setup of the venue, advertisements, invitation of artists, traffic control, crowd control, and many more, all include a bee-hive of human, economic, and industrial activities.
Directly and indirectly, most of the gospel concerts come with loads of economic opportunities and benefits whose impact spans across a wide range of sectors. The horde of human, economic, and industrial activities always have a direct impact on social behavior, employment, and individual standard of living for all involved for the duration of the event.
Last year, the convener of ‘The Experience,’ Pastor Paul Adefarasin said that hundreds of job opportunities were opened to members of the church as a result of the yearly gospel siesta.
Members of the church are encouraged to key into the opportunities that the event offers.
CNBS some years ago stated that the impact of ‘The Experience’ was about $ 25 million. “It is about security, logistics, planning, and project phenomena. The annual event has birthed several food and beverages, clothing stores, publicity, and media stores every year,” the church said.
Also, a major gospel music event tagged: ‘Unsual Praise’ by The Catholic Church of Divine Mercy (CCDM), in the opulent Lekki area of Lagos has provided a platform for very distinguished entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and very successful business people to speak with over 600 youths on different aspects of entrepreneurship. At the end of the sessions, 251 participants, selected from every Catholic Church in Lagos, and some non-Catholic denominations, won prizes ranging from N50,000 to N1 million.
