“You have lost focus and sight of what matters. As a minister of God, you should not charge money when you minister in churches. The way you people sing gospel music now is not spiritual.”
If you have followed conversations within the Christian/Gospel creative space for some time now, you may have come across the comments by pastors and several individuals regarding the presentation of gospel music, how gospel creatives conduct their business, and their approach to ministry. While some of these concerns are valid, I believe a simple dialogue with the creatives will provide some clarity.
Christianity in itself has always been a religion that has employed creative tactics in its approach. Some of these approaches, although unconventional, have proved useful over the period. Recognising the concept of creation and how humans came to be is evidence of the creativity of God. And as people were created in the image of God, it should not be surprising to see people express their creativity. If not for anything at all, that creativity should be used in spreading the word, drawing people to Christ, and, where possible, making money. After all, it is the same money that these creatives will invest in the church for the advancement of ministry.
The church as an institution has always been one that has needed money to advance its course. Since the early churches, the importance of funds has been made clear for kingdom work to advance. As such, in a time when dynamics have changed and a lot of things require money, it is surprising to see members of the church paint creatives from the church black for wanting to be paid for their work. It comes off as hypocritical that an institution that pushes for the prosperity of its members for the advancement of its vision will turn around to insinuate that the members should not be asking for money
The other side of the matter is the issue of spirituality as far as art is concerned. To say that the presentation of the word in a form that is different from what someone deems “the right way” is unspiritual can be very misleading. Case in point: how the church, its evangelism, and its mode of disseminating information about Christ and his message have undergone several changes. It is these diverse methods of delivering the message of Christ that continue to win souls for the church. So, where is the harm when creatives within the church are finding creative ways to amplify the mission of the church? How do you even determine off-face value that someone is unspiritual?
That notwithstanding, it is baffling to claim that the music is losing its spirituality when the core of the music remains the same. Is it a crime that ministers are making gospel music in different sound genres outside what we have come to be used to? Should ministers be stagnant when the creative space is advancing? Shouldn’t they catch up to the times and keep the delivery of the message on par with the times? Even in church, don’t we have praise and worship? Is the tempo, instrumentation, and even presentation of the two the same? Are rap and upbeat sounds only meant for people who make non-gospel music? Should gospel music be only morbid, sad, and filled with cries? Should creatives be allowed to display the joy, fun, excitement, style, and other lifestyles associated with Christianity as depicted in the Bible?
As a consumer, I recognise that I do not have the full understanding or view of the picture. But as someone who has worked in the music industry for a while and worked in the creative space in the church, I understand how creatives always strive to expand the religion’s reach, and that is not an easy task, looking at the times we live in. Creatives in the church have to deal with the demands of the world and their respective industries, and when they turn to use those skills to the advantage of the church, they do not deserve to be met with such comments.
We cannot preach kingdom business and turn around to badmouth the business of those who need that business to support kingdom business. We cannot preach about advancing the church and growth and stifle the work of creatives who are committing to the course through the works. Instead of attacking the creatives, the church and stakeholders involved should rather find solutions and curate systems where creatives in the church can balance their skills for the benefit of both ministry and industry.
To help expand the conversation and also provide some clarity and context, I speak to some creatives from the church who share their opinions on matters relating to the dilution of the spirit as well as balancing the works and that of the ministry.
Keni Ribeiro
I believe the art of creating itself has always been spiritual. The problem is that there is an increasing number of artists who are Christian who do not know how to accurately represent Christ in the art space. The Bible expects us to work in order to eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10), and that definitely includes creatives. There is a place for serving God through the arts, but especially if that said art is the main source of livelihood for the creative, the Christ-like thing to do as a church is to ensure that they do not go hungry for utilising those skills.
I think Christian creatives should take a cue from Jesus’ example – rest when you need to, retreat to spend time with Him, use your gifts like you have limited time, and let the Father’s opinion carry more weight than any other. The church needs to create space for them to explore their art in the light of God’s word. Encourage them to represent Him there when they work outside the church as well. Support their art in as many ways as possible. Creatives should feel comfortable expressing their creativity in the community of believers. Creating that enabling environment is a responsibility that lies on the body of Christ.
David Ashbel
I think we’re in a time where art is still powerful, still expressive, but it is losing its spiritual core. As creatives, especially those of us in the church, it’s easy to get caught up in the performance, the aesthetics, or the applause. But creativity was never supposed to be detached from the Creator. In Genesis 1, God shows us that He is the original Artist, from forming the heavens and the earth to making us in His image. So for me, creativity is deeply spiritual because it flows from a place of intimacy and not just inspiration. The real shift I see is that people are creating more from their gifts than from communion. We need to return to that place where our art comes from prayer, from revelation, from that secret place with God
I believe in serving with my gift because there are many times I’ve done things for free, just out of love for the church and for God. But I also believe honour is biblical. 1 Timothy 5:18 says, “The labourer is worthy of his wages.” Skill, time, and preparation – those things matter.
In the Old Testament, God didn’t just choose Bezalel to build the tabernacle; He empowered him, resourced him, and placed him in a community that valued his gift. So I think creatives should serve with heart and not entitlement, but the church should also be willing to support and invest in its creatives, especially when they’re carrying a lot on their shoulders.
The Church needs to see us, not just what we do, but who we are. Creatives aren’t just there to fill service slots. We’re carriers of vision, of atmosphere and of prophetic insight. The church must disciple its creatives, not just deploy them. Support means mentorship, investment, opportunities, and room to explore new expressions of worship and outreach.
Yaw Aninakwa
I have a different perspective on this topic. Creativity can certainly be quite an investment, especially when it comes to hiring talented creatives. As someone in this field, I’ve learnt that funding projects is essential since the tools we rely on to create the beautiful worship experience, which we believe honours God, aren’t free. I believe we shouldn’t be charging just to make excessive profits, but rather to ensure we can fund all these creative projects.
I won’t say the shift is moving out of the spiritual; I think for me it’s more of the art now being recognised as a necessary tool/instrument as part of our spiritual journey as Christians. The issue I see here is creatives not fully understanding that whatever they churn out should not draw people away from Christ but either keep them or draw them closer to Him. The church supports creatives best by allowing creatives the opportunity to express themselves while also being open to listening to their ideas. With proper guidance and a focus on Christ, creatives can certainly be inspired by the Holy Spirit in their work. A constant reminder is that your creativity is a form of worship.
Kyei Mensah
I believe the primary source of gospel music is still the Holy Spirit. But I feel some people concentrate on the art more than the spiritual aspects of it. This usually happens because of trends. Someone sees someone do something, and it works for them; others just want to do the same, which has seen some shift. We can balance the art and ministry by setting boundaries. Without boundaries, it is going to be difficult to navigate things. Christian creatives need to understand where some things work and where it does not.
The church can help by incorporating a diverse art field into the church. There are so many people in the church who do spoken word, who rap, who act and who do other creative things. The church needs to integrate these creatives into the church services and church programmes. I also hope the church can provide monetary value to the creatives who have decided that creating for the church is all they want to do. Some creatives have some other jobs, so they are okay with not charging. But for others, who dedicate all their creativity to the church, some monetary value will be great. I think church creatives should charge. Especially if the creatives put their all into the church. From the cameraman to the content creators in the church, they should be paid.
