Last week’s feature, ‘Joe Mettle & His Team Must Sit Up’ astonishingly did generate perplexity, especially among the gospel fraternity. Some responded to the article with some level of elocution, discernment and tolerance; they objectively raised genuine issues with some of the points and attempted to even offer education on the thorny subject of Ministry and show business.

Others, however, acted a fool over the subject and decided to show their true colours of how imprudent they are – a sharp contrast of a spirit-filled attitude they exhibit in their daily endeavors. A bunch of ignoramuses who have no inkling on what music, arts and the show business are all about. Let’s not waste time on such dilettantes!

Most-importantly, the article also stoked a longstanding debate that has lingered across the world for years; the issue of Gospel Music, Ministry and Show business. There’s arguably a thin line between Gospel music and show business and while some gospel artists recognize it as such, others argue that, Ministry has nothing to do with the business.

The Gospel Music Ministry

Some critics of last week’s feature on Joe Mettle argued that, the artist is into Ministry – working for God, touching lives and should not conform to any standard. They asserted that, the artist pays no or little attention to counsel that holds a probability of tilting his plan of ‘spreading the word’.

Proponents of this argument that gospel music is a ministry also maintain that, the ultimate goal of gospel music is to propagate the word of God and to win souls for Christ. Once you veer off this task, you have lost the plot as a gospel artist.

They also say, that the gospel artist is just like the pastor; while the pastor stands in the pulpit to preach the word, making him/her a Minister of God, the gospel artist fulfills the same aim by preaching the word via music – making him/her a Minister of God too.

Some even move the argument a notch and state, that there ought not to be any template in Gospel Ministry, one only moves by the direction of God; meaning, that gospel music is a special form of calling and one needs the anointing to qualify as a true gospel artist or, most appropriately, a Minister of God.

Gospel music should not be confused with show business, they say; it should not be perceived as a business. Any gospel artist who does that has lost the true meaning of the core mandate of Ministry and in essence, he/she has lost the way.