GOSPEL MUSICIANS DESERVE TO CHARGE HIGH FEES FOR THEIR ART

Whether the story of Mercy Chinwo charging 10m to minister is true or false or she was simply used as an example by a pastor, the problem of shortchanging gospel musicians is a real problem because I experienced it when I used to be a gospel musician.

So, this problem is focused on an existing and recurring problem.

It is the reason why gospel musicians like Tope Alabi, Midnight Crew (when they existed), Lara George and a host of other gospel musicians stopped waiting to be given an honourarium by a church but demanded their ministration fees upfront before showing up at any church.

In two churches that I used to attend, the pastor dragged Midnight Crew and Infinity for demanding for ministration fees before showing up.

I guess I was also dragged by these pastors too after I left their churches after the non-payment of my music fees because am I not supposed to be using my talent for God? Is art worth paying for?

Boya na ona buy my drum for me abi na ona go repair am for me if e burst abi na leg I go take waka go house abi I no go chop, wear beta klot.

Nigerian churches dey fi ìlọ̀kulọ̀ lọ̀'yàn!

For your party, you can pay secular musicians like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, King Sunny Ade, KWAM 1, etc. N20M and perform and spray them in dollars, pounds and yen in addition as they perform.....

.......but paying a gospel musician 10M to minister is giving you diarrhea of the mouth and stomach.

Let the Gospel Music versus Secular Music war begin as I laugh in a biblical way! 😄

Let the congregation be poor.

It does not concern the musician.

..... because even if you give each congregation one million Naira each, those that will mismanage it and marry another wife or spend it in the club will still remain poor.

The musician is doing a job.

Otherwise, go and stream her music and let her go to where her talent will be appreciated.

Let their church choir sing for their church and leave her the hell alone!

The lazy and selfish servant hid his only talent in the ground.

His master was angry with him.

He collected the talent and gave it to the servant who doubled his five talents into ten because he sabi work.

Na pésin wey sabi im work dem dey pay N10m and more weda na for inside church or inside club.

Na gospel musician nor sabi chop life abi?

Pastor and congregation, ona nor well!

There is no difference in the requirements of a musician.

Gospel and secular musicians need to look great by wearing quality clothes, doing nice hair, living in nice houses and driving beautiful vehicles.

They pay bills - transportation, housing, power, etc.

They pay the same fee as secular artists to record their music in the music studio, shoot their music videos, promote their music, hire instrumentalists and backup singers, etc.

Thus, whether you are a gospel or secular artist, a music producer and video director do not care. The fees are the same.

Gospel musicians are even supposed to start charging music performance royalties from churches whose choir ministers with an artist's songs on Sundays and every other day.

Go and ask why foreign gospel musicians are richer.

When you invite Don Moen, Kirk Franklin and others to Nigeria, ṣé na peanuts ona dey take bring dem from dia kontiri?

You go even lodge them for five-star hotel.

Nigerian churches, ona dey play!

So, if you are looking for poor gospel musicians in Nigeria, maybe you may find them in Burkina Faso or Togo but not anymore in Nigeria.

MUST GOSPEL SINGERS SING IN TONGUES?

 

SPEAKING IN TONGUES IN GOSPEL MUSIC

I listen to a lot of gospel music and I hear singers speaking in tongues.

I just want to let you know that it is not compulsory to speak, pray or sing in tongues.

If you do not have the gift of speaking in tongues, stay away from it.

Unfortunately, many pastors, general overseers, prophets, evangelists, apostles and other position-holding individuals in Christendom have preached falsehood into making every Christian believe that if one does not speak in tongues, that Christian possesses witchcraft.

I have attended a few classes in the church where a newcomer is asked if he or she speaks in the tongue. The member is expected to say, "Yes!" 

I have never said 'yes' before because I do not have the gift of speaking in tongues and I am not interested in faking it. 

I do not owe anyone any explanation for my inability to speak in tongues.

Anytime I say this, the congregation looks at me like I am from outer space. 

I never let a congregation or church leader bully me into submission because I do not answer to anyone but to God.

I do not have the gift of speaking in tongues. It is not necessary for me as I have other gifts and they are the gifts of wisdom and discernment of spirits. 

The instructions about speaking in tongues is there for you to peruse in the Bible.

The problem that many Christians have is that they are too lazy to read the Bible by themselves. Rather, they would prefer to worship their pastor.

So, singer, do not let anyone force you into speaking in tongues in your music when you are not able to do so. Simply sing meaningful lyrics that uphold God and His son, Jesus Christ.

Below are Bible passages relating to speaking in tongues. Go through them or read your Bible.

1 Corinthians 1:5

For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.

Acts 2:4

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 19:6

When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Mark 16:17

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

1 Corinthians 14:2

For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:23

So, if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

1 Corinthians 14:27-28

If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time and SOMEONE MUST INTERPRETE. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 12:8-11

1. To one, there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom;

2. To another, a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit; 

3. To another, faith by the same Spirit;

4. To another, gifts of healing by that one Spirit;

5. To another, miraculous powers;

6. To another prophecy;

7. To another, distinguishing between spirits;

8. To another, speaking in different kinds of tongues;

9. To another, the interpretation of tongues. 

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

LOVE SUPERSEDES ALL OF THESE GIFTS

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. 

Love never fails but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 

When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. 

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 

Now, these three remain: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is LOVE.

PROPHESYING IS EVEN BETTER THAN SPEAKING IN TONGUES

1 Corinthians 14

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 

For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit but the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 

Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues but I WOULD RATHER HAVE YOUR PROPHESY. 

The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. 

Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 

Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 

Again, if the trumpet does not sound like a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. 

Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 

Undoubtedly, there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 

If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker is a foreigner to me.

So, it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. 

For this reason, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit but I will also sing with my understanding. 

Otherwise, when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 

You are giving thanks well enough but no one else is edified. 

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you but in the church, I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 

Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants but in your thinking be adults. 

In the Law it is written: “With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 

Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 

If an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. 

So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. 

SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS NOT FOR ALL CHRISTIANS

Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time and someone must interpret. 

If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 

Two or three prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 

If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 

For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 

The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 

Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. 

If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 

Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 

If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command but if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored. 

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues but everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

So, you see, speaking or singing in at least five meaningful words that will edify the listener of your music is more important than speaking in tongues and the greatest of all is love.

FINAL THOUGHTS

1. I wonder about the kind of Bible that Nigerian Christians read where everywhere is kabashing in the church at the same time when the Bible has stated rules for how this act is to be done.

The Bible has clearly stated that if there is no interpreter for your speaking in tongues, you should shut up!

2. If you speak in tongues in your gospel songs, you are speaking jargon to yourself. 

We do not understand what you are kabashing. 

Meaningful and clear words will suffice.

3. Paul said married women should not speak in church. They should ask their husbands whatever questions they want to ask at home. 

So, why do married female pastors preach in church? 🤔

4. For single pringles like us, it means that we can talk and ask whatever questions we want to ask in church. After all, we are not submitting to any man. 

Oh Gawd! Such sweet freedom!

However, is this not a clear case of chauvinism, misogyny and patriarchy?

5. No matter your gift, if you do not have love in your heart, your gifts do not count. 

Does this love extend to our ex-husbands?

Hey Gawd! 

(C) DJ Irawo Drummer 2018