Pastor wants more dancehall artistes to do gospel

At least one pastor feels that the church should encourage and embrace dancehall artistes who perform gospel songs.

Bishop Everton Thompson, the man who performed the ceremony in which Marion Hall (formerly Lady Saw) became an ordained minister, said that once a track is a clean gospel song, Christians should not be quick to judge the artiste who sings it. He said not much is known about the lifestyle of the persons who wrote some of the ancient gospel hymns that are used during worship.

"We must be careful not to push away and try to prevent persons who are not professed believers from worshipping if they want to do that through a song," he told THE STAR.

"If it is a gospel song in and of itself, nothing is wrong with the song, but I would encourage such an artiste to accept Jesus Christ," Thompson told THE STAR.

Thompson's comments come after an online squabble between Bounty Killer and producer Cordel 'Skatta' Burrell recently.

Skatta drew the ire of Bounty Killer after he commented: "Biblical gods don't exist, Killa," on a video that the deejay had posted on his Instagram page in which he spoke about the possibility of turning to Christianity.

"Bredda hold your own philosophy and thoughts about God, I'm speaking on my behalf. If that's how you felt or think about the Almighty God, your choice. But God made man and man made Bible. God inna mankind not Bible. When you did much younger and a struggle and suffer, this wasn't your outlook on God, bredda," responded Bounty Killer, who recently recorded Thank You For The Blessing with Wayne Marshall.

Self-proclaimed 'Warlord'

In addressing the issue in an Instagram live video afterwards, Skatta said that going into the church was not the right thing for Bounty, who was once the self-proclaimed 'Warlord' of dancehall music.

Skatta also noted that artistes who perform violent lyrics are often judged by Christians, even if they have other songs in which they are praising God.

However, Thompson still has hopes. He believes that artistes who record gospel songs may be intent on accepting the faith, and it is the duty of the church to help to build a relationship with God.

"The fact that they have that desire to do gospel songs and the fact that they acted upon it and they feel that pull, it is an indication that the Lord is calling them and wants them to draw closer to him," he explained.

In addition to Marion Hall, who was ordained as a minister recently, other secular artistes who have become Christians in the past include Papa San, Stitchie, Chevelle Franklyn, Sasha, Chrissy D, and Junior Tucker.