THE INVASION OF THE GOSPEL STARS
Don’t hate the gospel star. The super-stardom is there without a doubt. The more you see that face on the billboard at a strategic position in the city, the easier it is for your mind to take home a thing or two. And it all begins from there.
Slowly but gradually a gospel star is made. It only takes the gathering of two or more people, a stage, a good sound system and eloquence on the part of the preacher (the star) who picks bits and pieces of the scripture here and there to back up an idea, a point or direction, with quotes and more quotes the members of the audience are carried away.
Before the close of the day the gospel is supported in a form of offering, tithes, seeds and more “seeds”. Talking of seeds- the sowing of a seed offering is louder than ever. The preacher tells the congregation all it takes to get anything done is through the sowing of a “seed”; the larger the seed the greater the harvest.
As the congregation grows in number so are the digits in the bank account. And the power move is in the establishment of a similar branch elsewhere, it could be in another city, country or continent; the strategic the investment (having a gospel show on a national TV for example) the greater the wealth, influence and fame.
And the followers make the job easier; they all want to be like their daddies and mummies in the lord. They want to dress, talk and drive similar automobile as their mentors. The grace in the atmosphere suits the members of the congregation who dress to kill. Some favour corporate wears and some others native while some are in between; where grace abounds the envelope is easily pushed; it is not out of place to spot a sister in one shoulder dress and you can’t help but be distracted by curvy sisters in pencil dresses and high heels.
The gospel is so welcoming; youths are passionate about ministration today more than ever before. The best place to be is the church now, thanks to the gospel stars who preach the message with swag and panache, praise the lord somebody.
Bibles are gradually being replaced by smart tablets. The scripture is accessed on the smart phone and you can simultaneously keep a WhatsApp chat going or uploading a picture on Facebook with ease as the service progresses. The church is where the girls are. It is common for the guys to step up to the sisters after church hours, numbers will be exchanged and what will go down before the next Sunday will.
During his time, Fela Kuti observed and labeled these gospel structures as money making organizations and called on the people to do something about it. Well, the only thing people are doing about it is tapping into the anointing and setting up theirs. Today one can do an A to Z check of the names of worship centers and every letter in the alphabet will enjoy a lead. There is an adage that says, there is enough space in the sky for every bird to fly; for with proper packaging new churches are growing rapidly and tapping into the financial blessings.
GOD SAYS THIS is the usual line and who are you to question God? Even Tasha Cobbs pulled the God card when her collaboration with Nikki Minaj got the church talking. The gospel stars enjoy this easy reception to God’s constant instructions which they guide their flock with. Only a member of a flock with a longing to know God will devote time to the study of the scripture behind closed doors for insights that can only be gained through personal effort.
