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Nathaniel Bassey Explains Why He Does Not Charge for Church Ministrations Amid Ongoing Debate
Renowned gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has weighed in on the controversy surrounding whether gospel ministers should charge for guest ministrations in churches, revealing why he does not request payment.
Speaking during a recent sermon, Bassey shared his perspective, emphasizing that ministering to God is a spiritual duty rather than a commercial transaction.
“If a church invites me to come and minister, they are doing two things. They are inviting me to minister to God and to his people. Let me just say this before I trend in Twitter, to my own understanding, when you tell me to minister to God, I can’t charge God to minister to him.
How much did he charge me for his blood on Calvary? The blood that is the very reason for my ministry. It’s a personal thing for me, and it has worked for me, so why leave what is working?”
His comments come in response to a viral statement by Apostle Lazarus, who criticized gospel artists for demanding payment for church performances.
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The pastor recounted an incident where a gospel singer charged ₦5 million to sing at his church, arguing that ministry should not be commercialized. This sparked widespread debate within the gospel and gospel music communities.
Adding another perspective to the discussion, singer Timi Dakolo defended gospel musicians, stressing the financial demands of producing and promoting music. He urged Christians to recognize that, beyond its spiritual impact, music is also a profession that requires investment and deserves fair compensation.
“My dear Christians, a quote/conversation can sound intelligent and deep yet untrue. Just like everyone else, you deserve the very best things life has to offer. You should be paid what you deserve. Studio sessions, production, and promotion cost a lot. You have a family to feed, you have rent to pay.
You have more songs to put out. We should stop all these attacks on people’s work. As much as it is spiritual, music is an art. If you can’t pay people, use your choir members and pay the amount you could have given the guest artist,” Dakolo stated.
The ongoing debate continues to stir mixed reactions, with some agreeing with Nathaniel Bassey’s stance on ministry as a calling, while others align with Dakolo’s argument that gospel music, like any other profession, requires financial support for sustainability.
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