Popular
gospel singer Marvin Sapp, who's also founder and senior pastor of Lighthouse
Full Life Centre Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, stirred controversy online
when he suggested that Christians should buy the music of gospel artistes even
if their private lives are questionable.
Sapp's comment comes in the wake of the success of rapper Jay-Z's much
publicized "4:44" digital-only album which was certified platinum, with sales of 1 million copies in the
U.S., less than a week after its June 30 release.
"'Jay-Z's
album went platinum and it hasn't even been released to the masses yet! It went
certified platinum just on tidal! Coming to Apple and all other outlets next
week! What is that saying?'" Sapp said he was asked in a post to his more than 2 million fans on Facebook .
The
"Never Would Have Made It" singer said he responded:
"The world supports its own."
"Not
one supporter of Jay-Z (Believer or non-Believer) questions his lifestyle,
beliefs or commitment to his wife. They know that the messenger is flawed but
they support his message to the tune of 1 million sales and it hasn't been
released to the masses yet. I believe the world gets what believers still don't
or refuse to understand," he continued. "#myopinionon That the message is
always bigger than the messenger."
Sapp
further elaborated on his thoughts, saying that when Christians stop supporting
the music of gospel artists they think aren't living according to certain
Christian standards they are only "silencing this great gospel."
"Believers
won't buy gospel music of some artist because of their presumed flaws and
questionable life. Making them (the artist) bigger than the message of Christ
and in doing so silencing this great gospel message musically, and slowly but
surely putting this industry of gospel music on life support that has the
ability to impact the masses," he said.
"One
day I pray that we all drop our rocks and remember that everyone, and I mean
everyone, that God used in Scripture was flawed and or had issues that wasn't
Jesus Christ. And that's why we needed His redemptive work in our lives.
However, even with their flaws and all, God used them to deliver a message of
hope and healing. Support the message of gospel music and let's keep it
alive," he said.
Sapp
sparked a heated discussion which as of Friday evening had triggered
nearly 3,000 reactions and more than 360 comments, many of them disagreeing
with his logic.
In
the most popular response to the singer-preacher, Steven Dinwiddie, a pastor and teacher
at New Seasons Christian Ministries strongly
disagreed with Sapp.
"I
don't agree we cannot conform to the world and win the world. Jay-Z preaches
and lives his lifestyle. We need to preach and live ours," Dinwiddie
wrote.
Others
on Twitter also raised a similar
concern.
"Your
message should be as you live. Gospel is dying because most but not all of the
gospel artists think they are beyond reproach," April Henderson wrote.
And
actress Zondra Wilson agreed.
"I
agree with you! I get what bishop is saying, however, you can't compare the
world and the Church. We are held to a higher standard," she replied.
While
music sales of some gospel singers with "questionable" personal lives
have suffered, others like James Fortune who pleaded guilty last year to an assault
on his now estranged wife, Cheryl, appears to be doing well. His latest
album, Dear Future Me, is currently No. 1 on on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart.
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