Renowned gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey recently addressed the issue, explaining why he chooses not to charge for his performances.
During a sermon in his church, Bassey clarified his stance, stating that his ministry is an act of service to God and His people.
“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,” he began. “Let me just say this before I trend on Twitter—my understanding is that 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?”
Bassey’s comments come in the wake of a viral statement made by Apostle Lazarus, who criticized gospel artists for charging fees to perform at church events. The pastor suggested that ministry should not be commercialized and shared a personal experience where a gospel singer requested a fee of five million naira to perform at his church.
According to Apostle Lazarus, this practice goes against the essence of worship, as ministry should be about service rather than financial gain. His remarks ignited widespread debate within Christian circles, with many arguing both for and against the notion of charging for ministry-related performances.
In response to this discourse, renowned singer Timi Dakolo took to social media to defend gospel musicians, emphasizing the financial realities of producing and sustaining their craft. He argued that gospel artists, like professionals in any field, deserve to be compensated for their work.
“My dear Christians, a quote or conversation can sound intelligent and deep yet still be untrue. Just like everyone else, you deserve the very best things life has to offer. You should be paid what you deserve,” Dakolo wrote.
He pointed out that recording music involves significant costs, including studio sessions, production, and promotion, which artists must cover to continue their work.
Expanding on his position, Dakolo urged Christians to acknowledge the dual nature of gospel music as both a spiritual calling and a professional endeavor. “Studio sessions, production, and promotion cost a lot. You have a family to feed, you have rent to pay, and you have more songs to put out,” he stressed.
He warned against undermining the value of musicians by expecting them to work for free simply because their music carries a spiritual message. Dakolo maintained that just as churches invest in infrastructure, events, and guest speakers, they should also be willing to fairly compensate gospel musicians for their contributions to the worship experience.
Concluding his argument, Dakolo advised churches that are unable to afford guest artists to rely on their choir members instead. “We should stop all these attacks on people’s work. As much as it is spiritual, music is also an art. If you can’t pay people, use your choir members and pay the amount you could have given the guest artist,” he suggested.
The debate continues to divide opinions, with some Christians agreeing with Nathaniel Bassey’s perspective on ministering without financial expectations, while others resonate with Timi Dakolo’s viewpoint that gospel music is a profession deserving of fair compensation.
