In a bid to reach out to diverse audiences, Aderemi Dabiri, the founder of a branch of Celestial Church of Christ in Lagos State, has explained his decision to invite Fuji singer, Alabi Pasuma and street-hop artiste, Portable.
Quest Times gathered that the goal is to connect with individuals who may not typically attend religious events, aiming to bring positive change to the community.
Addressing concerns about the unconventional choice of performers, Dabiri emphasized that this approach has successfully attracted new converts in the past.
He shared, “It is not our first time inviting guest artistes. We have been doing it without a problem and I can give you a series of instances.”
Highlighting the challenges faced in reaching certain groups, Dabiri stated, “We cannot go where they sell palm wine or alcoholic drinks and ask them to accept Jesus Christ. If I don’t apply wisdom, they will hit a bottle on my head. That was why I thought of a way to bring them into the church.”
He specifically mentioned targeting notorious individuals in the community to encourage a change of heart.
Expressing his preference for secular musicians over some gospel ministers, Dabiri noted, “Some gospel ministers are rude. If you talk to some of them, they respond rudely, but the day I called Pasuma, he sounded respectful on the phone and also agreed with my stance.”
Responding to concerns raised by the church’s task force, Dabiri assured that he has no plans to cancel the invitation.
However, he acknowledged the need to set boundaries during the event. “We will tell Portable not to dye his hair and he should not sing vulgar songs but to sing gospel music. We will also caution him not to dress inappropriately or climb the speakers.
“We will also warn him not to allow his boys to smoke here. We have invited close to 30 military personnel to man the event,” he added.
In a plea for support from the Celestial Church worldwide, Dabiri stated that he believes in his style of evangelism, as this would make the church proud, urging the church to work towards a positive impact on the community.