Renowned gospel music legend and songwriter, Dr. Panam Percy Paul, has shared a powerful testimony of unwavering faith and conviction, revealing how he once turned down a multimillion-pound record deal that could have made him unimaginably wealthy — all because he refused to compromise on his message.
During a recent conversation with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, Dr. Paul recalled how, at the height of his music ministry in 1995, he was approached with a jaw-dropping offer — a three-year contract worth a staggering £24 million (approximately N7 billion at the time). However, the lucrative deal came with one unsettling condition: he was asked to tone down his mention of the name “Jesus” in his music.
“The catch was, ‘Can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’” Dr. Paul recounted. “One of them even said, ‘You don’t need to say Jesus all the time; you can refer to Him as the Righteous One or Greatest Lover.’ I was shocked. I told them, ‘You can keep your money. I’ll keep the name.’”
Dr. Paul’s story is a bold reminder of integrity in an increasingly commercialized industry, where spiritual convictions are often tested by material temptations. He noted with concern how the music space, especially the gospel scene, has evolved over the years, becoming more of an "industry" than a "ministry."
“Today, music ministry has been swallowed by the music industry,” he said. “Now, record labels and marketers dictate to artists — what to sing, how to sing, and when to sing. For example, it was marketers in Alaba who began encouraging gospel artists to include ‘speaking in tongues’ in their tracks to boost sales.”
Despite the shifting landscape, Dr. Panam Percy Paul stands as a rare voice of consistency — reminding upcoming artists and ministers alike that some things, especially faith, are worth more than gold. His decision, made decades ago, still echoes a timeless truth: when you have Jesus, you have everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment