Nathaniel Bassey Explains Why He Does Not Charge for Church Ministrations

The debate over whether gospel musicians should charge for guest ministrations in churches has gained momentum in recent weeks, with popular gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey weighing in on the issue. During a recent sermon, Bassey explained why he does not request payment when invited to minister in churches.

“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 stated. “Let me just say this before I trend on 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?”

Bassey’s comments come in response to the controversy sparked by Apostle Lazarus, who went viral for criticizing gospel artists who charge fees for church performances. The pastor shared an instance where a gospel singer requested ₦5 million to perform at his church, arguing that ministry should not be commercialized. His remarks ignited debates among gospel musicians, church leaders, and Christians on the financial aspects of gospel music.

Singer Timi Dakolo, however, defended gospel musicians, emphasizing the financial demands of creating and sustaining music. In a detailed post, Dakolo urged Christians to recognize music as both a spiritual calling and a professional craft that deserves compensation.

“My dear Christians, a quote or conversation can sound intelligent and deep yet untrue,” Dakolo wrote. “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.”

The conversation continues to divide opinions, with some arguing that ministry should remain a service to God, while others believe that gospel musicians, like professionals in other fields, deserve fair compensation for their work.