Love Brewed In The Church

There must be something unique about the current vogue in the church: the preacher-singer romance which has been drawing many to the altar lately.

Among the high profile cases already recorded involve female gospel singers like Amy Newman, Diana Akiwumi, Christiana Love, Esther Smith, Grace Ashie, Florence Obinim, Sandra Oduro and Ama Boaheman.


The pastors list also include Pastor Newman, Rev Samuel Akiwumi, Rev Love Hammond, Rev Kwame Arhenkan Bonsu, Pastor Ashy, Pastor Obinim, Rev Oduro and Pastor Boaheman.

Graphic Showbiz tried to find out the reason for this phenomenon, if life gets any easier in this marriage between soul-moving female gospel artistes and pastors and whether it is any different from the ?circular? marriages.

Though some musicians married to pastors granted this interview many of them did not want their identities to be disclosed.

One popular musician told Showbiz: ?I feel very comfortable marrying a man of God and besides, I get more anointing from God through him to write my songs.?

Another musician also said that she saw nothing wrong in her decision to marry a pastor. ?Sometimes, the pastors tell us that God has told them to marry us and because we like to be in their houses, we also give in,? she added.

Christiana Love, one top female gospel musician who has been married to a pastor for barely four years, told Graphic Showbiz that many female gospel musicians married pastors because it was God?s will.

?I married my husband not because I thought he was a pastor who could help me write my music, but it was written down immediately I was born,? she said.

Christiana Love said she had a lot of prophecies from many pastors that she would marry a pastor at the age of 17, and was thus called Osofo Maame in her school.

?I went to perform at a function one day and that was where I met my husband,? she said. However, facts on the ground revealed that some of the pastors actually convinced the gospel musicians that they (the pastors) were the suitable and right life companions ordained by God for them.

Subsequently, several highly gifted gospel musicians in the country have had their marriages ending on the rocks. In response to why many of them fought for divorce after marriage, Christiana said it was because they rushed into it without praying to ask God if he was the one while others married pastors because they just wanted to compete with their colleagues married to pastors.

?I don?t understand why I should marry a man just because he is a pastor,? she said. ?Those are the people who want the public to know that they are also married to pastors.

Some think that when you marry a pastor, things become easier for you. Though I have not encountered any problems yet since I got married, that does not mean it is because I am married to a pastor.

Pastors are not God, they are like any other human being. They sometimes quarrel with their wives and also do so many other things to them. I don?t believe that when you marry a pastor it means you will get a peaceful marriage.?

Esther Smith, also said she did not see anything wrong with gospel musicians marrying pastors. ?Everybody can marry anyone they want, and if gospel musicians are getting married to pastors, I don?t think there is a special reason for that.

After all, many other gospel musicians did not marry pastors as we have done.? ?I married my husband Rev. Arhenkan not because he is a pastor, but simply because he is my taste and the one I love.

I don?t think any gospel musician will marry a man just because he is a pastor,? she said. Esther said being a gospel musician and getting married to a pastor does not mean they would not face problems.

She said she knew many musicians who got married to pastors but are currently divorced. ?There is a problem in every marriage, there is no single marriage without problems.

We sometimes do have problems in our marriage, but we are able to solve them by the grace of God.? In response to whether there was a quarrel between her and her husband it was said on air, Esther said it was just a small misunderstanding that they have been able to solve.

?I love my husband and I believe nothing can seperate us by the grace of God?. According to her, marriage comes from God and any woman who takes her time and prays to God for her partner, would definitely meet him.

Diana Akiwumi, who married Rev. Samuel Akiwumi and divorced about four years ago, said she did not think somebody would marry a pastor just for marriage sake.

She added that marrying a pastor was not an assurance of peace in the marriage. She said pastors could sometimes act the way any other man would act.

?Anyone who thinks that marrying a pastor makes life easier might be having a wrong emotion.? She said. Diana describes her seven years of marriage as the first phase of her life.

?My marriage, separation, divorce and all the ?transposing' that came with it have made me a stronger person. It was not easy for me, but right now I can say I am a happy person. By God?s grace, I am at peace with myself.?

In answering why she divorced her husband, Diana said her husband was insecure and could not stand the fame and the attention she was getting, so he made troubles all the time.

?It was so bad that I was only happy when I was out to perform. Because I am a very private person going through all these, it was depressing watching someone you have so much hope in throw his life away.

But thank God I was able to brace the storm. I managed to pay our debts with proceeds from the music I produced as well as the concerts I performed.?

Diana, who got married in 1990 right after completing Sixth Form, said it was unfortunate her marriage did not work. ?My marriage didn?t work, but that doesn?t mean it is the end of the world.

There is no marriage in heaven. We have our individual calling so I realised that I had to get up and move on to fulfil my purpose in life and that is winning souls for God through music. Marriage is good but it is not the only option in life.?