Kanye West’s very public gravitation to the Christian faith continues to generate interest. Some wonder if it’s real or more for publicity. Others pray for him as a new follower or Christ. Others hear what he says and point to the fruit of what now is his ministry, in addition to recording career.
A Kanye guest appearance Friday evening at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, drew roughly 6,000 people, according to one account.
Student Pastor Curvine Brewington, Crossroads Church, Lafayette, Lousiana, tells us, “I’ve done Christian hip hop music for over a decade and I’ve been praying for Kanye for YEARS!! This is an exciting time!!!!!!!”
Kanye’s venue was an outdoor event, without a stage or video screens. According to The Advocate newspaper, Kanye stood on concrete in front of white crosses that can be seen from nearby Interstate 10.
West opened the service with “Closed on Sunday,” a song from his new album and he told the crowd, “You my Chick-Fil-A … Hold the selfies. Put the ’gram away. Get your family. Y’all hold hands and pray … Raise our sons. Train them in the faith, through temptations. Make sure they’re wide awake. Follow Jesus. Listen and obey.”
On Instagram, Pastor Brewington shared:
Here's a reaction to Kanye's fast-forward faith outreach from the president of a major Christian university: