INTERVIEWS WITH PASTOR CLARKSON: THE ANOINTING AND HOW I HANDLE TEMPATION FROM LADIES

Today, we bring you the concluding part of BROJID.COM conversation with Pastor Clarkson Ikunze, a gospel music minister, blogger and author. In this concluding part, he throws light on the place of anointing and skill for a music minister, style of contemporary gospel music and how he handle temptation with the opposite sex. It’s an irresistible conversation. Here is our conversation…  

Earlier, you said that many music ministers are more interested in the anointing than the skill. Are you saying that skill supersedes the anointing?

Not exactly. You see, I love the anointing. I’m just saying that we have to mix skill with the anointing. Saul requested that he is given someone who can play the harp skillfully. Not just anybody who can play the harp. Skill needs to be there and we need to add it to ministry; it gives ministers a touch. I won’t buy your album, no matter how anointed you are if you are signing off key. I won’t do it! Yes, I won’t do it.

When we focus so much on the anointing and leave out the skill, we make our ministry look so shabby. We over spiritualise everything.

I have been in meetings where a pianist or someone else who is playing an instrument leaves it and starts praying because the environment is so charged up and the key board is just quiet. And when I say, “My friend go back to the keyboard.” He says, “I need to get God for myself too.”That’s crazy!

(Cuts in ) What did you expect the person to do?

He is ministering on the keyboard is needed at that time. If he goes off the keyboard, he disconnects others too. You can be on the keyboard and still be connected. If you watch Benny Hinn videos, the key board doesn’t go off. Most people are not taught.

Maybe because they are white people, they don’t get connected.

No, they are connected. We don’t get connected by what we do but because we are in Christ. Some people are not taught, they think that when they leave the keyboard and start praying at a corner, they get connected. We are connected already; that’s why we are in church. When we know that we are connected we help others to get connected. People have to be on certain sets for things to get going. Some has to man the video camera or we lose the video. Someone has to watch the generator to ensure it doesn’t go off in the middle of the service.

That’s on a general term. I expect that music minister should go for training. I don’t expect to meet you the same way I met you last month.

What’s the essence of training to a music minister when he has  talent?

I learnt from studies that every talent is a seed and can be multiplied. So, anything you have is raw. You need to process it. If you think you are good, it means if you work on yourself you will be better, it means that if you work on yourself, you will be best and if you think you are best it means that you work on yourself, you will be ‘bester’ (Laughs) You don’t just have to be outstanding, you have to stand out.

I hate mediocrity. Music ministers these days are somewhat mediocre; just like being in their comfort zone. No; you have to improve. That also means learning more songs.

You were sharing your experience as a music minster for a long time before digressing into matters of skill. Please let’s go back there…

One other thing I wanted to add was on character. We don’t acquire character from the outside. It’s something that is built in us from inside. We just cultivate it. I have seen people who are anointed; they are skilled but they lack character. Now, you can also have good or bad character. But I am talking about good character. It’s something that makes you recommendable. People can see you and vouch for you. You shouldn’t be a music minister on stage and your life speaks of something else outside. I’m not talking about being saved or not going to heaven. If you are saved, you are saved. But you need to represent! We need to see you as someone whom when we look at we can see a model. One of the biggest challenges I had growing up as a music minister was not finding a mentor. People who could be mentors were far away. I just picked lessons from their lives from a distance. I needed people who were doing what I wanted to do around but I could get was people who were doing it but they weren’t serious about the business. Most of them ended up as secular artiste. The gift of the spirit gives birth to anointing for manifestation in the lives of a music minster whereas the fruit of the spirit being cultivated gives birth to character. So, when I have love as the fruit of the spirit and I work on it, it’s expressed in my life. If you can combine the anointing, skill and character effectively, it makes you a power packed minister anywhere, anybody and anytime.

In the past we used to have certain kind of gospel songs like Calvary Voice, Voice of the Cross. But these days, we have the hip hop styled music. What do you think about this?

Music has a transition. I don’t do Calvary Voice songs. My fathers did that. Some people think those were spiritual songs and the ones we do are canal. But that’s not true.

But a lot of people believe that today’s gospel artistes are copying the world.

They are not. Rap is not demonic. Who says rap is from the devil? The issue is that we are able to communicate God’s message. I found out that those who got saved are trying to connect to God the way they know how to and we must create that platform for them. So, you find someone who is a rap gangsters get saved and he comes to church not having anything rap to do. Most times he is tempted to go back.

You see, that’s the same reason we Christians don’t sing love songs and we go for Christian weddings and complain that it’s only secular songs that are played.

Are you saying that gospel artistes should start singing love/romantic songs?

Let me ask you a question. Are you going to get married?

Very likely.

And you are going to tell your wife that you love her?

Sure!

Will you tell her how much you miss her?

Absolutely!

It’s one thing to say it and another thing to sing it. It makes no difference. I feel it’s more romantic to sing it than say it.

So, I can get Backstreet boys songs and play for my wife?

No. that’s not what I’m saying.  What I’m saying is that since we complain about Christians falling back to secular songs to express love, why don’t gospel artistes sing love songs with Christ as a focus? That way, we won’t run out to the world to get such songs; since we will now have ours. Someone like Nosa is doing well in that regards. Song like, ‘I will always pray for you. And Always on My Mind”

I saw your new book, “Sing Better, Stronger and Healthier”. Why did you write that book?

 Partly because of what I am telling you about skill. Having served as a music director for four years on campus, so many people came to me and were like, ‘Pastor Clarkson, we need to train our voice. You sing very well how do you do it. Which music school did you go to before coming to UNN? I didn’t go to any music school. I just went to the internet, got materials and practiced for myself.  I also saw the sincerity in their heart to learn. I decided to put something on paper with which they could learn. That’s basically why I wrote the book. I also explained how the food you eat affcets your voice health.

So, it’s about voice training?

Not really. It’s about vocal health. It’s not the normal conventional voice training we get. I dwelt more on health management of the voice.

What will I lose if I don’t read the book as a music minster?

Let me not talk about music ministers because you are not one and you will never be one.

(General laughter)

You never can tell

No, the Lord won’t lead you there (more laughter)

The book is not streamlined to music ministers. It covers singers generally and speakers. Also, we talked about how to manage your vocals and make sure they are fit whenever you need them. If you are a speaker and your voice is not in good shape, you lose money because nobody wants to hear you talk like a frog.

You were a music minister for four consecutive years on campus and UNN is not a single school. How were you able to manage the natural attraction to you from your female listeners who may be swayed towards you by your skill, anointing and good look?

Good looks ke? It has been God’s grace. The thing is that most times you think are careful but you are not. I have tried being careful in that area but almost slipped off.  I have learnt to ask God to keep me. You know the Scripture “…unto Him who is able to keep you from falling.’ You don’t keep yourself; God keeps you.

Another things is that whatever will distract you will first of all attract you. So, we try to set limits in our relationship with people. Often times, it ends after the ministration hall. We hardly exchange numbers.

One other thing is that  when we focus on what we are called to do, distractions will be minimal.

Pastor, does the anointing inhibit the action of hormone, especially, the sex hormones?

I will tell you the truth: your hormones are not saved. They are not born again. Your hormones don’t respect the anointing. They don’t care if you are anointed or not. You must learn to watch it.

So, you have been able to watch yours with all the sisters…

Young man, you are going where you shouldn’t go. But we have very nice sisters around us and I appreciate them. Many of us think that once you are a music minster or very prominent, the ladies that come around you come to seduce you. But that’s not always the truth. In Jesus’ ministry, he also had ladies. When music ministers have problems in this regards is usually when they have a preset opinion about ladies – temptation. I don’t see them as temptation. I see them as God’s blessings.

But when you don’t see them as potential temptation, you are caught unguarded.

We are  already guarded spiritually.

Please don’t spiritualize this.

(General laughter)

Sorry am sounding spiritual, but that’s the truth. We are told to flee yet we need people. What if we flee from people we need.

Please are you saying that there was never a time any of the nice sisters misbehaved?

You might find yourself liking people; someone can be so nice to you and you just tell yourself ‘I like this person.’ But you have to watch the limit of your liking so you don’t like beyond the normal.

Please what do you mean by liking beyond the normal?

You have to put reservations in your liking. I know people talk about brotherly love but we have to be careful also.

There has been argument on whether it’s wrong or right for brothers and sisters to hug/kiss. What your stand?

So many people are so spiritual that when they kiss someone they don’t feel anything. That’s demonic! It’s a very easy road to hell – destruction. You don’t set yourself on fire and don’t get burnt.

There are some things that we should be naturally careful about. Don’t go about hugging and kissing everybody just to show brotherly love. Just say Hi and walk away.

It doesn’t also mean that hugging people is wrong but you should do that from a very pure motive.

I like the way Paul said it to Timothy: treat the young women as sisters. That has been my watchword in ministry. I see ladies as sisters; I’m not engaged to anybody!

But has any lady or even sister tempted you physically?

No. I have not I don’t pray to have any!