The Ministry Of Music Is All About Singing The Word

Across people, cultures, and walks of life, one thing we all have in common, one thing we all seem to agree on, is music and the beauty of it. 

Whether or not one is gifted with the ability to sing or write songs, music is an incredible force that unites us, no wonder Maria von Trapp likened it to a “magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” 

Is Being scientifically proven that the brain more easily stores information that is passed in the form of music than through any other medium, Gospel music in particular not only serves to evangelize the world and touch hearts and lives, but also to solidify what Christians believe, by helping them—through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs—to remember what has been preached.

This is one of the things that Emmanuel Iren, Lead Pastor of Celebration Church International and founder and foremost songwriter of Outburst Music Group, hopes to achieve through his music. 

Speaking a bit on his background, particularly his introduction and exposure to music and songwriting, Pastor Iren says, “​​Growing up, I—along with my siblings—had a thing or two to do with music, although not professionally. In fact, on one occasion, we were invited to a church to give an acapella rendition.” 

These little bouts here and there gave him a slightly above basic introduction to music, but he only began to write songs some eight or so years ago. 

Having written all fourteen songs on the albums Kerygma: Lyrical Theology and Octane: Devotion Formula by Outburst Music Group, as well as the hit single Light Up the Way which features Gospel music star Eben, Emmanuel Iren’s songwriting skills are evident and indisputable.

For many music artists, there is a creative process; a certain direction that their music creation often follows, and Pastor Emmanuel Iren describes this as “unconventional,” which is demonstrated by the fact that a good number of his songs were ‘gotten’ on-the-spot, most times, during a church service. 

According to him, “​​Nine out of ten songs I write come spontaneously. Basically, I sing by the Spirit, with the sole priority of spiritual edification. It is not until much later that greater attention is given to the musicality, so that the sound doesn’t just make sense spiritually, but also musically.” 

Despite being unconventional, this creative process has led to the birth of sensational tracks like “The Glory,” “Fire on My Altar,” and “Prophetic Chant.” 

If online viewership is anything to go by, the music videos of these three songs seem to be gaining traction, with over half a million collective views on YouTube, and ‘likes’ in their thousands. 

When asked how this makes him feel, with the ambition of global evangelism through song in focus, Pastor Emmanuel Iren responds, “Honestly, YouTube views don’t even tell half the story. However, I’m grateful to God for the impact the songs have, and how they have traveled around the world. It’s humbling. God designed music to be a teaching ministry and not just a feel-good thing, and so I hope to educate people about the things of God through my songs. I hope that when people hear me sing, they can tell that I am having the time of my life in God and that they’d want what I have.” 

Pastor Emmanuel Iren wants his listeners to “Expect the unexpected,” and to know that there would be “More collaborations, different genres, more reach, everything” in the future.