The Promotions Ministry

Everyone who reads this should know I am a Christian...but I'm also gunning for a career in media, so let me ask you this: Is anyone else uncomfortable at the idea of a pastor hosting a gospel show on public radio?

I mean, who else would you want to host a gospel show, right? I know...but I was taught that you can't use public radio to promote your own interests (yes, ppl do it all the time)...even if your interest is that everyone find salvation...and even though that's noble, if you further want them to do so at your church, then that's somethin else.

I'm not trying to pick on this man, but singer Marvin Winans is also the pastor of a large church here in Detroit. On Sunday mornings, a station that otherwise plays adult R&B music allows him to host a gospel show from like 6-11 a.m. I love the idea that I can listen to some positive, uplifting music on my way to church...but this man does so much talking about himself that I just want to turn the station off! There's a fine line btw giving God glory for all the things He's done for you...and tooting your own horn. He is tightrope walking on that line, y'all! Every DJ knows that ppl listen to the radio to hear music. No matter how engaging your personality is, I still wanna hear some songs, too! But no, we have to hear about all the events taking place at his church, all the ppl he knows and all the projects he's working on. And when he does interviews, boy, forget it! The "guests" can barely get a word in. He does that Tyra/Oprah thing where somehow everything always end up being about him...and he shamelessly plugs himself, his son and his church at every small opportunity.

I just read today that Pastor Winans is in the new Tyler Perry movie, "I Can Do Bad All by Myself," set to be released Sept. 11...what that meant to me was that pretty soon, you won't be able to tell him anything! I don't want to disrespect him if he is your pastor, please let me be clear. And I am happy he got such an awesome opportunity. (I would run naked from Detroit to Atlanta with no shoes on if I had the chance to work with Tyler Perry.) But to me, Winans already borderlines on being conceited...this might just push him over the edge!

I am a person who always says, if you don't like it, turn it off! But on Sundays, very few stations play gospel music, so it's almost like you have to take what you can get. This was made painfully clear last week when a host on another station was out and asked another Detroit gospel artist to cover for her. Karen Clark Sheard used the three hours to play music by her and her sisters (The Clark Sisters), her nephew (J. Moss) and her daughter (KeKe). I know the gospel community appears to be limited in terms of hit songs that you can play, but my bf pointed out that everytime a song of hers is played, she's getting paid for that...so while I would expect her to play a couple, I didn't think she'd be so blatant with it. And she also told us that if we need a church home, we should go to her church at such and such address where her husband is pastor...but come for the Word; don't be up in there looking at her man!

I'm like, OK...maybe now's a good time to get satellite radio...