Kanye West’s plan to take his popular “Sunday Service” gospel revival to Jamaica has angered local pastors there.
The rap producer is debuting his revival in Kingston’s Emancipation Park on the Caribbean island on Friday night, but local pastors have taken exception to his plans.
The island country is deeply religious and the Jamaican people consider themselves Christians. They take the Word of God very literally.
Religious leaders in Jamaica question the star’s commitment to God, despite West’s claims he is a born-again Christian.
“I don’t know him (West) as a Christian and someone who is being led by the Holy Spirit,” local pastor Stephen Blake told the Jamaica Star, according to WENN.com. “We have to examine the motive here.”
They are suspicious of West’s plan to take a team to the venue to cleanse it of impure spirits before the Sunday Service.
“From a spiritual perspective, I am not 100 per cent comfortable,” Blake explained. “Therefore, I am calling for the church to pray against this, just in case there is anything negative associated with this service that Kanye is coming to Jamaica to keep.”
The clergyman expressed fears the “Jesus Walks” musician is embracing religion for publicity or personal profit.
“Some say that he is the Antichrist,” Blake said. “Him go mad one day, then him say Trump the next day, and then him come with religion. If his motive is to get attention and stay relevant, then that is wrong.”
Another local minister, Father Sean Major-Campbell, advised “caution” over the star’s motives but thought the event was just an “entertainment option”.
Others, including Jamaican dancehall producer Cordel ‘Skatta’ Burrell, are angry over the disruption brought by West’s event, which has been backed by the Jamaica Tourist Board.
Burrell added: “His Jesus agenda is solely for the benefit of generating sales for his upcoming gospel album and he’s only playing chess.”
The rapper’s gospel album, Jesus Is King, and an accompanying documentary film are due out next Friday, Oct. 25.
This is the first time West has taken his Sunday Service gospel revival outside the U.S.
