“Let It Be Edifying”: Joshua Selman Calls For Seriousness In Worship Music Ministry
“Let It Be Edifying”: Joshua Selman Calls For Seriousness In Worship Music Ministry. In a heartfelt charge delivered to music ministers across Nigeria and the broader African continent, Apostle Joshua Selman has called on worship leaders to prioritise spiritual depth over performance and commercial pressure.
Speaking with love and righteousness as a fellow brother in the faith, Selman addressed the diverse expressions of worship, noting that not every minister is called to the same style. Some may jump and shout, while others kneel or cry. Yet one essential quality must define them all.
“Regardless of what kind or what area of music and worship you are called to, not everybody will be running on the ground and shouting and all of that. We have different people, and there are different dimensions given to them,” he said. “The one thing I will encourage you to do, whether you are jumping or kneeling, whether you are shouting or crying, please carry presence. Carry presence. Dress well. God bless you, but carry presence.”
Selman emphasised that even in a short ministration of five minutes, the atmosphere should reveal authenticity. “When you open up your mouth, you will know that this person is not an entertainer. This one came from the secret place,” he said.
His first charge centred on preparation through prayer and the Word. “Please take the time to soak in prayer. Soak in the word,” he urged, extending the message beyond Nigeria to the African continent.
Turning to the content of worship songs, Joshua Selman encouraged ministers to seek greater scriptural alignment. He acknowledged past contributions while gently calling for growth. “Let’s trust God for grace to start looking into the wording of our songs. There’s nothing wrong. We can grow,” he said.
He warned against writing songs hastily under pressure to fill albums. “Don’t just sit with a pen and paper to write songs. Open your Bible. Open your Bible,” Selman advised. He pointed to respected figures such as Don Moen, Bob Fitts, and the late Ron Kenoly, whose songs carry lasting power because they draw directly from Scripture or thoughts consistent with it.
“Sometimes the pressure to have all the songs and make an album on time. You need 16 songs, and all of them must come out in one month. And sometimes you know that out of those 16 songs, only two came from the throne. It should not be.”
Selman made it clear that his words came from a place of love, not criticism. “I don’t criticise, I don’t shout, I don’t do all those childish things, no. Not at this point in my life and ministry,” he stated. “We thank you for what you have done. Thank you for the songs you have brought. Thank you for doing your best. We know the pressures.”
He highlighted a deeper issue: when worship lacks presence, even dedicated believers may be tempted toward pride, and serious gatherings end up relying on only a handful of ministers known for depth. “If we have only a handful of presence-carrying worshipers, you will be tempting them to get into the realm of pride,” he explained. “Everybody who puts on a meeting and is desperate for God is looking for presence and seriousness.”
As ministers of the gospel, Selman called for a reputation built on spiritual seriousness rather than entertainment. “Be known for spiritual seriousness, not entertainment. Let it not be that when every serious person is busy, then they now call it karaoke,” he said.
He affirmed that presence and power can flow through various modes of worship, whether praise or deeper adoration. “There are people across all the lines who carry presence and power. The mode of worship may be different, but carry presence and let it be edifying.”
Selman’s message has sparked reflection among worship leaders, serving as both encouragement and a timely reminder. In an era of rapid album releases and high expectations, he invites a return to the secret place, where songs born from Scripture and soaked in prayer carry the weight of heaven.
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