Erica Campbell, Taking Jesus Into the World

In this Worship Sound Bite, Erica Campbell, the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist, and founding member of gospel duo Mary Mary, discusses where Jesus fits in our world. She says, “Don’t apologize about taking Jesus into the marketplace, into the public square.” With a carrier that has taken her into both the secular and Christian spheres of music, her impact for the kingdom has been significant.”

Erica gives an apologetic for embracing the cornucopia of styles and genres in the music industry. If God desires to be known by everyone, then all styles and voices can and will be used by him to accomplish that. “It’s okay to be comfortable in our church and worship circles. We need that encouragement and empowerment. But then we take that out into the world to tell people about Jesus.”

Erica says, “I love singing to believers, but I love singing to non-believers, because we are trying to draw them to Jesus.” With twenty-five years in the gospel and R&B world, Erica has fought to bring Jesus’ love into both spheres.

Erica’s music carrier started in 1998 with her sister Trecina in the ground-breaking duo, Mary Mary. Lasting sixteen years, netting eleven Grammy nominations and four Grammy awards, Mary Mary broadened the outreach of contemporary gospel, melding gospel, blues and Jazz into their sound. Now Erica continues her ministry to both the believer and the non-believer with new music of her own, declaring her love for Jesus.

Transcript

Jesus fits everywhere. Don’t apologize. Don’t be afraid to take Jesus into the marketplace, into the public square. Right. I always tell people I remember someone asked me, how did I feel about going into these mainstream rooms? Because I’m blessed to go in those rooms. I always say I have something that they need, so I’m not intimidated because I’m the gospel artist in the room.

If you’re looking for hope, I got Jesus for you. If you’re battling depression, I got Jesus for you. So I can go in these rooms and share Jesus. And that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. So I’m always encouraged in my prayer time, like, Lord, where do you want me to go next? What door am I opening? You know, where can I go?

I love singing to believers, but I love singing to nonbelievers because we’re trying to draw them to Jesus. And I think sometimes, unfortunately, we get comfortable in our worship circle and in our church, which is good, because we need that to be encouraged and empowered. But if Jesus can’t come back until everybody has had a chance to know.

Then that means our different styles become beneficial. That means our different voices become beneficial and we go into the different areas and we tell them about Jesus and we come to a night like tonight: The Dove Awards and we regroup and we encourage each other. And then when it’s over, we go back into the world and tell them about Jesus.