You know you are in for a great performance when the main act for a concert has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.
Yep Donald Andrew McClurkin, better known as Donnie McClurkin, has all of that and more under his belt and when he took to the Providence National Stadium stage last Friday night in wet conditions he left the packed to capacity facility thirsting for more of the word of God.
Pastor McClurkin was already in the hearts of the thousands who braved the rain to hear him perform but it would be safe say that all who left there that night were drawn closer to their God through his performance. He sang and ministered for well over an hour at the stadium and I am certain that some of what he said did not go down well with some of the more affluent Guyanese pastors who might have been present.
It was just around 11 pm when McClurkin and his choir came on stage to the chant of “Donnie, Donnie” and all of those who were sitting found their feet as they lifted their hands in the air and praised the Lord through his songs. As a friend of mine noted, the American singer really did not need his back-up singers as the more than 15,000 people in the stadium did that very well. There were thousands in the stands, some on the field and still more in the VIP section. Some abandoned their umbrellas and allowed the rain to drench them as they soaked in the word of God through the melodic voice of Donnie.
And even when he sang in Japanese the message did not escape the audience and still sounded soothing to the ears. After witnessing the performance of Pastor McClurkin I decided to read up on him and his life can be used as an inspiration as he has triumphed over many adversaries and still holds fast to his belief in God. Being raped twice and struggling with homosexuality in his earlier days and beating leukemia are just some of the hurdles he has had to deal with and from the looks of it he has done so very well.
Donnie told the audience at the stadium that he is just an ordinary man who lives in the ‘hood’ where people throw garbage into his yard and write graffiti on his walls; he came across as a very humble individual. Of course, that is unlike many pastors (local and overseas) who have some of the fanciest houses and cars while many in their congregations can hardly put food on their tables. The singing pastor admonished during his worship concert that pastors are there to serve the people and not the other way around. He exhorted that his counterparts ought not to be driving Lexus cars and SUVs and living in mansions as that is just not right. He then attempted to make it easier to digest by asking the audience not to tell their pastors that he said that was how they should live; but it is how he lives his life. But the message was loud and clear and it is hoped that was thus transmitted.
And so once again I have to say ‘hats off to GT&T’. Bringing Pastor McClurkin was a master stroke and if the word of the company’s head, Yog Mahadeo, can be taken as gospel then I will be attending another gospel concert early next year. Mahadeo told the audience, to loud applause, that the company will host an annual gospel concert. But the company did not hold the concert as a charity show, if it had then persons would not have had to pay to enter; so when he said “this is where our money goes” it rang very hollow. Mr Mahadeo also spoilt the night a bit for me and many others with his prayers; in a nutshell, they were just too much. Just saying…
Pastor Simon Harris was an excellent MC and deserves a shout out: “Preach on, Pastor”. I could just imagine him on the pulpit ministering to his flock and doing a fantastic job at it too. Dynamic is the word that comes to mind when I think about him.
I am not sure who helped GT&T to plan the concert but there were too many preceding acts to Pastor McClurkin and some should not even be allowed to sing in their churches much less on the same stage as a singer of such calibre. The opening dance was a disaster; the poor youngsters were not even in sync with each other. And some of the singers; I have willed myself to forget them so no names. Let’s just say the bathroom is where they should be exercising their vocals. But there were some great opening acts such as Cherylyn Maloney, Miriam Corlette-Williams and Eion Greaves.
When I left the stadium just before midnight, as my girlfriend wanted to beat the traffic (smart move by the way) Donnie was still doing his thing on stage and I fell to sleep with the words “draw me close to you” still humming in my brain. There is no one else but God I need, indeed. (thescene@stabroeknews.com)
