GOSPEL musician Prosper Kutyauripo says the religious community nowadays is dominated by greed and power hungry people who are no longer in fear of God which has made it challenging to locate devoted Christians.
Kutyauripo, who recently released a seven-track album titled Pauro KuvaKorinde told Standard Style that Christians are no longer in fear of God as the church is being taken as a project or an investment and greed has dominated the religious sector.
“It is difficult to find genuine and faithful Christians, the church is now characterised by hypocrisy and social injustice. Power struggles and financial gain have taken centre stage in the religious sphere,” said Kutyauripo.
“The church is now taken as a personal business or an investment in other words. Christians are no longer in fear of God. There have been fights and divisions amongst church leaders surprisingly Bishops, Pastors and church elders,” he added.
Kutyauripo added that church leaders used to go door-to-door to pray with members of the congregation but things have changed since then. Church leaders and pastors now have bodyguards and have introduced one on one session where a fee is required to see the man of God.
The gospel artiste also claimed that he is a powerful preacher who extracts themes from everyday experiences with people including forgiveness, repentance, love and grace. He added that gospel music is like a drug to the soul which gives strength and hope through faith in times of depression.
On the second track titled Mazita eVana, Kutyauripo collaborated with Mechanic Manyeruke. He said that the gospel legend (Manyeruke) cements his Christian background and his music what that his parents used to listen to and it played a role in his upbringing therefore he wanted to learn from him.
“I have never heard any negative portrayal of Baba Manyeruke from the media and society at large so it was my wish to rub shoulders with him in order to get advice and guidance on how to maintain a good image throughout my musical journey,” said Kutyauripo.
The song Mazita eVana speaks on the power that names given to children have to either bless or curse their lives. Kutyauripo added that parents need to watch and mind their words towards children as the tongue has power to bless or curse (Proverbs 18vs21).
He also claimed that gospel ministers should be watch dogs to injustices through preaching relevant messages to guide the church and maintain its societal status and role.
He urged gospel ministers to be neutral attacking injustices in various ministries and should not be bribed to sing in favour of church leaders. The Album’s title "Pauro kuVakorinde" implies that gospel ministers should be modern day Paul to ensure that the church is in its position.
In order to keep up with the times and create music that speaks to all ages, he also urged other gospel musicians to update their sound and add fresh flavour to their projects without compromising the biblical meaning.
Other songs featured on the album include Ndipei Moyo, Vadzidzi Vangu, Kundisheedza, Kurarama Inyasha and Muri Mwari.