When your best actor becomes a ‘Pastor’

I do not remember the last time any high-profile Ghanaian actor did trend over a movie-related issue.  

For almost a year, John Dumelo, has captured the headlines for his open support and campaign for President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In the last weeks, Agya Koo is generating some blabber over his endorsement of Nana Akufo Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

And just this week, another popular actor, Majid Michel has been trending over his faith and his ‘new’ role as a man of God.

Majid is not just an actor who is also a strong believer in Christianity like Mark Walberg, Tyler Perry or Denzel Washington – he is taking it a notch with preaching of the word and engaging in all manner of deliverance. 

Who Caused This?

Pictures of Majid Michel together with fellow actor, Timothy Bentum and famed producer/director, Pascal Amanfo, doing the work of God are generating debate among industry folks and movie lovers on what exactly is going on.

 

Who caused Majid to turn to the work of God? Of course, it is God himself, who else? But could there have been other factors that facilitated the move? Maybe!

Factors such as an inactive movie industry, lack of scripts, lack of roles and lack of interest by patrons– precursors that could lead any player in the movie industry into other ventures.

Interestingly, there are many who are still confounded at the pictures, unable to fathom if indeed, Majid is now a true man of God.

See who the industry might lose

God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) and wants to be served fully which means that, there’s strong possibility that, the actor might abandon the trade that brought him such eminence, fame and fortune.

Aside the countless awards won at the Ghana Movie Awards, Majid’s international prominence is impressive. He is the only actor to be nominated five times as ‘Actor in Leading Role’ for the AMAAs,  four  times consecutively. He won the award in 2012 for his stellar role in Somewhere in Africa.

He has starred in over 100 movies, both home and abroad and is one of the most-recognisable faces in African movies.

He has so much expertise in filmmaking, an experience he can parlay into many facets of the arts and can also impact on the coming generations.

Crusades instead of movie posters

Since the preaching photos went viral, other photos are emerging and depending on where you stand, it could be inspiring or upsetting. There are now posters of Church conventions and crusades with Majid Michel as either a guest preacher or something else.

As a Christian, such a situation should excite you, especially when it is God doing his thing in the soul-winning business - but as an advocate for the arts, you’d expect to see photos of the actor embossed on several movie posters. You’d expect such posters to be splattered across Cinema halls and not Convention posters on walls and trees.

As an aficionado for the arts, you’d expect that, Majid would trend for positive subjects related to the filmmaking in Ghana and across Africa, and not news of him delivering tormented souls by touching their heads and blowing some spirit-filled air into the eyes of congregants.

The Consequence(s)

There are always ramifications when an actor makes such a jump, be it personal or wide-ranging. In Hollywood, Rush Hour actor, Chris Tucker, after becoming born-again, decided to shun roles, disapproving of some new roles and sequels to some of his hit movies.

Angus T. Jones, once the lovable little boy from Two and a Half Men TV show, left the show after being baptised and has since started working for the World Harvest Outreach Church in Houston, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He even called the show, ‘filth’ in 2012.

The likes of Eucharia Anunobi, Pat Attah and Liz Benson, all Nollywood greats, who took up the work of the Lord, have gone ‘defunct’ in the acting business. That’s the kind of consequence that faces Majid. 

When God Calls You!

What are we even mulling and grousing over? Majid is not the first to have a successful profession to be called by God.  Seven of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ were fisherman, very successful ones.

In fact, Andrew and Peter were said to be entrepreneurs and Matthew as a tax collector. When they were called, they all had to relinquish their successful careers for the work of the Lord, which comes with more blessings and eternal glory.

So, if Majid decides to jettison acting and work for the Lord, who are we to complain? We just have to pray for him and support him in his new calling. We just have to accept the fact that, it is God’s gain and the industry’s loss – maybe!