Different people with different opinion cum mindset. Some people believe it’s not good to combine ministry with other business or secular job, while some believe you can’t do ministry successfully without doing secular job or business. In this Exclusive Interview with Gospel Film News, Gospel Actor and Director, Daramola Kayode Babalola throw his weight behind and gave his opinion. He also talked about security issue in the country, why people dump Drama ministry, among others. Excerpt:
Seeing the way some Drama Ministers are moving to other ministries such as pastoral ministry, what do you think is responsible for that?
The first issue is that (Sighs), i’m trying to pick my words here, I think we should take heed to our tent making business. Except God tells you expressly that you should not do anything else, apart from going to locations, going on film outreachs, do stage drama and all that, except God gives you that express instruction, I feel we should pay attention to our tent making business, and that’s if there are other things you are doing, it will help you to stay, otherwise someone needs to be careful. Generally, the economy of the nation is problematic, even we don’t sell our films anymore, we have a general issue. I think what is happening is that; 1. Maybe those who shifts ground are not sure of their calling in the first instance, because if you are sure of what God calls you to do you will stay and expecting blessing from it. Number 2, I think they are not sure they heard God say to them go and start church or do some other things, and number 3, it is hunger that pushed some people to other things.
Some Drama Ministers are doing ministry and at the same time doing secular job or do some other business, whats your take on that?
For me I think its perfect. For me, the definition of full time is that God takes preeminents. When you are called to do a stage outreach, film, location, it is the first thing on your mind at any particular time, it doesn’t take the second place, it is always number one. So, it means that you are doing whatever job you are doing, as long as you received the call for anything that has to do with the ministry, you drop every other thing and focus on that. It is not a bad thing that people are doing other things as long as it doesn’t interface with the work of God in their hands.
Lastly, concerning the security issue in Nigeria, like the case of Sunday Igboho and the likes, dont you think this can have advent effect on gospel film makers most especially those who shoot their films in that region?
Even if you are not a Gospel Film Maker it will affect you because, the security issue is a general problem for every body. One brother in our church was kidnapped and then they had to raise a Ransome before he could be released, but apart from the money, the money was even the least of the problem, the only challenge was that they should not kill him and not harm him. People do say that once they pay the money even after paying Ransome they could still kill the person so that was our fear for 3days, we could not sleep, we were praying and all that. Living at all, we are mindful that Fulani herdsmen are everywhere. But for gospel film makers it is also a challenge. For example there is a place in Ede that i had shot before and I want to go and shoot again. The place is called Iga-fulani, it is a fantastic location for film making but we have all these issue especially when we are shooting at night, it is a burden but we know the one who has called us, and we go with that assurance that He is going to take care of us and protect us from any evil danger, and so of course we will be careful and also trust God who has called us that He will deliver us from evil.