From a rebellious rapper to reconciling with God, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s lead singer Pam Pettway is a petite packet of inspiration.
On a recent trip to Barbados sponsored by New Life Centre, she performed at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination and Pettway ministered to a packed auditorium. Nothing unfamiliar to her world.
When EASY magazine asked how it all started she spoke of former days with rap group Boogie Down Productions.
“On the outside people probably thought that it was a great thing because you have a deal with Virgin Records, a record company and you’re going to produce a video but that was where I spent some of the most miserable times of my life,” she said.
“So sometimes we can look as though we are having a great time but we can still lack peace and not really know our purpose.”
Pettway said that was definitely where she was on the inside.
Fortunately, she was led back to her base having been raised in the church and was encouraged by a sister from Brooklyn Tabernacle to attend events as a positive rapper.
The singer who is part of the six-time Grammy-award winning choir said that she would speak to kids about staying in school and not getting involved in drugs.
“She would always invite me but what she didn’t know is that I had been there and done that because I was really in a backslide state.”
The mother of three said that she had already given her heart to God at a young age but was just a church-goer and not one with the type of intimate relationship with Christ that she has now.
“I can’t really recall everything but I attended Brooklyn Tabernacle on a New Year’s Eve and sat on the balcony with my pants hanging off my waist and five yards of fabric wrapped around my head and just searching. It was there that I experienced something like real life and peace,” she recalled.
The older sister of deceased rapper Ms Melodie said on that night she found herself staring at a man who seemed to have a light shining around him with a look of sheer happiness.
She knew in her heart that whatever the man had, she wanted. She said she knew it was Jesus and God had no intention of denying her that love, presence or forgiveness.
“So I joined the prayer band at Brooklyn Tabernacle and gave my heart to Jesus and he melted those hard places in my life and stony places in my heart.”
Although blessed with an amazing voice The Baldwin, Long Island resident said she never advertised it but one time allowed her talent to shine through by singing Helen Baylor’s Hunger For Holiness at a retreat.
“The people were really moved and blessed. At the time I didn’t really understand everything that was going on but they told me to audition for the choir and from there I met my husband Corey Pettway in a prayer band,” she smiled.
Describing him as a godly man, she expressed grateful sentiments for the 20 years that they been together in happiness.
Even though family oriented the singer said that her personal goals included singing at other churches so as to encourage God’s people to hold on in their fight of faith. Going wherever the Lord wants her to go is on her ‘to-do’ list and doing and saying whatever he would have her to say is on her list of “important things”.
Close to her heart is the ability to stay humble and not focusing on a huge following or a fan base.
“I’m not about being prideful or pretentious or me it’s all about Jesus and I give him all the glory. It’s my job and obligation to point people to Jesus,” she explained.
The player of no other instruments but her vocal chords said that she is kept focused knowing that she will not be on earth forever. Also acknowledging the fact that one day she could see her little sister again, her dad and god mum are all rooting for her and cheering her on.
“Not just me but every believer who have made their robes white by the blood of the lamb. They are saying go on, press on, hold on, do, keep your hand to the plough, stay focused and that encourages me,” she said excitedly.
With no plans of going back into the rap game Pettway said that she still believes though that anyone can be ministered to through any genre of music.
“Rap is interesting and can be like a sermon but I don’t think that we should let the world dictate to us.”
