print: Jonathan Nelson - Interview (March 2008) | BlackGospel.com, Your Gospel Music Ministry Source!

Interview with Jonathan Nelson
March 2008, BlackGospel.com by Christopher Heron

Jonathan Nelson has certainly shown himself to be proficient in the Word of God. Aside from penning some of today's most inspirational songs for Christians, Minister Nelson has an intuitive, innate way of referring to the scriptures in every life lesson. Ask him about family life, there's a scripture to refer to. Ask him about adversity and tribulation, there's a biblical text for that too. Ask him about a song he recently wrote on his latest album, there's definitely a scripture for that, as well.

It's not too surprising to know that Jonathan Nelson is a son of a pentecostal minister, a pastor's kid who's been brought up to serve the Lord at all times. He speaks like a minister, serves the Lord like a minister and worships like a minister. Add to that mix his tried-through-the-fire testimony, and you have a man on a mission for the Lord. His transparency and enthusiasm for God shared in our recent interview for BlackGospel.com reveals a willing servant committed to the calling on his life. We hope this exchange will serve as inspiration for many Christians "healed" from their wounds, who now call themselves "victory".

Christopher Heron: Jonathan, I'd like to begin our interview with a simple question that speaks volumes to your faith and your experience. What is your favorite biblical text? And why does it hold such intrinsic, value to you today?

Jonathan Nelson: Oh wow! I really have many in mind...I think that the one that speaks to me now is Genesis 1: 26 " Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." I love this scripture because it is one of the first scriptures commanding us to prosper in the earth and have dominion and authority. It's one of the first statements that God told man, as it relates to us operating the earth with authority. I believe that's one of my favorites.

CH: Could you please introduce Jonathan Nelson, the father and the husband? What are some of your favorite moments and experiences during the week, when it comes to spending time with your children and your wife? What do you enjoy doing with your family? And how have these experiences as the male figure in the home helped shaped your Christianity, and your witness to your wife and children?

JN: Let me take you back to that scripture in Genesis. "He created man in His own image...created He them, male and female"....and then later, and by chapter 4, Adam and Eve have children. One of the greatest things I can do as a man and as a father is be an example of what a man should be...be an integral example of love, exemplified and displayed in the home, teach my children to love others and themselves, and to love the Lord. This is one of the lessons we're teaching our children...to love and respect one another...small things that translate into the bigger picture.

As far as my family is concerned, I do a lot of traveling but Mondays and Fridays are traditionally family time for me. Going to the barber shop, taking my son to the movies, taking my children to soccer practices. I have a daughter that's 1 year old. I will spend time at home with her, while my wife tends to personal matters outside of the home. It's about spending that essential father time with your family. It keeps you humble. It keeps you grounded. And it keeps you on your toes, as far as how to witness to the world as much as you witness to your family at home. I'm not one of those men who yells and beats up on his wife and kids. It's about exemplifying and displaying the love of Christ. Anyone will tell you I'm a family guy. I enjoy going out for family dinners or shopping...just doing things together as a family.

CH: You're the son of a pastor. How did that shape your music ministry, looking back on your early upbringing at home?

JN: It shaped me in the area of excellence and leadership. I was involved in ministry at a very early age. As pastor's children, we didn't have much choice. We were given a mandate from our dad to minister. The scripture quoted was, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Our dad implemented that scripture in every sense of the Word. Before anyone arrived for church on Sunday morning, we as a family were there. We were the last ones to leave as well. We did homework at church. My sister directed the church choir. One of my brothers played the drums, the other brother played the bass, I played the keyboard and the organ. We were in the choir, in the Praise Team, the soloists, you name it, we did it. We were also young leaders feeding our gifts.

CH: Baltimore by many people's observation is a pretty tough town. How did you manage to keep Christ and church near and dear to your heart? And was there ever a season or period in your life when you began to look like the prodigal son?

JN: Let me say this about Baltimore. Baltimore has a certain image because of shows like, "The Wire". There are some tough areas but we, as a family, didn't necessarily have a tough time. We were always respected as a family, whereever we lived. My father, as a pastor, was a respected man in the community. We were always respected because people could see a difference through Christ, in us. So, we didn't have a tough time. We were always covered through prayer.

Yet, there were times when we were unable to be as expressive as we wanted to be as young men and women. I grew up as a Pentecostal. In the Pentecostal church, we focus on the spiritual side of man and not so much the wholistic side of man. Twenty years ago, the focus of the message was hellfire and brimstone and get ready before the rapture comes. You want to make sure you're in the presence of God. You've got to live like you mean it before the Lord comes back. We didn't get a chance to go to movies. We had a strict upbringing.

So by the time I got to college, I had a little taste of the world. I became very rebellious. I did not want to be a part of church life. I rebelled against what my parents taught me. Since I didn't have a balance in my life, I became unbalanced. At that point, I was tired of putting on the church mask. I even told my father that I wasn't coming back to the church. We bumped heads. But the truth is, when you have a calling on your life, your ministry and calling arrest you more than anything else. I was arrested because of the destiny God had for me. It's wasn't more than a month or two in my foolishness before God pulled me out into what I was suppose to be doing.

CH: You've garnered a lot of attention for your artistic contribution as a songwriter to other notable artists projects like Bishop T.D. Jakes & The Potter's House Mass Choir and Donald Lawrence. Which songs from your treasure chest of songs speaks so porfoundly to your soul? And why do these songs hold such meaning and value to you?

JN: I think there are three songs that speak to me the strongest. "Healed" is very important to me because at the root of it, it's my story. I wrote that song while driving in a car that was about to be repossessed. My wife and I had sown into my recording ministry many years ago. My father had sown into the project as well. I was trying to pay bills at the same time. I was unemployed for a minute. I had loss my job for a season. I was trying to make ends meet. It wasn't the best time for us financially. We were still paying giving our tithes and offerings and speaking in tongues in the church but we had to be processed through this trying season. So "Healed" speaks to me because it's my story at a time of adversity. I have some scars from the situation but I'm still healed in spite of it. Actually, I was healed but I had to go through the process.

I wrote "Right Now Praise" not too long after "Healed" also in the car. Tears were coming down my face. I was asking myself the question, "Why am I in this situation? Why am I dealing with this financially? Why am I struggling? I don't understand, God?" When I first got the IT job (Information Technology), I thought I got the creme-de-la-creme. I thought this is exactly what I'm suppose to be doing. Then, He took it away from me because I was too distracted from what I was suppose to do for Him, which was ministry. So, "Right Now Praise" is another part of my testimony. It's Chapter 2.

The third song is "My Name Is Victory" speaks of overcoming. We're at the third chapter of my life. He's wiped away my tears. He's carrying me to a greater place of joy and harvest. The "Healed" years were the sowing years. "My Name is Victory" is me beginning to see the fruit of my labor and toil.

CH: You've released your new album - Right Now Praise - for Integrity Gospel. Tell me how different it feels for you, this time around, releasing your sophomore project with Integrity Gospel, versus back in 2002, when you stepped out on faith, and recorded and released your debut project, as an Independent artist?

JN: It's a breath of fresh air. It's still a lot of work but I can breathe better because the pressure isn't so intense. In the first project, I invested everything I had. My father helped sow into my ministry. But I had this dream that was driving me, that had to be birthed. I wasn't too far from scratching to coins together, like in Good Times. It was a process I had to experience. This time, I can breathe because I have a financial engine and a platform with Integrity Gospel. So, now my message can be distributed around the world. The burden I have for the Word and for people to be blessed can now be carried abroad.

CH: Many would see this particular time, as your season, a time for Jonathan Nelson's testimony to be heard. What message, what story do you want many to know, to discover and to hear on your new album and with the platform you've been given?

JN: The message I'm giving to listeners on this album is that this is 2008. '8' is the number of new beginnings. Even though we're in a time of recession and it might seem bewildering when it comes to your mortgage and bills, I really believe this is a triumphant time for the believer. God is really building up our confidence and our authority. "My Name Is Victory" is not a slogan or a terminology. When I call myself 'victory', I wanted to personalize that word, so people could step into that character. Everything that victory encompasses, whether it's victory over the flesh or victory with your family or victory over your finances or victory over your environment. If your name is Victory, you become what you are called and that is the message I really want to convey. I believe this is the hour and I am compelled to tell this message of victory and success in everything I do. Ask the Lord to breathe on everything you do and sit back and watch the process grow. Watch what He's given you grow right before your eyes.

To contact Jonathan Nelson for booking and special engagements, contact Bill Carpenter at carpenterbill@mac.com. For more information regarding Jonathan Nelson, visit his official MySpace.com page (http://www.myspace.com/jnandpurpose).