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Ugandan upcoming gospel artist Bentrom has spoken out about feeling isolated and unaccepted by the born-again Christian community, despite his music gaining massive popularity outside the church.
His latest reggae-dancehall gospel song, Dance for the Lord, has gone viral on social media, with nearly 200,000 challenges on TikTok alone.
Yet, the singer says the church has not embraced his music, with some pastors and believers labeling it as secular.
In a recent interview with Cruz Exclusive, Bentrom shared his frustrations about the negative reception from born-again Christians and how it has made him question his place in the gospel music industry.
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Criticism over lyrics and musical style
Bentrom revealed that some gospel believers have criticised his song, not for its message but for its artistic style.
“Some people have expressed concern about the lyrics, but some of the words they complain about do not even have any meaning at all. It is just art, meant to be catchy,” he explained.
He added that most gospel media houses have not been welcoming, except for a few such as Salt Media, owned by Pastor Aloysius Bugingo.
“The others think my music is not really gospel. Some even tell me I am not born-again, yet they know nothing about me. They have discouraged me a lot,” he said.
Rejected by the church, embraced by secular audiences
Despite the cold reception from the born-again community, Dance for the Lord has been a huge success among the secular audience.
“My song has been massive, but most of the support has come from the secular world. Most born-again Christians do not believe I am part of them,” Bentrom said.
He further shared how many believers judge him based on his appearance, rather than his faith and message.
“ They see my dreadlocks and say I cannot be born-again, that I should first cut them off”
Using his image to inspire the youth
Bentrom believes that his unique style and appearance are helping to attract young people to Jesus.
“I believe that my looks and my style inspire young people to come to Jesus. That is why I dress like this. It is for the youths in bars to see me and realise that there is freedom in church,” he explained.
His goal, he says, is to show young people that church is not a place of strict rules and restrictions.
“The message I am trying to pass is that there is life in the church as well. It is not a prison. People see me and say, ‘If you can be a gospel singer, I can come to church.’”
Despite the criticism, Bentrom remains hopeful and determined to continue his gospel journey.
He believes that all blessings come from God and that He will open more doors for him.