Description
Introductory Video
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Read the Table of Contents and Introduction
How can we understand—and reach— the hip hop generation?
Professor and preacher-turned-DJ Ralph Watkins offers sociological perspective, theological insight, biblical principles, and personal experience in addressing this topic. Contributors Jason Barr, Jamal Bryant, William Curtis, and Otis Moss III respond with candid ministry profiles of the hip hop pastor as prophet, father, peer, and model professional.
Reviews
"The primary strength of this book is that it offers the church a theological perspective for reaching out to welcome in the hip hop generation, and then it offers varied, creative, contextual and practical examples of how pastors and congregations are responding to this critical call. The Gospel Remix is a must-read for today's pastor." —Glenn E. Porter, Associate Regional Pastor/Area Minister, American Baptist Churches of New Jersey, from his review in The African American Pulpit
"Theologically, I love the main points and the exegetical conclusions. Having a Bible-based resource for this topic is truly helpful!" —Christopher B. Brooks, National Coordinator, URBNET
"...Provides introspective and diversified accounts of successful tools used by religious scholars and prominent black Evangelical pastors who have welcomed hip hop into their congregations...An insightful read that will open doors for more conversation on hip-hop and interfaith dialogue." —Black Issues Book Review, May/June 2007
"Ralph Watkins takes a revelatory look...The Gospel Remix defines hip-hop and helps the reader understand how to reach out in authenticity." —Precious Times, Spring 2007
"Watkins outlines a movement toward hip hop which is incarnational, sacrificial and authentic. He offers an insightful introduction to the culture and raises many questions to guide churches and pastors through contextualizing ministry to and with hip hop. This is a valuable and timely resource." —YouthWorker Journal, March/April 2009
Author Bio
Rev. Dr. Ralph Watkins, PhD, DMin, MA, is the Pastor of Wheat Street Baptist Church and the Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. He was the assistant dean of the African American Church Studies Program and associate professor of society, religion, and Africana studies in the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary.
With over 20 years of pastoral, teaching, and administrative experience, Dr. Ralph Watkins is an active teaching scholar with over 250 publications and conference presentations to his credit, including five books.
In recent years, Watkins has received a Governor's Teaching Fellowship, Lilly Teaching Fellowship, Fulbright Hayes Fellowship for a study in Ghana, a Wabash Teaching Fellowship, and various awards and study grants to study in Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Mexico, and Ethiopia. He is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination and served as the executive pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles under Rev. Dr. John J. Hunter. Prior to FAME he served as Director of Ecclesia / Executive Pastor at The City of Refuge under Bishop Noel Jones in Gardena California.
Jason A. Barr Jr. (1955-2016) was senior pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and adjunct professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Geneva College.
Jamal-Harrison Bryant, PhD, MDiv, is the founder and pastor of one the fastest growing AME churches in the nation, The Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to his role as pastor, Reverend Bryant served as the director of the NAACP's youth and college division.
William H. Curtis is senior pastor of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Curtis was elected president of the Hampton University Ministers' Conference in 2007 and was a contributor to Outstanding Black Sermons, Volume 4 (Judson Press).
Otis Moss III, MDiv, is pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. He is author of Redemption in a Red Light District (Four-G Publishers, 2000), and has contributed to The African American Pulpit, Sojourners, and Urban Spectrum.