One of the things about my ministry is that I have never branded myself as being above the people or superior to people.
I raised five children. They all have different personalities. All of them have different issues, different levels of success. That was a learning experience for me.
I'm not particularly political. I'm not particularly denominational. I'm not worried about any of that.
I was raised in the Baptist church... but I didn't really have a real committed experience with Christ until my father died.
When you make a decision to forgive it's a decision that you have to make intellectually.
I think the amazing thing about gospel music is that not only does it lift up the death and resurrection of our Lord, which is consistent with the Gospel, but it is uniquely communicated depending upon the generation.
Children are not unforgiving. You can punish them and they will hug you in a few minutes.
And another thing is that I think as a church whenever we become politically driven, we alienate at least 50 percent of the people that God called us to reach with our political orientations.
There are no college courses to build up self-esteem or high school or elementary school. If you don't get those values at a early age, nurtured in your home, you don't get them.
We develop our propensity to forgive or not to forgive by what we see illustrated at the early ages of our development.
I think most people who get into their 50s reassess what made sense and what didn't make sense.
I don't dislike anybody. I love everybody.
There is nothing I'm any more passionate than empowering the next generation.
The first time I walked on a stage I knew that was what I was created to do. I knew that there was a calling and a sense of purpose in my life that gave me fulfillment and a sense of destiny.
My father was a Methodist and my mother was a Baptist.
I chose to present myself as one who comes from among the people, and I can be touched by their pain because I have my own.
