Mike Rimmer spoke to gospel music veteran ALVIN SLAUGHTER in Nashville.

Alvin Slaughter

Mike: You were a pioneer of modern worship before Matt Redman and Delirious? came along. What are your reflections about worship now?

Alvin: I think it's an incredible thing. I know when I first started, Ron was up there in the early '90s and I was doing some stuff and it was unique, in the States especially because a lot of our African/American churches hadn't caught on to that type of sound. Some people even accused me of being a sell-out! It did kind of hurt but at the same time I knew I was doing what I felt God called me to do. I wasn't trying to be part of a trend or anything, I was just doing what was in my heart to do. Today I think there is a lot of praise and worship music and now it's a category and everybody and their brother is doing praise and worship music! The danger of that is that once we go into the trend of worship, it can get polluted. I have been to many worship events where people are into the artist that is worshipping more than they're into the worship themselves. So if their favourite artist is there singing that particular song, then they seem to be in it. But if it's a local artist singing the same song and maybe singing it with just as much passion, they can't do it! That's an absolute trick of the Enemy because worship is not about the artist.

Mike: You've been very quiet recently. What's been happening?

Alvin: The last three years since our 'Rain Down' album, to be honest with you, nothing was coming to me fresh. I don't know if that was so much musically or just that I was kind of in a waiting period. I've been travelling and touring, as a matter of fact I've been in the United Kingdom a few times and am still doing a lot of concerts. But in terms of what I wanted to say on a recording. I couldn't find it. I think God was just really dealing with me. I think many times before you go to your next level or whatever it is, there's that desert place. There's that place where God is pruning you and teaching you and showing you what he wants you to do.

Mike: Is there one song that you have recorded on the new album that sums up the journey you've been through?

Alvin: I wrote a song called "Passion". It was born during a time when I was really trying to figure out "what am I going to do with my life at this point?" I've met a lot of people who didn't ask that question and somewhere along the way, they ended up destitute in the spirit. I've had some real weeping and pouring out to God and he spoke to my heart and one of the things he told me was to make Jesus famous. I think a lot of people don't really know who Jesus is. So I want to sing songs that will talk about who Jesus is.