Michael Bethany – Encouraging intimacy with God via music

From powerful corporate spaces to quiet secret places, Michael Bethany’s music has the power to set atmospheres. A worship artist, who has sung with gospel luminaries such as Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond, Akosua DF caught up with him to talk all things ministry, family and his new album Sanctuary.

Akosua DF (ADF): Welcome to Keep The Faith, Michael. For anyone who is unfamiliar with your story, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Michael Bethany (MB): I grew up as a pastor’s kid, and my father introduced me to Jesus when I was about eight or nine years old. Both my parents were incredibly musical: my dad was a musician and songwriter, and my mum was a singer and songwriter. Naturally, I followed in their footsteps, making music in the church from a young age. I didn’t realise that the level of preparation I was developing was setting me up for the future. It was preparing me for the day I would meet Fred Hammond and be truly ready to serve his vision. Fred Hammond was the first major artist in the national and international gospel music space to give me a chance. We met in 2006, and I worked on his Free Worship album. From there, the rest is history. That opportunity opened doors for me to work, write and produce alongside incredible artists, like Marvin Sapp and Kirk Franklin. It truly launched my journey.

ADF: Let’s talk about your newest project, Sanctuary, which focuses on the believer being the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. A couple of the tracks on this project are intentionally long, immersive and deep. In this era of short attention spans and radio edits, why was it important for you to keep those extended moments of worship intact?

MB: It all started during a worship service, when the Lord gave me a song called ‘Sanctuary’. Intimacy with God is huge for me, and I wanted to write songs that help the Church to see themselves as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. We often talk about the ‘prayer closet’ or the ‘secret place’. I used to take that literally and pray in my actual clothes closet! But I realised the secret place isn’t a physical address; it’s a spiritual one. You can access it anywhere – in a bedroom, a car or a closet. Too often, we view the church building or the pastor as sacred, but we don’t see ourselves as sacred. God lives in you. That’s why how we live matters. He wants to express His character through us, and that is the essence of this album.

Regarding the track lengths, something powerful happens when we gather in the presence of God. We’ve all been in a service where a song is flowing, you’re deeply caught up in it, you feel the weight lifting and then it suddenly ends. You’re left wishing it would just keep going. We had those beautiful, extended moments during the recording, and I felt led to keep them intact. This album was created for sanctuaries. If you are having a profound sanctuary moment at home or in your car, I don’t want to interrupt that for the sake of a format. We did create four-minute edits for radio stations, but for people watching the full experience on YouTube globally, there’s no reason to stop the song. If you are entering into the secret place, I want you to have the full experience of what the Lord has planned for you, not my programme.

ADF: You’ve mentioned working with legendary artists, like Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin. What is the most important lesson you learned from those veterans that you now try to pass down to the creatives you mentor?

MB: The first thing that comes to mind is work ethic. People like Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin are some of the hardest-working individuals you will ever meet. What’s interesting is that they aren’t just working hard to fulfil someone else’s directives; they are quintessential creatives. They are constantly making things no one asked for, but they have found a way to marry their work ethic with their creativity to create demand. That is incredibly powerful.

A lot of creatives make things, but their work ethic is low. We create, but we don’t do much with what we make, and we don’t truly invest in our craft. These guys never stop short. For example, Fred built an entire studio inside a warehouse. That’s where the concept of ‘warehouse worship’ originated. I was working with him when he created it. We recorded a whole series of songs from his catalogue, in a warehouse that he bought specifically for that purpose. Seeing Fred’s drive to fight for his vision, and watching how diligent and hardworking Kirk is, taught me an invaluable lesson: if you are really going to pursue this path, you must be willing to put in the time, the effort and the financial investment. Even when it doesn’t immediately give you the return you want, that dedication eventually pays off.

ADF: You are blessed with a beautiful family, and you’ve often credited them as your primary support. How do you balance and navigate family life, whilst being a sought-after worship leader and worship pastor?

MB: Here is a simple way of looking at it: I have a covenant with my wife, and I am not covenant-committed to any other person on this planet. That covenant is a mirror image of my relationship with God, which gives it immense, godly significance. Having that clear revelation tells me exactly what my priorities ought to be. Here is the second thing I always consider: I can lead worship or preach, and if I don’t show up, someone else will step in and do it. But absolutely no one else can stand in for me to be a husband to my wife and a father to my children. I am the only person on earth who can fulfil those roles. When I travel, I try my best to bring my family with me; I try to be incredibly intentional about keeping them involved in everything I do.

For example, I told my 8-year-old son ahead of time: “Son, I have a trip coming up to Nigeria and London.” I wanted him to be fully aware of it and talk about it with me. When I leave, he understands exactly what I am doing, and he gets regular updates. It’s almost like I am asking him for permission – though I’m not! I just want him to have a complete understanding.

We recently dedicated two water wells in Nigeria. My 8-year-old understood exactly why I went, because I’d included him in those early conversations. I told him: “I am representing you and our family in Nigeria. When I walk up to those water wells to dedicate them and pray over them, I am representing what we have built together as a family.” Because of that, he is just as much a part of it as I am. That is simply how I look at life. I try my absolute best. It is never a perfect balance, but it is a daily, intentional effort.

ADF: If someone listens to a Michael Bethany album and walks away with one revelation, what do you want that to be?

MB: I would love everyone to walk away with a revelation and a value for the secret place.

Visit www.michaelbethany.com

AKOSUA DF

UK-based broadcast journalist and media personality with a love for all things gospel. Follow @akosuadf on social media