Gospel music has always been influential. From its origins in the late 19th century, African Americans have been singing these call and response melodies to get them through decades of trial. It is a symphony of struggle, heartache, triumph and unity, all in the lungs of artists that would make you believe their voices are from God. If you are in need of some encouragement and inspiration, here are ten ways gospel music has been influencing the world.

1. Giving Back/Tithing

People in the Christian community are familiar with the concept of tithing, where you give back 10 percent of your income to the church on whatever day service is held. Offerings are when you give a little more in addition. The most common way of this is by money, in which there may be collection plates in the form of baskets or what’s ever on hand. People can also give back with food, clothes, time served in the church. This help not only goes to church repairs or programs, but it helps people when in need. There are numerous events that the church holds to help people. In the form of bake sales to send people to college, giving scholarships, or mentoring youth, tithing has proven to be very helpful.

1. Government Assistance 

During the rise of the pandemic in 2020, former President Donald Trump declared March 15, a day of prayer to help people band together via an online church service. Trump stated in the article via Twitter, “No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!”

1. Mental Health

When people come to church, or any type of place of worship, the key is to feel at peace, that everyone is the same in that they need help and guidance. There are times when I myself had to seek help in the form of therapy. There was someone that I needed to talk to, feeling alone, trapped and overall helpless. A therapist was able to talk to me and give some tools to make my life easier. By all means, it does not mean that I go without my fair share of issues, but having a non-judgmental person to go to makes it better in the long run.

1. Musical Inspiration 

Music will always draw inspiration from somewhere. Countless artists from just about any genre one can think of, have been implementing gospel music and putting it into their sounds for all to hear for ages. Whether it’s come from a religious background from childhood, or simply sampling melodies or beats, the inspiration is there. A few examples of the earliest uses of gospel in other genres of music include rock and r&b. There are even different kinds of gospel, from Contemporary, Traditional or Black gospel, Spiritual, by means of past West African slaves, and Evangelistic, which is categorized as a mix between the way of living of African and European people.

1. Giving Back To The Community

There are many churches and organizations that give back to their communities, and even go the extra mile to give to other places outside of their hometowns. Transformation Church, located in Tulsa Oklahoma, has been able to give away vehicles to people in need, as well as starting funds for homes. People have also helped in the form of donations and by offering in addition to tithing. 

1. Social Media Influence

There are apps galore that highlight music genres and lately gospel has been no exception. The popular app TikTok, has people from all around the world getting into the latest craze, dancing to a popular song called Walking by gospel group Mary Mary. Another way that gospel has influenced the social media world is with podcasts. There are numerous ones around wherever podcasts are broadcast but one in particular that is gaining attention. Gospel artist Kirk Franklin, has launched a podcast entitled “Good Words With Kirk Franklin ”, that aims to talk to celebrities about God, the bible and spread overall cheer.

1. History Lessons 

In a way, gospel is more than just a genre of music. It tells a story, it recounts history. Created by a man named Thomas A. Dorsey, in the midst of tragedy, he wrote the lyrics that would go down in history as the most captivating and emotional music ever heard. Although he is credited as the Father of Gospel, gospel, the creation of the captivating sound primarily came about in the 19th century. It advanced through exploration and innovation between the while and black communities in the U.S. In an article by ampproject, slaves that were located primarily in the south would sing in code. Many of them embraced death as the ultimate freedom. As gospel advanced and slavery ended, the holy spirit and different types of praise were implemented in songs.

1. Talent Searches 

WIth gospel being such a diverse and yet amazing genre, Gospel has some amazing voices. There are local churches that allow people to join choirs. With more people staying at home, there are sure to be talent shows for people to showcase. The popular singing tv called The Voice had a segment in which Pharell Williams was on the hunt to build a gospel choir.

1. Good News

 The Gospel in reference to the Bible, means "good news". So, spreading the gospel is something that Christians do to encourage people and spread cheer concerning the prophecies proclaimed throughout the book.

1. Brain Development 

In addition to those benefits, according to an academic article, studies have shown that listening to gospel improved brain health by lowering anxieties associated with death, and increasing self esteem and many other benefits.

In conclusion, Gospel music has been an influential part of the world for a long time. It is encouraging enough for people to see the bigger picture, develop self esteem issues, inspire people to showcase their talents and many more incredible feats.