Fantasia & Ebenezer AME

With great disappointment I write this blog this morning. I went back and forth with myself about whether I should write it but I have to be true to what I feel. Everybody who knows me, knows that I LOVE FANTASIA BARRINO!!! That girl's voice is amazing. She has an anointing on her life by God. Her voice is so powerful, it brings lost souls to the Lord. Every since the day I first saw her on American Idol I knew she was something special. From her audition, I said: She is the next American Idol and that she was. The American Idol in 2004. I screamed in joy, cried in happiness for her win. She deserved it. She has had such a long hard road and this was a new beginning for her. I've followed her every since. Her story, Her life, Her career, Her music, just everything. I recently attended her concert at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD which I enjoyed immensely. Couldn't wait to see her again. So when I heard that Fantasia would be at Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington, MD. I said, I'll be there. My best friend hipped me to it. Shout out to Bam. She always keeps me in the know of things in Tasia's world cause she knows I love her so and she does too. We have that in common. I looked online found the tickets and instantly purchased them for both me and my sister. We were both so excited to be going to a Church to see Fantasia Barrino in Concert.  Her mother was there too which was great but I was going to see Fantasia.

Surely becuase this concert was taking place in a church, she would be performing Gospel. Right?!? I mean this is a church and Fantasia grew up in the church and her mom is an Evangelist, Her grandmother is a Pastor so I knew this was gonna be a Holy Ghost Time in the Lord. Right?!? I mean Fantasia grew up in the south like me and understood the sanctity of a church and it's sanctuary and the people in it and how to be respectful of God's house. Right?!? WRONG!!!!!!!!

Fantasia got up on that "stage" right in front of that pulpit and she performed "When I see", "Collard Greens & Cornbread", "If I was a Bird", "Free Yourself" and a couple other songs from her secular albums. I can't remember them all. It was kind of a blur for me. I was in shock that she was performing secular songs in a church. Right in front of the pulpit, in the sanctuary, in front of it's believers and the Pastor and his Wife themselves. I was completely and totally ashamed, embarrassed and appauled. This is a church. A place of worship. The sanctuary of a church is a Holy Place. Growing up in the south and always being taught to respect the church and it's pews and the pulpit and seeing someone who grew up in the same place treat a church this way just floored me. Me and my sister sat there in disbelief. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Then she did the unthinkable. She performed Go-Go. Now I've heard of Gospel Go-Go. Some of it I actually enjoy and had she did some of that, I would have been totally down for the cause. But Overnight Scenario by Rare Essence? Performed in Church? I thought I was being punked. I just knew Ashton Kutcher was gonna come out with cameras telling me this was all a big fat joke. NOT! She got up on that stage and said:

Three in the morning the pancake house
Four in the morning we be rolling to my house
Five in the morning the lights go out
Six in the morning you can hear us start to shout
Seven in the morning she’ll be callin'a cab
Eight in the morning talking about the fun she had
Nine in the morning man and she just gettin' home
Talkin' about the over night scenario, scenario

Overnight Scenario performed by Fantasia at Ebenezer AME Church

I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe it. Good thing I taped it. Cause it did happen and I want yall to see.
Now I will say this.....The program was a Youth program and I'm guessing that's why she performed some of her "hits". But that was not appropriate inside the church.

After the tomfoolery of wordly music being played and performed in the sanctuary of a church was over, she and her mom performed two gospel songs. "Break Every Chain" and "He's Done Enough". 

Fantasia performing He's Done Enough

I knew Fantasia Barrino knows about Praising the Lord and Uplifting his Name so for the life of me, I don't understand why she didn't get up there and do that the entire time. This was a church so we all expected Gospel. There were many, many, many older women and men in the audience who sat perfectly still while she performed her secular music. I felt sorry for them. They came to see what they thought like I thought would be a Gospel Show. But what it was was a Money Show. The church was about making money and Fantasia was about selling records. $$$$$$ Ca-Ching, Ca-Ching, Ca-Ching.

I love Fantasia but this was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG on her part and on the part of Ebenezer AME Church. They both need to pray and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Won't he do it!!!

I wish I had more video to show you of her performances but it took 2 hours for Fantasia to come out on stage. Show started at 7:30 pm and she got out on stage at about 10:00 pm. SMH! I had to sit through two hours of praise dancing, step shows, poetry, skits and various other artists perform song after song after song. By the time she came out my phone was on less than 40% and I didn't have enough charge to record much of anything at all. In the ad for the program it said:

Please Join us for the concert with Fantasia & Diane Barrino as they reach back to their christian roots live at Ebenezer AME Church for the Encounter concert.

Now reading that, wouldn't you think this was a Gospel Concert? 

By the end, Evangelist Barrino started laying hands on folk and they started falling out. Me and my sister got up and walked out. I had had enough. I had taken all I could possibly take. This Concert of Mommy & Daughter Barrino was a epic fail. EPIC FAIL! I felt sorry for the Seniors that were in the audience that had to endure this. By the time I left the church was halfway empty. Guess others had had enough too. I know people roll hard for their churches and you probably won't get a one of them to talk bad about Ebenezer and this foolishness but I am not a member of that church and even if I was, I would still voice my opinion. Had I not already been saved, I would have thought these people were nuts and pretending to serve the Lord. I don't doubt they love our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, I just think they worship that Almighty Dollar a little bit too much too. 

Mark 8:36

King James Version (KJV)

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?