Church Minister's Album Lands At No.6 In NZ Album Charts

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand:

Church Minister's Album Lands At No.6 In NZ Album Charts

We hear increasingly that New Zealand is a secular society, and that church attendance is declining, so how does a contemporary rock album debut at number six in the NZ Album charts with songs about Christ and suffering?

Songwriter and musician the Reverend Malcolm Gordon, 31, recently stepped out of full time pastoral ministry as a Presbyterian Church minister to concentrate on his music, with no expectation that his album would become a commercial success or find listeners outside of a Christian audience. He is genuinely surprised to find his album in the top ten of the NZ charts.

He says that the album's title, 'Into the deep' describes the connection that his music makes with listeners, even with those who have no religious beliefs.

'New Zealanders are increasingly describing themselves as spiritual and searching for what it means to be spiritual. People crave a connection with something beyond themselves, for meaning, for authentic community and a sense of purpose and dignity in their everyday lives. It's my hope that my music can take the listener to that deep place where we find connection - with ourselves, with each other, maybe even with God. The words we use to describe that connection can easily become a distraction, but I hope people can hear them as an invitation.'

Gordon says he is trying hard to not let the album's unexpected success be something that he feels he needs to manufacture and control because he wants to keep feeling tremendous gratitude to those who are supporting his music.

ENDS

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