Granger Smith on Pursuing Ministry: ‘I Believe That That Is What I Am Called To Do’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Country star Granger Smith recently spoke more about his decision to leave country music and pursue ministry in his local church.
“It sounds like a not-very-exciting news story — the story of a guy who had what I always dreamed of having, and turning it back over,” the singer laughed. “I’m turning it back in for a life at the local church. But I believe that that is what I am called to do.”
Smith also talked about the role faith had in his life following the tragic death of his son, River, who passed away in 2019 in a tragic accidental drowning.
“I cannot take credit myself for the radical transformation that the Lord did in my life through this tragedy,” he shared. “Sometimes, when that soil is cultivated, and we have to dig deep, and we can’t find it within ourselves, the Lord comes in and shows Himself in a very profound way.”
Smith recently announced his plans to end his music career after his current tour and focus on ministry.
“Now that this gift was given to me, at the darkest tragedy of our life, now I have a purpose to go out and share this message of what happened to me with other people who are probably going through the same thing,” he said.
Part of his decision to leave the music industry came because Smith realized he was “seeking glory, seeking applause, seeking people to exalt me, and that’s just not what we’re called to do. I could not reconcile [that and my faith] together.”
Smith was quick to stress that he was not calling on anyone else to leave the entertainment business.
“I’m not saying what anyone else should do,” he stated. “This is something that I struggled with internally because I struggled with exalting myself and seeking that praise and that was something I needed to strip through sanctification.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Smith’s decision:
Country star Granger Smith recently announced that he wants to pursue a new direction in life, becoming a pastor.
Smith said he was “excited” about his decision to get more heavily involved with his local ministry.
“Being a musician was never a prison, but this is a new passion, a new focus, a new direction that I believe is going to allow me to focus more on individual people and their lives, which is ultimately why I started music touring in the very beginning,” he explained. “This is an even more micro-focused position in that. I’m not going anywhere.”
The musician said he was expecting a few different reactions to the news.
“The first group will say, ‘Oh, praise God, that’s amazing. What an example.’ The second group’s going to say, ‘Oh no, I’m going to miss your music. I’m going to miss your touring.’ The third group is going to say, ‘Oh, go follow your little sky God. You’re probably just making money that we don’t know about as a preacher.’ Then the fourth group is going to go, ‘Granger who? No one cares,’” Smith laughed.
Smith is now working towards a master’s degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
This isn’t the only big news in Smith’s life. He’s also getting ready to release his first book, “Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache.” the book will follow his journey as he grieved the loss of his son River, who died in a tragic drowning accident in 2019.
“There’s things in here that are extremely vulnerable. It’s very personal. But the overwhelming feeling was that if my story could help others, then it’s worth it, then it matters,” he shared.
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