Jamaican gospel singer Papa San (left) rocked Grand Cayman on Friday night. Here, he stands on stage with Pastor Miles McPherson of Miles Ahead at Black Pearle Skate Park in Grand Cayman. CAYMAN ISLANDS - Former reggae and dancehall star turned gospel musician Papa San believes gospel music is gaining in popularity in the Caribbean. Speaking on local Cayman television before rocking the island of Grand Cayman last night, Papa San said people are on fire for gospel music in his native Jamaica, which is changing hundreds of thousands of lives despite the comparatively small number of gospel musicians in his country.
Papa San, who shared the stage with former NFL player turned evangelist Pastor Miles McPherson at Black Pearl Skate Park on Friday night, warned that fame and popularity do not bring peace. "In my earlier times, I was famous but still had the ghetto mentality - living and thinking the same way. Eventually I hit a brick wall because I thought fame and popularity could bring peace and satisfaction, but that only comes with a relationship with Jesus Christ."
Papa San told Cayman 27 Daybreak host, Sheena Hurlstone, that making the transition from worldly music to gospel was not difficult because when he received Christ, he changed from the inside out. "I looked back at my past as rubbish and I moved to the newness of life in Christ Jesus. New nature came in and old nature shut down, so it was an easy transition to work and do it the Lord's way," he said.
Almost 100 Miles Ahead volunteers from San Diego are currently on island and have been working alongside residents on community service initiatives, such as renovating a school building, beautifying a hospital and girls' home, as well as youth and prison outreach and medical health education seminars. The expansion of 12 new classrooms at the John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay saved the local government almost US$1.5 million.
