Adiel Thomas Takes God and Ministry More Seriously
Published:Wednesday | October 21, 2015 | 3:17 PMTamara Bailey
Mandeville, Manchester:
As one who was born to parents who are committed religious leaders, Adiel Thomas has been in the church since conception; but during his mid-adolescent years, the young lad fell into a routine, having no real relationship with God and attending church just for the sake of it.
However, it was during his time in university, after much introspection, that Thomas made up his mind to become a true servant and begin 'ministry'.
"I wanted to start a group that was genuine; that was solely about real ministry, hence the name Ministry. I felt the urgent need to be different; not (to be) a Christian who was only Christian in title, but a real follower of Christ who lived the life and proclaimed His messages," Thomas told Family & Religion.
Thomas, who continually battles evolving challenges, said he is learning to put away self and allowing God to be his total guide.
"When I became serious about God in 2009, there was no separating our relationship. But somewhere along the way, I became focused more on success, even with the tool I had set up to serve him - my Ministry. I document this struggle in the song Jesus in My Heart off our brand new debut album 'College Days'. So now it is a constant struggle against my own self to put Him first in everything I do - whether it be on stage or off. But my focus is finding the balance; ample time with God and ample time at my craft."
The multinational group which began six years ago, has five members spread out across the US and Jamaica.
"We are kind of a strange group as we are in different places. That makes it very hard for us to practise, so we function seasonally. One member lives in Atlanta, while the rest of us are split up between Kingston and Mandeville. The group has an interesting dynamic: Wayneche (Soprano) is Bermudian; Janielle (Soprano/Alto) was born in New York and is a naturalised Jamaican; Toyin (Tenor) is from Houston, Texas, and now lives in Atlanta; and Karim (Tenor) and I (Alto/Tenor) are from Jamaica."
But even with the challenge of distance among members, Ministry has still managed to put on three major shows locally, released an EP free for download on the website, adielthomasandministry.com, and the biggest accomplishment to date is their release debut full length LP, 'College Days'.
"We went on a tour of Atlanta last year to promote one of the singles on our Album 'Hallelujah' and we just came back from our first real tour, where we had album launches for 'College Days' in Bermuda, Maryland, Atlanta, New York, and Florida. That was extremely fun."
He added, "We'll be launching the album on October 24 - this Saturday - in Kingston at the Andrew's Memorial SDA Church on Hope Road at 4 p.m. On October 25, we will be launching in Mandeville at the Andrew's Memorial United Church on Ward Avenue also at 4 p.m. The Album launch is free and CDs will be on sale for $1,000. We use our album launches to really connect with our family. We are 100% transparent about our Christian walk and use the opportunity to share our experiences through our original music."
More than anything, Thomas wishes that the music of Ministry will reach the hearts of all and effect change for the better.
"I'd like for the group to be internationally known as the most sincere and honest Christian group around. Honesty is one of the most important parts of our delivery, and we are 100% real about our struggles and our successes alike in our music and our performances. We have been getting the support of our brothers and sisters and I know it will continue once people believe in us."