Ghanaian gospel artiste, Selina Boateng, has cautioned critics against linking divorce to spiritual failure, stressing that a broken marriage does not erase one’s divine calling.
Selina, who has been candid about challenges in her own marriage, lamented the increasing tendency to ridicule gospel musicians when their relationships collapse. She maintained that such judgments are misguided and harmful, insisting that ministry is about service, not perfection.
“Divorce comes with a lot of issues but I can say boldly that it doesn’t affect our ministry because we are human beings working for God. We are not perfect. The focus is on making an impact on people’s lives,” Selina said in an interview with Graphic Showbiz.
She emphasized that spiritual authority cannot be invalidated by personal struggles, pointing out that the Bible itself does not disqualify divorced individuals from heaven.
“There is no way Gospel musicians cannot minister to people just because they have a broken home. So are they telling me all those who have failed marriages are not going to heaven? It’s not in the Bible that when your marriage ends, you won’t make heaven.”
For Selina, society’s response to divorce often makes the pain worse, as instead of offering empathy, many resort to mockery and condemnation.
“No one has the right to judge. Even the Bible frowns on that so why judge people when they are going through a marriage crisis? You don’t know what triggered the problems they are going through. Divorce is often beyond an individual’s control and can have devastating, emotional and psychological effects, yet society chooses to mock and criticise instead of being supportive,” she noted.
She urged Ghanaians to replace condemnation with compassion, saying that what struggling gospel ministers need most is encouragement and intercession.
“It’s rather unfortunate this generation doesn’t know how to support a brother or sister who is not in a good place. You see, society does not have to bash somebody because it presumes the person is a sinner. Are you trying to draw him closer to God or are you pushing that person away? Pray for the one so that God will strengthen the person,” she advised.
Selina concluded by attributing her resilience in ministry to God’s grace, adding that her ultimate aim has always been to inspire lives with her music, not to chase approval from critics.
