The God and Gigs Show | A Podcast for Christian Creators · Allen C. Paul, Christian Creative Coach

Why Christian Artists Don't Want to Be Labeled “Christian”

·26 min·1 clip

Andy Mineo says, "I want to follow Jesus. I don't want to monetize him."

1. God and Gigs examines Andy Mineo's rejection of the label "Christian artist" and how that affects Christian creators. 2. Alan C. Paul hosts the episode as the founder of God and Gigs, and Andy Mineo appears through a viral clip with Pastor Rich Wilkerson. 3. The episode asks whether dropping the label is compromise or clarity for artists who follow Jesus. 4. Paul says the label can help listeners find work through podcast SEO, but it can also box creators into narrow expectations. 5. Mineo says he is trying to "shed the label Christian artist" because he does not want to connect his "monetary value" to being Christian. 6. He says, "I want to follow Jesus. I don't want to monetize him," and Paul pauses on that line. 7. Mineo argues that adding "some uninspired information about Jesus" to appease an audience is not honest art. 8. Paul connects that complaint to his own concern about "Christianese" and about labels that shape what listeners expect. 9. He brings in jazz and blues as examples of labels that immediately create assumptions about what the music should sound like. 10. Paul also notes that the Christian music industry is real, and artists are paid for creating content people want to hear. 11. He says the tension is not only about Christianity but about whether creators are being authentic to what God put in their hearts. 12. Paul mentions his own reluctance to use "Christian creator" in bylines until the last two or three months. 13. He says he added the label partly because podcast charts contain far fewer results for "Christian creator" than for "creator." 14. He worries that the word "Christian" may scare away people who think the show will not deal with mental health or church problems. 15. Paul says the label should be used if it adds clarity, but not if it keeps creators from reaching their intended audience. 16. He cites LaShonda as an example of someone whose faith is obvious without leading with a label. 17. The tone is conversational and reflective, with Paul stopping the audio clip several times to comment line by line. 18. The format mixes a host monologue, a played interview clip, and a short mid-episode membership break. 19. Christian creators weighing labels, audience expectations, and authenticity. 20. Listeners wanting fast-paced storytelling will probably skip this discussion-heavy episode.

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