A gospel artist releases a new song and hires a well-known cinematographer to shoot the music video.

The video comes out, and people love it.

The visuals are clean. The production is excellent. Everything looks professional.

Then someone asks a question:

“Wait. Isn’t this the same person who shoots videos for secular artists?”

This was recently brought into conversation after Greatman Takit’s ADML music video, shot by renowned Nigerian cinematographer TG Omori, sparked discussions online. Some people had no problem with the collaboration. After all, TG Omori is a professional, and his job on the project was to bring a creative vision to life.  Others saw a problem with it.

The argument was that, ideally, everyone working on a gospel project should be a Christian. Not just the person in front of the camera, but also the people behind it: cinematographers, editors, directors, actors and other members of the creative team.

That raises a question:

Does the faith of the person working behind the scenes matter?

Excellence is important, but is that all that matters?

Let’s be honest. Christians want excellent work.

Nobody wants a gospel music video to look poorly produced simply because it is a gospel project. We want good cinematography, good editing, creative storytelling and professionalism.

And sometimes, the person who can deliver that level of excellence may not be a Christian.

So should excellence be enough?

Or should a gospel ministry consider the spiritual identity of everyone involved in the project?

A music video is not a sermon in the traditional sense. A cinematographer isn’t necessarily preaching through the camera. They are providing a professional service.

You could therefore argue that hiring a non-Christian creative isn’t fundamentally different from hiring a non-Christian plumber, tailor or electrician. The person’s job is to provide a service, not to preach.

But gospel projects aren’t always just ordinary commercial projects either.

A gospel film, for example, is deliberately telling a Christian story. A worship recording is designed to point people towards God. A gospel music video can reinforce the message and imagery of a song.

And that means the people involved can influence much more than the technical quality of the project.

This is where gospel filmmaking becomes an interesting example. Christian creative industries have not always had enough professionals to meet their needs.

The older generation of gospel filmmakers had to work with whoever had the necessary skills because there simply weren’t enough Christians in the industry.

But things are changing.

Today, there are Christian cinematographers, photographers, editors, animators, actors, designers, writers and other creatives who are professionally trained and capable of producing excellent work.

So perhaps the question is no longer simply:

“Can we find a Christian who can do this?”

It may also be:

“When there is a capable Christian available, should we intentionally choose to build with them?”

Because supporting Christian professionals can help build an ecosystem where Christians don’t have to constantly look outside the Church for creative expertise.

If a gospel artist chooses to work with a secular creative, should there be boundaries around the creative direction? Should the artist be intentional about what the project communicates? And when there is a qualified Christian professional who can deliver the same or better quality, should supporting that person be part of building the Christian creative industry?