(Part 1/2) My name is David Nkennor. People know me as a worship leader, a songwriter and concert planner. Some know me as a pastor and I teach as well. I have been privileged to write a number of songs that have been a blessing to people around the world.
I’m not as popular as my songs are but I go to places regularly where they sing my songs. I always said to myself that what would give me joy and fulfilment was stepping into a place and hearing people sing a song I wrote. Not just singing it, but being able to touch God with the song. That’s what gives me fulfilment.
I used to be an A student in school. I wanted to be a Medical Doctor and an Architect. I wanted to have a quiet career life but God took me through a different path entirely. It was hard for me. When I left secondary school, it took me about 10 years to get into university (although within that 10-year period I did a teaching course at Federal College of Education in Akoka). During that period, God kept pulling me deeper into ministry.
All the while, I was moving around and blessing lives, but I was ashamed of myself. I felt I didn’t have a degree and It was almost affecting my self-esteem.
In 2007, I was in my father’s house on the couch crying and reflecting on my life. Everybody thought that by now I would be somewhere or someone. I was one of the most brilliant kids in class and this was me 7 years after, with no degree. How had my life taken this path? Yes, people were getting blessed by me but I didn’t care. I just wanted to go to school!
(Part 2/2) God spoke to me on a couch in my father’s house. It was very clear. He took me to the book of Jeremiah and the story of the potter and the clay. I opened my Bible and saw it like I’d never seen it before. The Holy Spirit said I should read it again and he started speaking to me. He said, “Two things can cause a clay product to be delayed. The first is the impurities in the clay. The potter wants to take away everything that can cause problems in the future after the work is done. He takes his time to remove every impurity. The second thing is the creativity of the potter.” He then said to me, “David when I’m done moulding you, you will not be priced like the other vessels you see on the shelf.” That was the word I got that day and my tears dried up.
He then said specifically, “Everything that you need to be David Nkennor, I placed it in you when you were born. You’re not going to get it from school. You have it all in you.” He made me understand that all I need to do with education is to give language to what I already have. People who know me and walk closely with me know how creative and gifted I am. I told myself from that point, I’m going to be somebody. That was the beginning for me.
Many years after, I have learnt that there is no relevance or going forward without God. If you want to serve God, serve God. I’m not saying serve church or your pastor. It’s God that is calling us. He made us. He understands our lives. He directs our lives in ways that we never thought possible.
God has blessed me beyond my imagination. Yes, I have been to university, but it truly has nothing to do with what I’m doing today. In fact, in my second year at University, I was going to walk out of campus and not come back. I read Mathematics but I was also involved in ministry in school. I’ve learnt a lot during these chapters of my life; seeing God’s plan unfold in my music ministry. It’s been a very interesting journey for me.