The comedy was a huge hit in Japan, where Gospel choirs began popping up across the country, despite the fact that only about 1 percent of the nation is Christian.
(Japan)—You may not realize it, but you've probably heard Alfie Silas sing. The Gospel artist has lent her powerful voice to records featuring Gladys Knight, Ray Charles, Andrae Crouch, Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson, to name a few. (Photo via BGEA)
She appeared on The Lion King soundtrack and toured the world with Whitney Houston.
Yet, it's within the inconspicuous setting of a small Japanese church, 5,000 miles away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, where Silas often feels the most successful.
"I can't describe it," Silas said. "It's just God."
Since 2010, Silas—a member of the California-based Tommy Coomes Band—has traveled to Japan with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to encourage Japanese churches through her music and her story of faith.
"I'm praying for people, I'm singing, I'm encouraging them through the interpreter," Silas said. "God has a way of using us on any level when we allow Him to."
Silas has traveled to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido twice in the last six months, drumming up support for the May 9-11 Hokkaido Festival of Hope in Sapporo. With each visit, she is amazed at how God is using an unlikely type of music to reach the Japanese people.
"One of the most popular genres of music in Japan is Gospel music," explained Chad Hammond, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Director of Asian Affairs. "People in the secular area love gospel music." (Photo via BGEA)
"I've asked several people, 'How did this happen?'" Silas said. "And I always get the same story. The Sister Act movie came out in '92, and people just loved that movie and they loved the songs in it."
The comedy was a huge hit in Japan, where Gospel choirs began popping up across the country, despite the fact that only about 1 percent of the nation is Christian.
"It's hilarious to me, because you see the sovereignty of God," Silas said. "He went all around these other circumstances and said, 'I'm going to do something different in the hearts of people, with no one else leading this.'"
Silas and the Tommy Coomes Band have held Gospel music workshops in Japan for aspiring musicians. It's an open door to share the hope of Jesus Christ with people who have no idea who He is.
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