CONVERSATIONS

MARION HALL, formerly Lady Saw, traded the dancehall stage and explicit lyrics for the pulpit and sermons. Since making that life change in 2015, she has released two gospel albums, helped to restore vulnerable women through Marion Hall Ministry, and began a church in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Hall spoke to Joy Full about life and ministry.

JOY FULL: After experiencing multiple rapes, molestation and physical abuse, how can you pick up the pieces of that broken life?

MINISTER MARION HALL: Because I’ve tried everything else. I’ve tried man. I’ve tried money. The fame was there. The popularity was there. The friends was there. They were socalled friends because when I took on Christ, I start see people disappearing, shedding off like you have some clothes on you just shedding off. They just disappear.

JF: You were a successful Grammy award-winning dancehall artist. Do you ever desire to return to that time in your life?

MMH: It’s not like I’m perfect, but now I’m walking really on the straight line. I ain’t playing with God. When you look at what God has taken you through—all the mess—you can’t go back. I think I was at the edge of hell about to go in and God just came and got me. You try this. You try that. But it never worked. And when you try Jesus, then that’s when it works. When the Bible say, ‘oh taste and see that the Lord is good’ and you get a taste, you don’t need anything else.

This walk is so sweet because you can trust God and you know that God will never leave you or forsake you. He is your rewarder because you diligently seek Him. The joy of the Lord, I realize, that it’s really my strength. So, when I have Christ, I’m not lacking anything. I don’t feel down or depressed.

I’m always up and ready, up and running because there is something about Jesus, something about taking on Christ that kept me. There is something about God that I just want more. I don’t want to go back to where I’m coming from. Where I’m coming from caused me disgrace. I almost lost my sanity when I was over on that side. You have people who they do anything to tear you down and then they bring you down to a certain level that’s not you. Even though you on the stage singing all these things, in real life, that is not you. I just can’t go back!

JF: Speaking of not going back, what’s your advice for women who feel like their past is too public or too raunchy for restoration and recovery?

MMH: I think they need to google me. Some people have to see where I’m coming from, who I was before. God don’t care about your nastiness. God don’t care about your past. God beautify the meek with salvation. When God see that you give up everything else and come to him, there’s no shame in your game anymore. It doesn’t matter what you used to do.

When I took on Christ, they gave me one week. They gave me one month before going back to be Lady Saw. They will judge you but remember who you go in that church for. What people say out of their mouth that is their business. Many are the affliction of the righteous man, but God take him through alla dem. And God tell you that you gonna be afflicted, talked about, people gone do all kind of things, people gone judge you.

But when the day of reckoning comes, who will be sitting in the judgement seat? I sure it’s not them. I sure we all have to answer to God when that day of judgement comes. So do not allow people in church—all this sanctified, purified Christians—to stop you from going to church.

JF: What has been the most rewarding part of becoming a Christian and a minister?

MMH: The most rewarding for me becoming a Christian is when the Lord have me to prophecy; when you hear Him speak clearly and He tells you what to say and do. I’ll be on stage and the Lord starts talking to me and telling me what to tell the people in the audience. The first time was when I got saved and He sent me out to a lady of the night. He gave me her name. He showed me the street and I found her. Another time he showed me a prison and I said, yes Lord, I know where that is. I did a show at the back of that prison when I was Lady Saw. But then I heard Him clearly say, no, the women’s prison.

The next thing I love about God is when he has me laying hands on people and people getting delivered, people throwing up, people speaking in tongues, people falling over. I barely touch them and they’re just falling like papers. When I went to Antigua and I was laying hands. Oh Lord, it was something to behold. I heard when the devil say to me, “Look how powerful you are. Look how the people are falling.” But then I heard a voice say, “Focus.” Just subtle like that. What the devil was trying to do was distract me, for me to think it was me.

After everything was done, I said, you know this reminds me of when Jesus was walking on the water and Simon Peter said, “If it’s you Lord, let me come.” Jesus said to come but somehow Simon Peter start sinking. I put myself right there. If I took my mind off God, then no more deliverance would be done.

JF: Moving from dancehall, you are now singing a different tune—gospel—and teaching God’s word. What does success look like for you now?

MMH: You know something, I just want to please God. I just want to know that when that day comes, He’ll say, “Well done my faithful servant.” It’s not even about me. You know, when I preach on my Facebook Live, sometimes I have 80,000 people watching. There’s a lot of people come and they try to push me backwards. You have the demons who come because the devil assign them to my page. You have even artists from dancehall come and they try to distract me, but there’s no powers that can distract me because I was called by the Lord and not by man. For me, success is just pleasing God and doing what God wants me to do.

JF: What’s next for Minister Marion Hall?

MMH: I’m planning to release another album. God gave me everything and it’s deep. What I notice is that each year I grow, each album is something better than the one before. This album is just so much deeper than the first one and the second one.

Find Minister Marion Hall on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MinisterMarionHall/

The joy of the Lord, I realize, that it’s really my strength. So, when I have Christ, I’m not lacking anything. I don’t feel down or depressed. I’m always up and ready, up and running because there is something about Jesus, something about taking on Christ that kept me. There is something about God that I just want more. I don’t want to go back to where I’m coming from.