The late American rapper DMX, whose real name was Earl Simmons, is set to receive a unique and profound honour. He will be posthumously ordained as a church minister in a special ceremony that acknowledges his lifelong spiritual journey and the powerful ministry he conducted through his music.
Historic Ceremony at a Landmark Church
The ordination service is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 3 p.m.. It will be held at the historic Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church. This sanctuary, founded in 1860, is 164 years old and holds deep significance in African American history.
The church is one of the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregations in Westchester County. It was once a crucial stop on the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom. This historic designation connects DMX's personal struggle for spiritual liberation to a site long symbolising resilience and freedom.
Recognising a Ministry Beyond the Pulpit
The ceremony is being organised by the Gospel Cultural Center. They aim to formally recognise the ministry DMX carried out not from a traditional pulpit, but through his raw and emotionally charged music and public persona.
Bishop Dr. Osiris Imhotep, founder of the Gospel Cultural Center, explained the decision. He stated that “Earl Simmons wrestled with God in the public square, turning his pain into a ministry of raw truth.” The Bishop added that the ordination recognises “the divine calling he fulfilled every time he spoke a prayer into a microphone.”
DMX's Legacy of Spiritual Vulnerability
DMX, who passed away in 2021 at age 50, was renowned for his emotional honesty. His career, filled with gritty anthems, was consistently punctuated by moments of deep spiritual reflection. He famously opened his live concerts with passionate spoken prayers and often concluded his albums with heartfelt invocations that laid bare his internal conflicts between faith, pain, and purpose.
The ordination ceremony will include scripture readings from Acts 17:31. It is expected to attract a diverse audience, including hip-hop fans, clergy members, and local community figures, all gathering to celebrate this unconventional yet fitting tribute.
This posthumous ordination serves as a powerful testament to how DMX's art transcended entertainment. It affirms that his candid expressions of struggle and faith resonated as a genuine form of ministry for millions of listeners worldwide.
