FEATURE STORY: Singer and Songwriter Goodness Fatunsin shares her inspiring story of faith in Exclusive Interview

When I first heard Goodness Fatunsin's song titled God is love, it felt like I was reading the Bible in sweet contemporary melody sung with an angelic voice, and with great Instrumentation too! 

It was glaring to me that the song had been composed with careful attention to scriptural details of the Bible's new testament, and rendered passionately too. 

I'm a believer in the fact that gospel/Christian music isn't really one, unless it's lyrics reveal/reflect the teachings and thoughts of the new testament, as taught and upheld by Jesus Christ and His apostles. And I observed her awesome effort to do this in the song, and I was to later discover that the effort was, in fact, intentional on her part. 

By the time I moved on to hear another song of hers' titled Reign Forever, it was clear to me that she is special in what she does—writing and making gospel music. And then it occured to me that I definitely needed to feature her life's story and work in Nigeria's gospel music space so far, right here on The Paul Anunaso Blog. 

So, I reached out to her for an exclusive interview. 

You may not have heard the name Goodness Fatunsin yet, but her work at Nigerian-based Onebody Music speaks of her amazing talent and skill, both in singing and songwriting. 

And when I interviewed her, I also discovered that her inspiring story is one of hope, faith, renewal, a new-found love, and an empowered life through her encounter with Jesus Christ, despite what she describes as an "ugly past".

Please read the full details of my exclusive interview with song minister Goodness Fatunsin below, and see download links for her songs at the bottom of the page. 

FULL INTERVIEW:

Who is Goodness Fatunsin? Tell me a bit about yourself please.

Goodness Fatunsin (formerly Agbai) is a Christian songwriter and worship minister. She started out singing in Church from her pre-teen years. She's a teacher by training, with special interest in "child education". However, her gift as a singer has made her work with several music teams and bands over the years. She currently serves as a worship minister at Onebody Church and an active member of Onebody Music."

What are two experiences as a Christian that you would say have impacted your life the most as a young woman?

First, FEAR!  I was tormented by fear, which I battled with for a couple of months. I was scared of an uncertain future due to an ugly past. But thanks be to God who delivered me through Jesus Christ! 

As Romans 8:1 says, 

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

And 2 Corinthians 5:17 also says, 

...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

From these passages, I saw clearly what Christ has done for me, thus my deliverance from fear.

Secondly, marriage. [Hmmm...] The decision to marry was hard, and even more difficult was the process that followed the decision. But after 16 Months of courtship, I finally got married to the love of my life, Philips Ayoola Fatunsin. Time and again, we saw the hand of God in our relationship and a massive testimony as its outcome.

How did you become a Christian, and how has the journey been for you?

I became a Christian when I came to trust in Jesus both as saviour and Lord of my life. This happened about 6 years ago, and since then, it has been a journey of gratitude and a life of continuous dependence on God.

Are there any music icons that have inspired you? Please tell us about them.

Yes, John Kenny (as he is popularly called) is a bible teacher and a prophetic worship minister. He currently leads Onebody Music, and he also directs the music in Onebody's local church(es). As a songwriter and producer, he has released a number of Albums and co-created Onebody Music Albums. He is a very passionate youth spiritual influencer and discipleship minister. 

What do you think about the gospel/Christian music ministry in Nigeria right now? And how do you intend to contribute to its growth?

I've observed more artistry than ministry in Nigeria's gospel music space, but it should not be so. Ministers of the gospel and ministers of songs should actually have the same tool, which is The Word of God—the message of Christ and about Christ. Yes, there are some who get this right, whose template every music minister can follow, but I believe that more needs to be done still. 

I intend to focus on having continuous collaborative work with music ministers who prioritise the teachings and the life of Christ as their message, and also writing songs that foster a non-stop conversation about Jesus, His teachings and His life. 

It is my hope that I will influence the next generation through music, teachings, and a lifestyle that portrays Christ only.

How did you get into music and why gospel music?

The Church, certainly the Church, where the gift was discovered, nurtured and is still being utilised. It took a different turn though when I came to the saving knowledge of Christ. I realised that the gift is a trust—I am but a steward and must be faithful with it.

Tell us a bit about the two singles you've done so far. What inspired the songs?

My debut single titled God is love is a song that expresses the nature of God, as written in 1John 4:16—"We know that God loves us and we have received his love. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living in God and God is living in him".

Also, in 1John 3:14, it says, "We respond to God's love by obeying his commands; loving him and loving our neighbors, this is the proof that we have crossed from death to life".

God is Love was inspired by an abundance of teaching and revelation of who God is; and one day, it hit differently. That was how I got the song "God is love". 

My other single titled Reign Forever is a song that communicates the teaching of Christ about prayers in Matthew 6:9-13: how and what should be prayed about, instructing us about the believer's position in the Kingdom, and his responsibility to the Kingdom.

Reign Forever is the heart cry of a person in God's Kingdom.

It was inspired by my constant disagreement with methods and ways of prayer, based on the contrast that could be observed between the prayers and the lives of the people that prayed it. This made me study how Jesus taught us to pray—simple yet full.

Is there a new single in the cooler right now?

Yes, there is! Stay in touch. Kindly put on post notifications. It should be out by God's grace before the year runs out.

You just got wedded to your husband, Philips Ayoola Fatunsin. Do you mind sharing a bit with us about your love story and how God brought you together?

Yes, our relationship is one founded on Christ. We met sometime in October 2019 when he joined our Church community. We became friends in December 2019 after a Church outing, and asked very specific and personal questions during our first major conversation. In March 2020, he asked me to marry him and I said yes after struggling with the decision. Over the next couple of months, we saw our love grow, blossom and be blessed by God.

Apart from music, what else do you do? Do you have a career or business? Please tell us about it.

Yes, I'm a trained Teacher, and I also run a clothing business ilere_homeofgoodness which is a subsidiary of Ilére Collections (Bags, cases and clothing) founded by my husband. I'm involved in the daily running of the business: procurement, productions and sales. 

What is your message to all those reading about you today, and to Christians all over Nigeria?

I say thank you for taking out time to go through this interview. I trust it's been a blessing to you.

My message to you today is that Christ is ENOUGH! Again, I say, Christ is all you need, for there's a big temptation to seek for answers outside Christ, but I have found that Christ is all that we need.

If you are seeking liberation, the real liberation you seek is only in Christ. 

And to believers in Christ Jesus, I send you this reminder:

1 Corinthians 15:58

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

God bless you!

Click here to download GOD IS LOVE by Goodness Fatunsin

Click here to download REIGN FOREVER by Goodness Fatunsin

You can follow Goodness on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Audiomack

Chukwubuikem Paul Anunaso is a civil/structural engineer based in Lagos, Nigeria. He is also the editor of The Paul Anunaso Blog, and can be reached at anunaso.cp@gmail.com