Bridging Gospel Music and the Entertainment Industry with Ruth-Ann Wynter

#003: HR Specialist and Entertainment Industry Expert Ruth-Ann Wynter communicate how the message of the Gospel can be shared in the entertainment industry.

I had a conversation with HR specialist and entertainment industry expert Ruth-Ann Wynter. We talked about how she became involved with HR and the entertainment industry and that her main message was that the Gospel can be shared effectively in the entertainment industry. We then discussed her experiences as a woman of color in the entertainment industry and how she’s had to navigate conditions based on her race and gender. We discussed the importance of bridging Gospel music and entertainment. She draws from her experiences of working with Prince and Jay Z. The conversation with Ruth-Ann was phenomenal.

I want to unpack the conversation that we had. I wrote down three quotes or three parts of the discussion that Ruth-Ann shared. I thought it was phenomenal, and I want to share that with you if you didn't hear the interview, and even if you did, I'm sure you got something out of it.

“What good is the salt in the shaker”
One quote Ruth-Ann made was, “what good is the salt in the shaker”? Ruth-Ann offered in this particular quote, which she often heard from her father, that to have an impact on the world, to have an effect on your community, or to have an effect on whatever it is that you do, you must get your talents out in the open and put them to use in the marketplace. What good is the salt in the shaker?, is similar to an often quoted verse in the Bible in Matthew 5:13. Salt loses its effectiveness if it stays in the shaker.

“Go fix the sink”
Ruth-Ann shared another quote, "Go fix the sink." She tells the story of being assigned to work with the artist, Prince, in his early days. She was just promoted to a leadership position in her church, and because of her Christian background and her relationship with Jesus Christ, she was concerned about working with Prince. She has a meeting with her pastor and explains her concerns. He asked her, "If your sink breaks down and you need a plumber, and you call a plumber to come to your house to fix the sink when the plumber arrives at the door do you ask the plumber, “Are you a Christian or do you tell him to go fix the sink”? Fix the sink in this context meant, they're not going to ask you whether or not you are Christian. They just want you to go in there and get the job done.

“Nurture its creatives”
The final quote Ruth-Ann made during our conversation is that the church must “nurture its creatives.” She urged that churches (religious organizations) have to take care and encourage the gifts, talents, and abilities that’s already in the House of God so that way the talents, the skill sets, and the creativity that’s in the House of God don’t feel the need to go outside and explore other opportunities. If the church would nurture its creatives, then you will find that all of the gifts, callings, and skill sets that are in the church in many ways will stay right there to help the church and build it into a better church.

Ruth-Ann Wynter Bio:
Human Resources Entertainment industry.
Special Event planning and production experience in the Gospel Music Industry.
Speaker, trainer, consultant to ministries.

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