As senior pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, founder of EMG Music Group, and a recording artist with decades of ministry experience, Alyn E. Waller continues to bridge the worlds of pastoral leadership and gospel music through a unified spiritual vision. With the release of "We Sing Glory To Your Name," the second single from his I STILL BELIEVE EP, Waller shares how music functions not merely as artistic expression but as an extension of pastoral care - preparing hearts for the Word, fostering unity across cultural divides, and advancing tangible community impact through initiatives like EMG Cares. In this conversation, Waller reflects on faith, leadership, collaboration, and the enduring conviction that Christ remains the answer in every season.
Q: You serve as senior pastor, label founder, and recording artist. How do these callings intersect for you personally? And how does music function as an extension of your pastoral ministry?
Well, the Lord gave me the gift of music from about the age of eight, and I love music. It is a part of who I am, and it is how I help people prepare to hear the word of God and be inspired to act on it. The label is an opportunity for us to influence the industry and give younger musicians, or musicians who may not otherwise have an opportunity through the major labels, the chance to experience the music ministry and industry, and hopefully encounter it in a way that is not injurious to their spirituality or their growth. And so I love pastoring. I am fundamentally a pastor, and this music and the label are simply tools for me to do my pastoral ministry.
Q: We sing glory to your name, brings together voices from different lanes with gospel and Christian music. What moved you to collaborate with Joseph Hadebank. What spiritual or symbolic message did you hope this partnership would model?
Christianity has a black eye in America right now, and a lot of it has to do with the white evangelical church selling out for political gains. Yet they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. So working with Joseph is an opportunity for us to talk about what we have in common and to reach across the aisle, because the only way America is going to survive is if we come together under God. And this country, this experiment was founded under God, and the only way we're going to survive is if we get back under God. I believe "We Sing Glory To Your Name" will help us cross over cultural divides to heal this nation.
Q: Gospel and Christian music often experience division by style or category. From your perspective as both a pastor and artist, why is unity and worship so critical this season? How can music help to lead the way?
Bottom line is, Jesus said they'll know that the Father has sent him, and that we, his disciples, have loved one another. Unity is what identifies us with God. Unity is what attracts God's blessings and presence. And it is important for us to be one body in Christ for the world to know that God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.
Q: This song is the second single from your I STILL BELIEVE EP. What does that phrase-I still believe-mean to you personally at this stage of your life, faith, and leadership journey?
I have been in pastoral ministry for 30 years. I have been in ministry for 39 years. I've grown up in the church. I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of both the world and the church. And after all is said and done, I still believe in God. I still believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I still believe that Jesus Christ is the answer, and I am still working to see that everyone comes to know Him in the pardon of their sins. And so I've tried a lot of things in life, but I know that Jesus is the answer.
Q: What life experiences or pastoral moments stirred your heart to move from ministry through song to ministry through direct community impact?
Our love for God is most evident in how we love others and in how we meet their needs. It is an extension of what we do as a church. This gives us the opportunity to get music into the hands of people who might not have been able to afford it. EMG Cares will also help us make the Gospel and good music accessible and provide tangible resources to people in need.
Q: What do you feel God is asking you to steward most carefully in this next chapter?
I believe that God has called me to influence the industry and younger artists. What I have to steward is my reputation, my platform that God has given me, and the opportunity to be a blessing to others. There is no success without a successor. So, in this chapter, it is about establishing the label, passing it on, leading the church, and landing the plan.
Links:
EMG Cares: https://www.emgcares.org
EMG Music Group: https://enonmusic.com
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church: https://enonbiblewalk.org
