For Andy Riemersma, music reaches places his sermons might never go. The Indiana pastor, recording artist, husband, father, and NBA G League chaplain brings those overlapping experiences into a sound that blends Christian hip-hop, R&B, and worship. Following his signing with DREAM Records and the release of "I PRAISE YOU," Riemersma opens up about the encouragement that helped him find his voice, the biblical figure who shapes his approach to ministry, and what praising God means when life becomes difficult.
Q: For readers discovering Andy Riemersma for the first time, how would you introduce yourself, and how do your roles as an artist, pastor, husband, and father shape one another?
A: I am Andy Riemersma, first a follower of Jesus, a husband (married for 7 years), and father of three. I am the founder & Lead Pastor of ONE Church, a church plant my wife and I planted in 2022 in Westfield, Indiana, which is where I grew up. I am a recording & performing artist, and have had the honor of serving as an NBA G League Chaplain for our Indiana Pacers G League team, the Noblesville Boom, going into my 4th season. At the heart of everything I do is a desire to help people encounter Jesus. Whether I'm preaching on a Sunday, making music, serving as a chaplain, or hanging out with my family, I see it all as part of the same calling: to reach the lost, and unleash the Church. Leading and serving as a local church pastor deeply influences my music because I'm constantly walking alongside people through the highs and lows of life. Doing real life, in-person ministry day after day gives my music depth and substance because it's coming from real lived experiences serving and leading in my city. I often think about how my songs can travel into places my sermons might never reach. The artist in me has become an evangelistic expression of the gospel as I travel and do concerts, or release creative digital content touching people around the world.
My wife and I both love to sing and make music together, along with our 3 children. And being a father continually reminds me that my first ministry starts at home. Ultimately, I don't see these as competing roles. Family, music, church, and sports ministry all working together. They're different expressions of one calling: to love God, love people, and use every gift He's given me to point people toward Christ. At ONE Church, my people started calling me "PA" in 2023, standing for "Pastor Andy". Later on as it got more and more common, the Lord helped me understand this wasn't just a nickname for Pastor Andy, but it was a dual calling to be a Pastor (P) and Artist (A). To not separate the two, but to lean into the combination of them. I've been heavily influenced by the life of David, in the Old Testament, who was the original Shepherd and Artist. He cared for the flock, but wrote songs that worshiped and glorified the Lord. I pray to have the heart of David in all that I do. A heart that is truly after God's heart. Not after a platform, but after His presence. Clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24).
Q: What did music and faith look like in your upbringing, and which artists influenced your blend of hip-hop, R&B, and worship?
A: I've loved music since I was a little kid. Growing up, hip-hop was always something I connected with, as basketball has been my passion from the time I was in kindergarten. But I didn't initially see music becoming a significant part of my ministry. That started to change in 2016, when I was a sophomore at Indiana Wesleyan University. I was invited to perform a spoken-word piece during our Spiritual Emphasis Week in the chapel auditorium, with the entire student body invited. That was my first experience of seeing the Holy Spirit flow through me on stage in the creative arts. I don't play an instrument, but from that moment on I felt that my voice was the instrument the Lord gave me. After that experience, doors started opening for me to share spoken word across the country at college and high school revival events, conferences, churches, camps, and retreats. During that season, God began stirring a dream in my heart to eventually pursue Christian hip-hop as a ministry one day.
When I got married in 2019, my wife, Leanza, began calling that musical gift out of me on another level. With her encouragement, I started stepping out in both rapping and singing. Artists like Lecrae, KB, and Andy Mineo were some of my earliest influences during college. Their music impacted my life more than they'll probably ever know. Over the last three or four years, my sound has continued to evolve, becoming more worshipful while incorporating more R&B and melodic elements. I want to create music where people can worship, dance, sing along, and still catch those fast-paced bars. I love bringing that intensity and energy into something that ultimately glorifies God.
Q: Your music moves between fast-paced bars, melodic vocals, and worshipful hooks. How do you bring those elements together, and what makes a song feel distinctly yours?
A: I think my sound is a reflection of who God has wired me to be. I've always loved the energy, rhythm, and lyrical intensity of hip-hop, but my heart as a worshiper and pastor is to ultimately lead people into the presence of God. Over time, those two worlds have naturally started coming together in my music. I love quick-paced verses because there's a boldness and opportunity for creative word-play to them. I love melodic vocals and R&B because they create space for people to connect emotionally with a song. And I love worshipful hooks because I want people to lift their hands and be able to declare Scripture and God's promises over their lives, not just listen to it or enjoy it.
For me, the goal is to create dynamic music that people can experience on multiple levels. You can be bumping the tracks windows down in the car, working out, hanging out with friends, praising on a Sunday, or lifting your hands in worship in your prayer closet. I want the music to have energy, substance, and a genuine heart for Jesus. What makes it distinctly mine is that I'm not trying to separate the artist from the pastor. My faith, my experiences with people, and my desire to reach those who are far from God all influence what I create. I deeply resonate with David and the Psalms in the Old Testament. The way they help put language to human experience: joy, grief, loss, celebration, rejection or betrayal, you name it.
Q: "I PRAISE YOU" draws inspiration from Psalm 34:1 and its call to praise God continually. What sparked the song, and how did you translate that message into such a high-energy track?
A: The heart behind "I PRAISE YOU" is the reminder that praise isn't just a response to what God does for us; it's a response to who He is. Psalm 34:1 says, "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." That kind of continual praise challenges us to worship God in every season, not just when life is going the way we hoped. I wanted the song to capture that declaration in a way that felt energetic, bold, and contagious. There's power in the tongue of death and life (Proverbs 18:21). Our words and attitude weigh more than we know. Sometimes praise looks like being still in God's presence, and other times it looks like turning the volume up, moving your feet, and declaring His goodness with everything you've got. Musically, I wanted to bring together the instrumental and feel of hip-hop, the catchiness of melodic vocals, and the celebratory spirit of praise. At the end of the day, "I PRAISE YOU" is a declaration. No matter what we're walking through, God is still worthy of our praise. He's writing our story and deserving all of the glory. I pray this track helps people genuinely experience the joy of the Lord.
Q: Following your signing with DREAM Records and the release of "I PRAISE YOU," what's next musically? Are there new collaborations or a larger project taking shape?
A: Signing with DREAM Records this year in 2026 has been an incredible blessing. It's help me grow so much as an artist already. It's a joy to work with their team, and they've helped me get the music to places I never could've in my own strength. For me, the heart of it hasn't changed. I want to be faithful with the gift God has given me and reach people who need hope. With "I PRAISE YOU" now released, I'm looking forward to continuing to put out music more consistently and letting the sound evolve. I'm passionate about building a catalog that brings together Christian hip-hop, worship, and R&B in a way that feels fresh, authentic, and centered on Jesus. I'm also excited about the possibilities for new collaborations and reaching audiences I might not otherwise reach through my local ministry. One of the things I love about music is that it can go places I can't physically be. Ultimately, I'm not chasing music for the sake of building a name for myself. I want to build something that serves the Kingdom. If a song reaches someone who doesn't have a true relationship with Christ, helps someone reconnect with God, or gives a believer encouragement or a new way to express their faith, that's what matters. Our church has a motto we say all the time: we do it "for the one." If it changes 1 person's life, then I believe it was worth it all.
Q: As a lead pastor and NBA G League chaplain, you walk alongside people facing pressure and uncertainty. What have those experiences taught you about praising God when life is difficult, and how does that lesson shape your own faith?
A: Pastoring and serving as a chaplain have taught me that everybody is going through something. You're either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or headed into one. Whether I'm sitting with someone in my church or walking alongside athletes competing at a high level, people face pressure, uncertainty, disappointment, and moments when they don't know what comes next. One thing I've learned is that praise isn't pretending everything is okay. It's choosing to remember who God is even when your circumstances are difficult. Praising God for His faithfulness from the past, and also praising Him in advance knowing He is working all things out for good. As a pastor and church planter, I have walked with people through some incredibly difficult seasons. I've also had plenty of seasons where I've had to trust God with things I couldn't control or fully understand.
Those experiences remind me that faith isn't about having every answer. It's about knowing the One you're trusting, even when you don't have all the answers. That's part of why a song like "I PRAISE YOU" means so much to me. Continual praise doesn't mean we never grieve, struggle, or ask questions. It means those things don't get the final word in our lives. God is worthy in the mountaintop moments and in the valleys. I pray my music can reflect that kind of faith. I pray someone can play one of my songs in a difficult season and be reminded that God hasn't abandoned them, that He loves them, and He has a beautiful plan of redemption.
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