Pastor encourages church to "NaeNae the hell out"
I’m not sure what in the name of black baby Jesus is going on here, but it appears that Pastor Westley West from Baltimore’s Faith Empowered Ministries has found an effective (albeit highly unorthodox) way to engage the young parishioners in his congregation.
In a video brought to our attention by comedian Kevin A. Fredricks, West, decked in ripped jeans and a yellow button down, is seen asking young people of varying ages to “Stand up and begin to NaeNae the hell out.”
For those of us who aren’t as hip as this church apparently is, the NaeNae is a dance originated out of Atlanta. It’s inspired by the Martin Lawrence-played character Sheneneh from the hit 90s sitcom Martin. The dance gained popularity after a hip hop group released the 2013 song Drop that NaeNae.
I had to replay the clip five times to make sure the devil wasn’t a liar — but yes, he did in fact ask these nice folks to NaeNae at church. On purpose. For God.
As soon as the call to action is made, a young boy who has clearly watched his share of Beyoncé videos immediately starts swaying in giddy anticipation. Soon, the pastor is running around the room pulling people up to their feet, asking them to join in on the questionable praise dance. And before you know it, babies, the usher in the back and even a church mom in a platinum blond wig are leaning and rocking in an attempt to two-step away from their demons.
The whole thing legitimately looks like an old Chappelle Show skit, and at first glance one can’t help but assume it’s satire. But we did some digging and found out that the video (and the church) are indeed real.
According to the congregation’s Facebook page:
The mission of our church is to teach, preach and exhort the word of God. We strive as a ministry to elevate, empower and encourage believers and non-believers through our fervent prayers and the word of God.
That sounds all good and fine, but once you start embedding hip hop culture into your church services, where do you draw the line? Some find the video fun and entertaining, while others have expressed concerns that the pastor may be playing with fire.
Take a look and judge for yourself.
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