The late DMX, hip-hop legend and spiritual warrior, is about to receive a truly unique honor: he will be posthumously ordained as a minister, celebrating both his faith and the lifelong struggle he fought with pain, purpose, and God.
The ceremony is set for Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church—a 164-year-old sanctuary with a rich history, including serving as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The symbolism is striking: a place built on liberation hosting the ordination of a man who spent his life trying to free himself from inner demons.
The service, scheduled for 3 p.m., will be led by the Gospel Cultural Center, recognizing DMX for the ministry he carried out through his music, rather than from a pulpit. And honestly, it’s hard not to feel chills imagining it.
“Earl Simmons wrestled with God in the public square, turning his pain into a ministry of raw truth,” said Bishop Dr. Osiris Imhotep, founder of the Gospel Cultural Center. “This ordination recognizes the divine calling he fulfilled every time he spoke a prayer into a microphone.”
DMX, who died in 2021 at the age of 50, built a career defined by emotional honesty and spiritual vulnerability. While he was known for gritty, hard-hitting tracks, he always made room for prayer, reflection, and confession. Live shows often began with spoken prayers, and albums frequently closed with invocations that laid bare his struggles.
The ordination service will include scripture from Acts 17:31 and is expected to draw a wide audience of hip-hop fans, clergy, and community members, all there to honor a man whose music was both raw and sacred.
It’s a rare recognition, but one that feels deserved. DMX’s life was a complicated mix of triumphs and battles, of faith and doubt, and this ordination finally gives his spiritual journey the spotlight it deserves.
