By Jarvus Ricardo Hester
Founder, Harlem Collective
Editor-in-Chief, Mood Magazine
There are few things more powerful than a gospel leader who shows up—week after week, without applause, without headlines, without a spotlight. They bury our loved ones, counsel our families, feed the hungry, and lead worship with nothing but a mic, a robe, and a faith that never retires.
And too often, we wait until they’re gone to say thank you.
That ends now.
This fall, Mood Magazine is launching the Dunamis Gospel Awards—a people’s choice celebration of ministry in motion. It’s our chance to look our leaders in the eye and say, “We see you. We honor you. And we thank you while you’re still here.”
But this isn’t just an awards show. It’s a wake-up call to get back involved with gospel work.
Because gospel work is community work. It’s life work. And it’s still the most revolutionary, healing, life-giving movement on the planet.
A Different Kind of Stage
The Dunamis Gospel Awards takes place on October 31, 2025, as an evangelistic alternative to Halloween. While the world is playing dress-up, we’re putting on the full armor of God—and showing up to celebrate the pastors, first ladies, choirs, worship leaders, and youth ministers who hold it down year-round.
But it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present.
That Sunday school teacher who’s been loving kids for 30 years? That’s gospel work.
That quiet brother who fixes the sound system every week without ever saying a word? That’s gospel work.
That young woman who just launched her first youth Bible study on Zoom? That’s gospel work.
They all deserve to be seen.
Why It Matters
We live in a time where people are walking away from the church—often not because they’ve lost faith, but because they’ve lost connection. They’ve lost the feeling of being part of something bigger, something holy, something deeply human
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– Nominate a Ministry Leader — the Dunamis Gospel Awards honors pastors and church leadership across New York City.
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