The avid worshipper’s life started on a different path before he began singing gospel music. “For me, before music, I played baseball. At 18 years old, I was a professional baseball player.”
Though he was well on his way in another direction, he believed God called him to worship. His desire to fulfill that calling and sing gospel music was not readily embraced by some closest to him. “When I decided to do this, to sing and lead worship, I really didn’t get the support of everybody that I thought I would, so that was one of the hardest things for me, but was also probably, the greatest faith victory for me. I was abandoned by people that were closest to me. For me to come to them and say, ‘I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to sing gospel and Christian music’…for people, financially, they didn’t even equate. They felt they weren’t even in the same realm. And so, a lot of people were just like ‘you’re crazy.’ Nobody gets an opportunity as good as the one you have to play professional baseball and now you’re leaving it for this?’
And even though my family, they are believers, still, they were concerned about my well- being, financially. they thought I was making a huge mistake. I was alone. It was the worst thing, because it caused a divide between what I felt was in my heart and my family.”
He felt that having that external struggle helped him overcome the internal one---being led by what others think, instead of what God thinks. “Then it became the best thing because now for the rest of my days, I know how to make decisions in God… because I’m free. I am free. I don’t care what others think. I don’t care who agrees. I bet there are people that are not free from their families’ opinion of their lives. I am free. You either like it or you don’t. I am called of God. God has specific instructions for me. Whereas NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball may be the best for you, but for me, God told me that He had the best for me, and that is leading people into the presence of God.”
Though he was well on his way in another direction, he believed God called him to worship. His desire to fulfill that calling and sing gospel music was not readily embraced by some closest to him. “When I decided to do this, to sing and lead worship, I really didn’t get the support of everybody that I thought I would, so that was one of the hardest things for me, but was also probably, the greatest faith victory for me. I was abandoned by people that were closest to me. For me to come to them and say, ‘I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to sing gospel and Christian music’…for people, financially, they didn’t even equate. They felt they weren’t even in the same realm. And so, a lot of people were just like ‘you’re crazy.’ Nobody gets an opportunity as good as the one you have to play professional baseball and now you’re leaving it for this?’
And even though my family, they are believers, still, they were concerned about my well- being, financially. they thought I was making a huge mistake. I was alone. It was the worst thing, because it caused a divide between what I felt was in my heart and my family.”
He felt that having that external struggle helped him overcome the internal one---being led by what others think, instead of what God thinks. “Then it became the best thing because now for the rest of my days, I know how to make decisions in God… because I’m free. I am free. I don’t care what others think. I don’t care who agrees. I bet there are people that are not free from their families’ opinion of their lives. I am free. You either like it or you don’t. I am called of God. God has specific instructions for me. Whereas NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball may be the best for you, but for me, God told me that He had the best for me, and that is leading people into the presence of God.”
"God has specific instructions for me. Whereas NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball may be the best for you, but for me, God told me that He had the best for me, and that is leading people into the presence of God.”
This propelled him forward and compelled him to take the leap from Major League Baseball player to Worship and Praise Leader.
Through that initial tug-of -war between he and those close to him, and some of the other trials that he experienced as he paved his way in gospel music, Todd Dulaney said he would not change a thing. His experiences molded who he was, indeed who he is right now, and he would not change any of it.
“Everything that has happened to me has shaped me, and I wouldn’t take anything away from me. Even the worst of times, I’ve embraced now, because I get it. They have prepared me for where I am right now. I would never recommend anybody to take the easy way to anywhere. Take the way that God has for you because it prepares you. I’m here and it wasn’t given to me. I worked for it. I was whooped along the way by my Father in heaven. I made bad decisions along the way, but they are not bad decisions in hindsight, they are great teachable moments that God has used to make me ready for today. Every song, every album, every stop along the way, I wouldn’t take it back. Even now, when I feel like I begin to struggle, I remember that in the future, this will make sense.”
What caused him to move forward, was the idea that there was no other place for him to be, no other way for him to go, but to sing and worship Christ Jesus…to follow Him.
Through that initial tug-of -war between he and those close to him, and some of the other trials that he experienced as he paved his way in gospel music, Todd Dulaney said he would not change a thing. His experiences molded who he was, indeed who he is right now, and he would not change any of it.
“Everything that has happened to me has shaped me, and I wouldn’t take anything away from me. Even the worst of times, I’ve embraced now, because I get it. They have prepared me for where I am right now. I would never recommend anybody to take the easy way to anywhere. Take the way that God has for you because it prepares you. I’m here and it wasn’t given to me. I worked for it. I was whooped along the way by my Father in heaven. I made bad decisions along the way, but they are not bad decisions in hindsight, they are great teachable moments that God has used to make me ready for today. Every song, every album, every stop along the way, I wouldn’t take it back. Even now, when I feel like I begin to struggle, I remember that in the future, this will make sense.”
What caused him to move forward, was the idea that there was no other place for him to be, no other way for him to go, but to sing and worship Christ Jesus…to follow Him.
“Everything that has happened to me has shaped me, and I wouldn’t take anything away from me. Even the worst of times, I’ve embraced now, because I get it. They have prepared me for where I am right now."
“I just don’t think there is any other way. There is no other way. What else do you do when you realize that God is Who He says He is, and that He’s the only One that really can orchestrate our paths? What other option do I have? There have been many times where I have looked at God and said, I want to quit. I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to represent you. I want to be free to cuss somebody out when I am in public and don’t want to feel any kind of way about it. I want to be free to go just go off and just…if I have a bad day so be it. I want that sometimes…
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because sometimes I get upset with my Father. I get upset. And I’m like ok, Father, you know---It’s just so much. But then, I think in the Word of God, somebody said, ‘well, where else can we go, what else can I do?’ I always come back to that place where I’m just like…what else is there to do then…there is nowhere else to go. When you realize that He is life, and good life, and everlasting life only comes through Him. You can get mad, but you’ll always come to back to---where else can I go? It’s just You.
That’s what keeps me going. It’s that, no matter what, God’s like, ‘I’m the best thing going. Whenever you feel like stopping, just remember, there’s so much more I have for you. So…you just let me know.’ I may go a day at the most, where I’m upset. God, I’m tired, I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to be this anymore. But then, God says, ‘Ok, alright, well, you just let me know. I ‘m not going to force you to anything. You let me know how you want to do this.’ Then I’ll come back to Him and say, I love you, and there’s nothing else I can do, and let’s do it again.”
That’s what keeps me going. It’s that, no matter what, God’s like, ‘I’m the best thing going. Whenever you feel like stopping, just remember, there’s so much more I have for you. So…you just let me know.’ I may go a day at the most, where I’m upset. God, I’m tired, I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to be this anymore. But then, God says, ‘Ok, alright, well, you just let me know. I ‘m not going to force you to anything. You let me know how you want to do this.’ Then I’ll come back to Him and say, I love you, and there’s nothing else I can do, and let’s do it again.”
"I always come back to that place where I’m just like…what else is there to do then…there is nowhere else to go. When you realize that He is life, and good life, and everlasting life only comes through Him. You can get mad, but you’ll always come to back to---where else can I go? It’s just You."
As the exhorter embraced his role as a worshipper before Christ and vast audiences, he noted how one of his biggest joys was “travelling the world and meeting the people.” He met people from across the globe, and to him, those familiar strangers became an extension of his family.
“That is my biggest joy. Everywhere that we go, I feel like I have family now. I don’t think that there’s a place now that I could go---where, if my car broke down, I couldn’t call a local church, and they say, oh my God, we sing your songs, we’ll come out and help. It’s like, I have family. It just feels really, really, good…
We gained, we gained so many in other countries---Uganda, Trinidad. We’ve just been everywhere.”
He particularly talked about Uganda with fondness. He felt that a bond was created between he and the citizens of Uganda – one he felt was a mutual one. He expressed a deep desire to return after his first visit, which rocked his worldview of gospel and worshipful praise, even his view of how high worship can take you.
“Uganda has been…I would say our awakening. It was the first time we went to Africa. People always ask me, ‘What’s your favorite part of Africa?’ And I say, Uganda, and they’re really surprised. But Uganda did something in our hearts; there, we were able to touch the people. We were able to see how people that don’t have as much as you, can have more joy and authority in Christ than a little bit. And so, you know, we were able to really see life changing. It was the best experience of my life, and we ministered there. 75, 000 people came out. We were overwhelmed with support for “Victory Belongs to Jesus.” The song was their number one song.
The time when we were there, just changed our lives all together. To come from America, where you have so many different recording artists and singers, and charts, and everything...You got so much to choose from here. To go over there, God lets you know. We’re over here in America thinking, oh man I’m just really working hard to get my music through. And then, you go over there to another country, and it’s just a reminder. ‘I’m just reminding you that I’m still God. God over the entire world. So while you’re thinking small in America, I’ve raised you up to number one in a place you’ve never even been.’ And it’s just, it was just…yeah, I will never ever forget it.”
“That is my biggest joy. Everywhere that we go, I feel like I have family now. I don’t think that there’s a place now that I could go---where, if my car broke down, I couldn’t call a local church, and they say, oh my God, we sing your songs, we’ll come out and help. It’s like, I have family. It just feels really, really, good…
We gained, we gained so many in other countries---Uganda, Trinidad. We’ve just been everywhere.”
He particularly talked about Uganda with fondness. He felt that a bond was created between he and the citizens of Uganda – one he felt was a mutual one. He expressed a deep desire to return after his first visit, which rocked his worldview of gospel and worshipful praise, even his view of how high worship can take you.
“Uganda has been…I would say our awakening. It was the first time we went to Africa. People always ask me, ‘What’s your favorite part of Africa?’ And I say, Uganda, and they’re really surprised. But Uganda did something in our hearts; there, we were able to touch the people. We were able to see how people that don’t have as much as you, can have more joy and authority in Christ than a little bit. And so, you know, we were able to really see life changing. It was the best experience of my life, and we ministered there. 75, 000 people came out. We were overwhelmed with support for “Victory Belongs to Jesus.” The song was their number one song.
The time when we were there, just changed our lives all together. To come from America, where you have so many different recording artists and singers, and charts, and everything...You got so much to choose from here. To go over there, God lets you know. We’re over here in America thinking, oh man I’m just really working hard to get my music through. And then, you go over there to another country, and it’s just a reminder. ‘I’m just reminding you that I’m still God. God over the entire world. So while you’re thinking small in America, I’ve raised you up to number one in a place you’ve never even been.’ And it’s just, it was just…yeah, I will never ever forget it.”
"Everywhere that we go, I feel like I have family now. I don’t think that there’s a place now that I could go---where, if my car broke down, I couldn’t call a local church, and they say, oh my God, we sing your songs, we’ll come out and help. It’s like, I have family. It just feels really, really, good…"
In fact, the worship singer had no idea of the significance of his visit to Uganda, until the people showed him personally, how important his visit was to them. He vividly recalled the greeting he received when he stepped off the plane.
“One of the ways that we knew right away that something was different, is when we got off the plane, there were guys with shot guns. I asked them, ‘What are they here for?’ Someone said they were just assigned to be with us. He said, ‘Man, you’re a very important person.’ I asked him…why? What does that mean? He said, ‘Everyone sings your song “Victory Belongs to Jesus”. We play it on television every day.’ |
So, it’s different here than there. Gospel music is the music there. It is the center. The nation is a Christian nation, and they’re unashamed of it. It’s breathtaking. And the band, my band, my team they were with me, and they were like ‘Todd, this is crazy.’ You couldn’t even step outside your room, our hotel room, without somebody with you, because everybody’s there saying, ‘God bless you, thank you so much for the song.’”
The worship experience in Uganda made Mr. Dulaney and his band emotional. They departed with the lingering feeling that they had just left a place where they had not only held a concert, but where they had carved out more branches on their family tree.
“It’s the gravity of it all. if anybody could have gone on that trip with me … we all just cried on the way home. On the plane, we were just weeping. We didn’t know what we had just stepped out of … stepped into, what we had experienced. People that we had never met, we felt like we had met brothers and sisters for sure, that we had never known. We were floored. I long for the time to go back there. I think about it all the time. Nothing else, no other worship experience comes close to it. No matter what, no matter how high we go, it’s just something happened there that made us family.”
Mr. Dulaney noted that although, he may have that extended family that he can call on as he travels across the globe, there was a stark difference, in his portrayal, when it came to the Christian music industry.
“I think my expectation in gospel music and in the music industry period, was that there was this big happy family across the board. What surprised me is that, it’s really not that way. Even to go further than that, in music in general, and in Christian and Gospel music, it’s not really one---it’s segregated. It really surprised me that artists of different color don’t work together as much as I felt like they would. We’re supposed to be the example of---what it would be like, if everyone is one and walking together. One of my biggest surprises, or biggest struggles, in the music business, is that it’s not as one or together as it should be.”
He takes it further, describing how these divisions, similarly permeate the Church.
“They say that one of the most segregated times is Sunday all over the world…but that’s got to come down. And so, that’s what one of the things that surprises the heck out of me---is that we don’t seem to cross over into other cultures.”
Even with that division, he wishes to bring people together with one voice, in worship.
Overall, he has one message he shares, “My message is---“Let’s focus on Jesus. It’s been my message from the beginning.” He recounted a day he and his wife heard one of the tunes from his first album, to illustrate how long he has shared that message.
The worship experience in Uganda made Mr. Dulaney and his band emotional. They departed with the lingering feeling that they had just left a place where they had not only held a concert, but where they had carved out more branches on their family tree.
“It’s the gravity of it all. if anybody could have gone on that trip with me … we all just cried on the way home. On the plane, we were just weeping. We didn’t know what we had just stepped out of … stepped into, what we had experienced. People that we had never met, we felt like we had met brothers and sisters for sure, that we had never known. We were floored. I long for the time to go back there. I think about it all the time. Nothing else, no other worship experience comes close to it. No matter what, no matter how high we go, it’s just something happened there that made us family.”
Mr. Dulaney noted that although, he may have that extended family that he can call on as he travels across the globe, there was a stark difference, in his portrayal, when it came to the Christian music industry.
“I think my expectation in gospel music and in the music industry period, was that there was this big happy family across the board. What surprised me is that, it’s really not that way. Even to go further than that, in music in general, and in Christian and Gospel music, it’s not really one---it’s segregated. It really surprised me that artists of different color don’t work together as much as I felt like they would. We’re supposed to be the example of---what it would be like, if everyone is one and walking together. One of my biggest surprises, or biggest struggles, in the music business, is that it’s not as one or together as it should be.”
He takes it further, describing how these divisions, similarly permeate the Church.
“They say that one of the most segregated times is Sunday all over the world…but that’s got to come down. And so, that’s what one of the things that surprises the heck out of me---is that we don’t seem to cross over into other cultures.”
Even with that division, he wishes to bring people together with one voice, in worship.
Overall, he has one message he shares, “My message is---“Let’s focus on Jesus. It’s been my message from the beginning.” He recounted a day he and his wife heard one of the tunes from his first album, to illustrate how long he has shared that message.
“Let’s focus on Jesus. It’s been my message from the beginning.”
“I told my wife. We got in the car the other day, and an old, old song---one of my first songs came on the radio, from my first album, which was released seven years ago. My wife said, ‘What is this, throwback?’ I was just listening. The song was called---“No Other Name.” I told my wife, 'I have been in Jesus for a little while now.' It made me feel good because the message...hasn’t changed in the seven years’ span of what I’m doing. It’s been Jesus the whole time. So, that’s what I want people to get from it. Here’s an artist that doesn’t care about promoting himself, but only wants to promote the name of Jesus and because of that, I’m being promoted.”
"So, that’s what I want people to get from it. Here’s an artist that doesn’t care about promoting himself, but only wants to promote the name of Jesus and because of that, I’m being promoted.”
Following God to sing gospel music, he noted, ultimately changed his life.
“It’s [gospel music] changed a lot in my life. Naturally, it’s changed our financial position. My wife and I when we met, we were dating and living in our parent’s home. We went on to have our own home, our own space.” He recalled, that change brought with it, an audience.
“We ended up having to mature in front of everyone. The music is so in the face of the public, we had to grow up in front of everybody really quickly. We’re young still, young in marriage, learning about each other, learning marriage, and learning life; so, it’s changed everything in our landscape. We now have become representatives of Christ to the world, and whether we want it or not, the Anointing has drawn attention to our lives. It is what it is…and so, that’s one way that gospel music has changed our lives.”
He openly pondered his personal walk with Christ and what he is doing to practice what he preaches through his music.
“It’s [gospel music] changed a lot in my life. Naturally, it’s changed our financial position. My wife and I when we met, we were dating and living in our parent’s home. We went on to have our own home, our own space.” He recalled, that change brought with it, an audience.
“We ended up having to mature in front of everyone. The music is so in the face of the public, we had to grow up in front of everybody really quickly. We’re young still, young in marriage, learning about each other, learning marriage, and learning life; so, it’s changed everything in our landscape. We now have become representatives of Christ to the world, and whether we want it or not, the Anointing has drawn attention to our lives. It is what it is…and so, that’s one way that gospel music has changed our lives.”
He openly pondered his personal walk with Christ and what he is doing to practice what he preaches through his music.
"We now have become representatives of Christ to the world, and whether we want it or not, the Anointing has drawn attention to our lives. It is what it is… and so, that’s one way that gospel music has changed our lives.”
“The music, the whole concept of us worshiping God, it’s shifted us, because we see people get results from the music. We’re like, man, maybe we need to listen to it more too. It’s for everybody. When we start singing about the Lord, it’s not just for you to release it for the people, it’s actually coming back at us. It’s like hey, we want to be on our faces, we want to make sure that we maintain the whole stand before God, hearing from God, what’s next, and everything.”
The exhorter went on to tell testimonies from people who shared how much his music has affected their lives, even those who may not be Christians.
“I get lot of tweets and messages of people, new to the Christian Faith, or probably never been exposed to it ever before. I get so many different messages that are saying … ‘I was diagnosed with cancer, and I listened to your song over and over again, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, and then all of a sudden, I went back one day, and my diagnosis changed.’
I have one of them, of a young lady. We were in Kentucky. She said her daughter was deaf. Whenever she [the mother] plays one of my songs...she hears. In the car, she asks her daughter, ‘can you hear this song? My daughter says yes.’ I get streams of testimonies…I get testimonies from each end of the scope. All of it is just because you point towards Jesus. I mean I’m living it. I’m living in it.”
The exhorter went on to tell testimonies from people who shared how much his music has affected their lives, even those who may not be Christians.
“I get lot of tweets and messages of people, new to the Christian Faith, or probably never been exposed to it ever before. I get so many different messages that are saying … ‘I was diagnosed with cancer, and I listened to your song over and over again, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, and then all of a sudden, I went back one day, and my diagnosis changed.’
I have one of them, of a young lady. We were in Kentucky. She said her daughter was deaf. Whenever she [the mother] plays one of my songs...she hears. In the car, she asks her daughter, ‘can you hear this song? My daughter says yes.’ I get streams of testimonies…I get testimonies from each end of the scope. All of it is just because you point towards Jesus. I mean I’m living it. I’m living in it.”
"I get so many different messages that are saying … ‘I was diagnosed with cancer, and I listened to your song over and over again, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, “Victory Belongs to Jesus”, and then all of a sudden, I went back one day, and my diagnosis changed.’"
The worship singer has a plan to continue producing and writing gospel music, having just released a single called “Your Great Name”, and plans to release his upcoming album in January 2018. Yet, he also has a goal to expand his ministry to include entrepreneurial goals and to bless people through those venues, worldwide.
“I will always be releasing music. We’re getting ready to release the new album in January, but I have some ideas to really to be an entrepreneur, using the platform that God’s provided for me. I really don’t see myself falling short anywhere of being a multimillionaire. I think that’s not that far-fetched. I think it’s going to happen and not for me to be like, oh I’m rich. I feel like there are some visions. There are some visions inside of me, some dreams inside of me---of business, and that can all spin off what God has done in the music business for me.
So, we’ll always make worship music, because that’s who I am. I’ll always create music for people to be in the presence of God, but there’s so much more for me and my family. My wife and I talk about it all the time, things that we can do that will provide job opportunities for the people around us, potentially. Really what’s next for me, I’m beginning to scratch the surface of that. I’m beginning to desire to do business all over the world using the name that God’s given me. He would like to include other business ventures---all falling under his unique brand, "Dulaneyland".
“It’s completely integrated. We started off with the ministry with the name being Todd Dulaney Ministries, and now it’s becoming “ToddDulaneyland” which is the name God’s called us to now. For now, it’s just the band traveling and leading worship, and being down on the ground, but I see so much more in the future.”
With humor and godly reverence, Mr. Dulaney shares how deliberate God can be when it comes to the smallest things, even in naming his ministry---“Dulaneyland”.
“It’s just so awesome. God’s so awesome because God has orchestrated it all. When we were looking, there was somebody who had taken my name---my URL online. I wanted to get my todddulaney.com. You know, I couldn’t get it back. So, they gave me an option, dulaneyland, todddulaneyland.com, and I liked that. You know, it’s got a little ring to that.”
He found out, he was not the only one who took to the title. “Then all of a sudden, everyone started commenting on my videos and stuff. They were saying ‘We love Dulaneyland.’ I was like wow. As we’ve gone along, the ministry has changed the name. It’s no longer Todd Dulaney Ministries. It’s now Dulaneyland. It’s like God has set this up on purpose: ‘I wanted it to be Dulaneyland all along. I wanted it to be something that you can branch off of.’ I see now – do business, multiple businesses. Disney has Disney World and Disney land. Why not? I can have Todd Dulaney land.”
He looks at his encounter in Uganda as a marker for what His future holds, an experience akin to what God has planned for him and the future of his ministry, particularly his vision of entrepreneurship. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing something there, business wise.”
Through his journey from entering the gospel music industry, to Dulaneyland ministries, Mr. Dulaney has learned along the way that God will take care of you.
“I’ve learned that for God’s business, He will keep you covered and He will take care of you. That’s what I learned overall. Don’t worry about my stuff, because He worries about my stuff for me. But I do have to do His business, and take care of everything He’s asked me to do---loving my wife, loving my family, taking care of, making sure that I’m present in this home as a man heading four children, and loving on one wife---that is my responsibility. God takes care of everything else as a result of those things He’s asked me to do. So, He takes care of our money. He’s take care of our jobs. He takes care of the band. He takes care of it all. He says ‘all I need you to do is stand and be the man I’ve called you to be in this house. Don’t worry about the results of the fans. Don’t worry about the results of the people who follow the music. Don’t worry about any of that. Don’t think about it. I’m going to take care of that. I’ll take care of the music. I’ll write songs through you. When it’s time for you to have a new album, you’ll have songs, because I’ll send them to you. You don’t have to worry about a thing but this house.’”
To Todd Dulaney, Jesus is All and All … for him, and for everyone else.
“I will always be releasing music. We’re getting ready to release the new album in January, but I have some ideas to really to be an entrepreneur, using the platform that God’s provided for me. I really don’t see myself falling short anywhere of being a multimillionaire. I think that’s not that far-fetched. I think it’s going to happen and not for me to be like, oh I’m rich. I feel like there are some visions. There are some visions inside of me, some dreams inside of me---of business, and that can all spin off what God has done in the music business for me.
So, we’ll always make worship music, because that’s who I am. I’ll always create music for people to be in the presence of God, but there’s so much more for me and my family. My wife and I talk about it all the time, things that we can do that will provide job opportunities for the people around us, potentially. Really what’s next for me, I’m beginning to scratch the surface of that. I’m beginning to desire to do business all over the world using the name that God’s given me. He would like to include other business ventures---all falling under his unique brand, "Dulaneyland".
“It’s completely integrated. We started off with the ministry with the name being Todd Dulaney Ministries, and now it’s becoming “ToddDulaneyland” which is the name God’s called us to now. For now, it’s just the band traveling and leading worship, and being down on the ground, but I see so much more in the future.”
With humor and godly reverence, Mr. Dulaney shares how deliberate God can be when it comes to the smallest things, even in naming his ministry---“Dulaneyland”.
“It’s just so awesome. God’s so awesome because God has orchestrated it all. When we were looking, there was somebody who had taken my name---my URL online. I wanted to get my todddulaney.com. You know, I couldn’t get it back. So, they gave me an option, dulaneyland, todddulaneyland.com, and I liked that. You know, it’s got a little ring to that.”
He found out, he was not the only one who took to the title. “Then all of a sudden, everyone started commenting on my videos and stuff. They were saying ‘We love Dulaneyland.’ I was like wow. As we’ve gone along, the ministry has changed the name. It’s no longer Todd Dulaney Ministries. It’s now Dulaneyland. It’s like God has set this up on purpose: ‘I wanted it to be Dulaneyland all along. I wanted it to be something that you can branch off of.’ I see now – do business, multiple businesses. Disney has Disney World and Disney land. Why not? I can have Todd Dulaney land.”
He looks at his encounter in Uganda as a marker for what His future holds, an experience akin to what God has planned for him and the future of his ministry, particularly his vision of entrepreneurship. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing something there, business wise.”
Through his journey from entering the gospel music industry, to Dulaneyland ministries, Mr. Dulaney has learned along the way that God will take care of you.
“I’ve learned that for God’s business, He will keep you covered and He will take care of you. That’s what I learned overall. Don’t worry about my stuff, because He worries about my stuff for me. But I do have to do His business, and take care of everything He’s asked me to do---loving my wife, loving my family, taking care of, making sure that I’m present in this home as a man heading four children, and loving on one wife---that is my responsibility. God takes care of everything else as a result of those things He’s asked me to do. So, He takes care of our money. He’s take care of our jobs. He takes care of the band. He takes care of it all. He says ‘all I need you to do is stand and be the man I’ve called you to be in this house. Don’t worry about the results of the fans. Don’t worry about the results of the people who follow the music. Don’t worry about any of that. Don’t think about it. I’m going to take care of that. I’ll take care of the music. I’ll write songs through you. When it’s time for you to have a new album, you’ll have songs, because I’ll send them to you. You don’t have to worry about a thing but this house.’”
To Todd Dulaney, Jesus is All and All … for him, and for everyone else.
"He says ‘all I need you to do is stand and be the man I’ve called you to be in this house. Don’t worry about the results of the fans. Don’t worry about the results of the people who follow the music. Don’t worry about any of that. Don’t think about it. I’m going to take care of that. I’ll take care of the music. I’ll write songs through you. When it’s time for you to have a new album, you’ll have songs, because I’ll send them to you. You don’t have to worry about a thing but this house.’”
“He is the Savior of the whole world. He’s the only Savior of the whole world. When I think about that, when I think about Who He is to me, that’s the thing that comes to my mind. He is God’s Son. The only Savior of the world. I didn’t know who I was, until I realized Who He was. I had no idea what I was designed to do, until I came into a relationship with Him. And so now, my life makes sense because He is connected to and He orchestrates everything in my life. I was living life without a purpose. Being connected to Jesus, caused me to then, know who I am, and that is better for everybody around me. Now, my kids get a chance to grow up in a better environment than I did, because I learned early that I needed to be connected to my Creator. So, because of that, I pray the same for them. As they grow up, if they can get connected early, they can discover who they really are. Anybody that’s from Jesus, they don’t really know who they are. it’s not possible. You may think you do. Being connected to Jesus is the only way to know who you are, what you’re destined to do, and what your overall purpose is. The earlier you get connected to Him, the better off you’ll be earlier in life.”
"I didn’t know who I was, until I realized Who He was."
As a man who shifted careers to usher in God’s presence through worship, he sees himself as playing a role in God’s purpose for bringing souls to Christ.
“He [God] has shifted. I am 33 years old and I got direction. It is whatever He tells me to do. His desire is that all men should be saved. So with my purpose for singing gospel music, and that’s drawing everybody into the presence of God, I’m playing my role in the whole scheme of Him---drawing people, that no people would be lost. And so just being in a relationship with Him, allows me to play a small role in drawing people into a life that sets them free forever.”
All in all, Todd Dulaney would like his music to be a compass, a directional that points people, as one, in the direction of Jesus. Seeing his freedom in worship, and dogged determination to lift up the name of Jesus all over the world in worshipful praise---with the voice of one---there is no doubt he will continue to get there, bringing many with him, over and over again.
“He [God] has shifted. I am 33 years old and I got direction. It is whatever He tells me to do. His desire is that all men should be saved. So with my purpose for singing gospel music, and that’s drawing everybody into the presence of God, I’m playing my role in the whole scheme of Him---drawing people, that no people would be lost. And so just being in a relationship with Him, allows me to play a small role in drawing people into a life that sets them free forever.”
All in all, Todd Dulaney would like his music to be a compass, a directional that points people, as one, in the direction of Jesus. Seeing his freedom in worship, and dogged determination to lift up the name of Jesus all over the world in worshipful praise---with the voice of one---there is no doubt he will continue to get there, bringing many with him, over and over again.
- https://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Todd+Dulaney/a/albums.htm.
- “Former New York Mets Minor Leaguer Todd Dulaney Hits No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums.” Billboard, http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7350127/former-new-york-mets-todd-dulaney-gospel-no-1.
- Marovich, +Bob. “Todd Dulaney - Pulling Me Through.” The Journal of Gospel Music, 21 July 2014, journalofgospelmusic.com/gospel/todd-dulaney-pulling-me-through/.
- Gospel: First-Time Grammy Nominees Jekalyn Carr, Todd Dulaney, and Tim Bowman Jr. React to Their Nominations - EEW Magazine - News from a Faith-Based Perspective.” EEW Magazine Buzz, buzz.eewmagazine.com/eew-magazine-buzz-blog/2016/12/7/gospel-first-time-grammy-nominees-jekalyn-carr-todd-dulaney.html.
Music Information & Discography
Album | Year: Pulling Me Through | 2011; A Worshipper’s Heart | 2016
Album | Year: Pulling Me Through | 2011; A Worshipper’s Heart | 2016
Link(s):
www.todddulaneyland.com
Wakeelah’s Picks:
Song: Victory Belongs to Jesus |Album: “A Worshipper’s Heart” | Year: 2016
Song: Free Worshipper | Album: “A Worshipper’s Heart” | Year: 2016
Song: Pulling Me Through |Album: “Pulling Me Through” | Year: 2011
www.todddulaneyland.com
Wakeelah’s Picks:
Song: Victory Belongs to Jesus |Album: “A Worshipper’s Heart” | Year: 2016
Song: Free Worshipper | Album: “A Worshipper’s Heart” | Year: 2016
Song: Pulling Me Through |Album: “Pulling Me Through” | Year: 2011
Trivia, Not Trivial:
+Who was Todd Dulaney mentored by before emerging as a Worship Leader in gospel music?
+Who was Todd Dulaney mentored by before emerging as a Worship Leader in gospel music?
Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge is a Freelance Writer residing in Chicago, IL with her husband. Her writing includes academic writing and creative writing such as fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Wakeelah likes to laugh and cry about the sweet somethings of life, and find out about the unique stories of others. She loves comedy, animation, extended metaphors, quiet times, and she is an avid listener of gospel music. Oh … and she likes Peppermint Stick ice cream!
Wakeelah has joined us as a Columnist, forming Purposeful Gospel Profiles, a periodic column. She hopes, as she interviews each Gospel Artist, to portray their purpose for singing gospel music and what it means to those who provide a musical narrative for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Wakeelah has joined us as a Columnist, forming Purposeful Gospel Profiles, a periodic column. She hopes, as she interviews each Gospel Artist, to portray their purpose for singing gospel music and what it means to those who provide a musical narrative for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
+Todd Dulaney was mentored by Grammy Award winning Gospel Artist Smokie Norful.
I Believe That Appreciation Is A Holy Thing – That When We Look For What's Best In A Person We Happen To Be With At The Moment, We're Doing What God Does All The Time. So In Loving And Appreciating Our Neighbor, We're Participating In Something Sacred. ~ Fred Rogers
Disclaimer: All claims or statements in Purposeful Gospel Profiles column were deemed truthful to the best knowledge of the Columnist at the time of publication. All views or opinions by persons featured in the column do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Columnist or Voice of One CNC Online Magazine. The Columnist reserves the right to make any changes to the column at any time.