Rapper DMX to be posthumously ordained as a church minister

The late US rapper DMX will be posthumously ordained as a minister in a ceremony that honors both his spiritual legacy and his lifelong struggle to reconcile faith, pain, and purpose. 

The late hip-hop icon, born Earl Simmons, will be formally ordained on Saturday, January 10, 2026, during a service held at Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, a 164-year-old sanctuary with deep historical roots. 

The ceremony, scheduled for 3 p.m., will take place at the historic church, which once served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. 

Founded in 1860, Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church is one of the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregations in Westchester County and has been designated a historic landmark for its role in helping enslaved people escape to freedom. The setting adds symbolic weight to the ordination, connecting DMX’s spiritual journey to a site long associated with liberation and resilience. 

The service is being led by the Gospel Cultural Center, which is recognizing DMX for the ministry he carried out through his music rather than from a pulpit. 

“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 di£d in 2021 at the age of 50, built a career defined by emotional honesty and spiritual vulnerability. While known for gritty anthems and aggressive delivery, his work consistently made room for prayer, confession, and reflection. He famously opened live shows with spoken prayers and often closed albums with invocations that laid bare his internal battles. 

The ordination ceremony will include scripture from Acts 17:31 and is expected to draw a wide audience of hip-hop fans, clergy, and community members.