‘This is not your grandma’s church.’ Viral church video causes controversy in metro Atlanta

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A viral church video is creating some heated debate in metro Atlanta.

Bishop William Murphy of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta played two rap songs during the New Year’s Eve service.

“There’s a church that gets me, which was the whole point of the ministry,” Murphy told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.

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The video showed people dancing to ‘Walk it Out’ by the rapper Unk and ‘Swag Surfin’ by Fast Life Yungstaz.

Wednesday, Murphy said he played the song as a reference to the Book of Acts, Chapter 3 in the Bible.

In that chapter, a lame man gets help to get up and walk.

“We were talking about 2024 being the best year of your life so far, but there was a responsibility to watch the prophet and then to work the prophesy and the will of God was to walk it out,” Bishop Murphy explained. “And that’s why you saw people with their arms around each other. It was come what may, we’re walking this thing out together,” he added.

But there was some pushback.

People posted comments on social media that said secular music should never be played inside of a church.

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One person wrote, “There’s no way to justify it.”

Another person voiced her support and wrote, “This man is an awesome Bishop, and the younger generation gravitates to his church.”

“When people walk into our sanctuaries there should be something they can relate to,” Murphy explained.

Murphy said he played the clean version of each song.

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