An Open Letter to Kirk Franklin

Kirk,

You have been trending quite a bit lately, and unfortunately not for reasons that honor the gospel you once helped carry with integrity. Before addressing where things have gone, I want to acknowledge where things began.

I remember you as an excellent musician, a powerful composer, and someone who was largely a part of the soundtrack to my childhood. Your songs were different. They were joyful, worshipful, and innovative. They brought praise to God while still carrying energy and creativity. At the time, it was fresh. It shifted gospel music into something vibrant and accessible without stripping it of its spiritual substance.

Since then, gospel music has continued to evolve. Some expressions are beautiful and deeply rooted in Scripture. Others drift toward self gratification, sounding more like secular music dressed in Christian language. Gospel rap reflects this too. Some of it is worldly, yet some of it is extraordinary with powerful beats, excellent flows, and lyrics grounded in the Word. When I think about these shifts, there is no denying that you were one of the pioneers. You opened the door for creativity within Christian music.

But somewhere along the journey, it seems you lost your footing.

A desire to appear relatable, down to earth, and accepted by the world began to muddy the waters. This is not only a concern for you but also for many parts of the modern church. In an attempt to appear welcoming, some branches have become indistinguishable from the world. That is alarming, heartbreaking, and spiritually dangerous.

As for you, Kirk, my concern has been growing for years.

I saw the first signs in the performances. Dancing in ways that bordered on inappropriate, clothing choices that were questionable for a man representing Christ, and stage behavior that seemed more self worship than God honoring. I remember wondering, How is this honoring God? It felt strange, dishonoring, and off.

Then came the compromises.

Moments where the truth could have been spoken plainly, yet you remained silent. Opportunities to minister that turned into opportunities to please the crowd. As more Christians began to express concern, instead of softening your heart, it seemed to harden. That is a terrifying place to be because when warnings come from the body of Christ and a person still presses forward in the opposite direction, destruction often follows.

Still, none of this compared to the line you spoke publicly that shook many believers. You said, The lion and the lamb will bow before the goat.

There is no way around it.

This statement was unbiblical, unacceptable, and spiritually reckless.

Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb.

The goat has long been used as a symbol for satan.

There is no reality in which the Lion and the Lamb bow to anything or anyone at any time. And certainly, the Light of the world will never bow before any form of darkness.

 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Your flow in the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher was cleverly delivered, but the closing line revealed something spiritually dangerous. Whether it was ignorance or deception, it was wrong. Believers everywhere had the right to be alarmed.

People forgave the incident with your son. Many gave grace, believing it was a moment of weakness or family stress. But the spiritual decline since then has only deepened.

Your performances, once worship, now feel like entertainment.

Your posture, once bold, now feels compromised.

Your message, once Christ centered, now feels diluted, soft, and at times contrary to Scripture.

Then came the missed opportunity with NLE Choppa.

He publicly questioned the deity of Christ, mistakenly trying to separate the Father from the Son. That was the perfect moment to clarify a foundational truth of the gospel that Jesus is God.

Yet you remained silent.

It was as if you were more afraid of offending the world than misrepresenting Christ.

And that is the core of the issue.

It appears you are more dedicated to separating yourself from the church than separating yourself from the world.

That is a dangerous path.

I saw the same thing on Kai Cenat’s livestream. Kai sincerely asked how someone could grow closer to God. That was an open door to minister, teach, exhort, or at least offer something spiritually meaningful. Instead, you replied with a vague and indirect answer about not judging one another. It reflected the same pattern. A people pleasing response instead of a Christ centered one.

Recently, you appeared on a show hosted by an openly homosexual man. Instead of presenting the truth with compassion, you misrepresented the body of Christ and leaned into worldly rhetoric about the church being homophobic. You spoke as if Christians should never voice what we believe, as if Biblical standards are optional, and as if acceptance requires affirming every lifestyle.

Scripture calls us to truth and love together. Never one without the other.

We should never make an adulterer feel comfortable in adultery.

We should never make a fornicator feel comfortable in fornication.

We should never make a man feel comfortable in sexual relations with another man.

This is not hatred. This is Scripture.

And Scripture has never changed to suit culture.

We can accept people without affirming their choices.

We can love people without loving their sin.

We can embrace people without embracing everything they do.

And just as others are free to hold their own convictions, boundaries, and beliefs, we as Christians have that same right.

The only thing we are commanded to do is love, and real love does not require us to accept or approve the areas where we disagree. Love does not force compromise. Love does not silence truth.

A person with integrity understands this.

And real love never lies to someone about a path that leads to destruction.

This is not about singling out one sin. Scripture addresses all of them. The point is that Christians do not get to edit the Word of God to protect feelings. We are commanded to hold the line, even when the world hates us for it.

Kirk, I am concerned for your soul, not as a critic but as a sister in Christ. My heart is sorrowful because the warning signs are everywhere. I do not know whether your compromises come from childhood wounds, a desire for acceptance, or something deeper. But Scripture is clear:

A friend of the world is an enemy of God.

James 4:4

If the world loves us too easily, we must question whether we are still walking with Christ. Jesus said the world hates His disciples because we are not of the world. If the world applauds us without resistance, we may be reflecting the world more than Him.

I pray you soften your heart.

I pray you return to the narrow path.

I pray you choose God over applause.

I pray you pursue truth instead of validation.

Because the Lion and the Lamb will never bow before the goat.

But every knee will bow before Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

With genuine concern, sobriety, and hope for your restoration.

LeaSandra Albury