Brazil Music Star Seeks to Spotlight Jesus on Secular TV
A famous secular-singer-turned-pastor, who has shared the stage with the likes of Gloria Estefan, took to Twitter on Monday to start a campaign to get him on a secular TV program in Brazil so he can "minister in the name of Jesus."
"Guys, I'd like to step in to Eliana's program and minister in the name of Jesus!" Can I ask you to help me?" tweeted Christian Duran.
Duran, a French naturalized Brazilian who converted to Christianity in 2003 after recovering from a severe car accident in Chile, is urging his followers to go to Eliana's twitter and ask her to allow him to participate in her program.
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"Let's go together to the TV program because it will be the church going forward! It is not only one man!" Duran wrote on Twitter.
The former singer wants to participate in a section of the program that was recently created called, "There is a Gospel Singer at Home." The contest is for gospel music singers on one of the largest TV networks in Brazil, SBT.
Duran stated he knew the host of the TV program that he is trying to get on now from his days as a secular musician.
"I knew Eliana in the 'world' and performed several TV programs together with her," he explained. "She had a Bible at that time, a fact that touched me..."
In one of his testimony videos, Duran explained how he became famous and how he converted to Christianity.
He said that he was studying economy in Madrid and suffered from depression. He was a spiritual seeker and one day he dared to say, "Jesus, if you are the true Jesus, give me a job that I can be useful in this world and give my love to the entire world."
The next day, he was discovered by a headhunter, the producer of Julio Iglesias at that time, who took him to Miami to record his first CD in PolyGram Studios.
"I thought Jesus had given me the answer and I accepted," he said.
Without a Bible and having no knowledge about the Kingdom of Heaven, Duran quickly became successful and became a well-known international pop music artist. Forgetting about Jesus, his life was full of five star hotels, luxuries, limousines, airplanes, fame and girls.
Duran recalled that "he loved the glory of fame." But today, he testifies the opposite, "there is a star inside of me called Morning Star that grows proportionally with praise and worship to Jesus."
His true conversion came after recovering for four years from a car accident in Chile during a pop show at the National Stadium of Chile where he performed alongside Gloria Estefan.
"The stadium was packed. Going back to the airport, the driver slept and we crashed head-on into a bus," said Duran.
"Everyone thought I was dead but I was conscious with my legs broken and I almost lost my right eye."
In a hospital recovering for many years, the singer said he heard Jesus in his heart saying, "Do you remember, one day you told me you wanted to give your love to the entire world? However, it wouldn't be your love, but my Love."
He went back to his house in Miami and started to seek Jesus in many different religions, such as in Buddhism, with his work companion Ricky Martin, according to his testimony. But he was finally touched by God listening to the preaching from an American pastor.
After this, he went through many difficulties because of his decision to follow Jesus Christ. Despite having to leave all his fame, friends and family, he continued on his path until he built his own evangelistic ministry and became a pastor.
"Fame passes but Jesus is eternal," Duran concluded.
