Christian Pace of McDonough said the goal for his music extends far beyond any fame that might come his way.
“I want them to be touched by it and not just entertained,” said Pace, 32.

Pace, known professionally as Big Chris the Evangelist, released an inspirational rap song titled “I Believe.” The song reached no. 15 on the Billboard Compilation Top 25 chart in April.

“The song is a testimony of believing in God, but also believing in yourself – that with Christ in your life, you can accomplish anything,” said Pace.

He said the song’s quality is just one of the reasons why listeners have responded well to it.

“It’s in a style that they can understand – a newer style of music, as opposed to older-sounding gospel,” he said. “It’s somewhat futuristic. It’s sort of laid-back, but not too laid-back. It has a spiritual vibe to it.”

Pace is a 2008 graduate of Newton High School. He worked as a detention officer in Henry County in 2014. Pace began exploring music as a career during his teenage years by creating songs on his computer. At the time, he had no plans to incorporate his faith into his music.

However, all that changed when he was about 15 years old. It was then, said Pace, that he received a “personal prophecy” from a female representative of Life Center Ministries in Dunwoody.

“She had no idea that I was doing music,” he said. “She just, out of the blue, told me that I would be producing and making music for the Lord. Years later, here we are.”

Pace said he was working on the song in December of 2021, when he became ill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He had to wait to go to the studio until he was well enough to finish recording the third verse of the song.

“I Believe” features fellow musician Luke G. Pace said he was initially unsure whether the song would be a hit.

He said a conversation with his music marketer, Antoine Payne, gave him the reassurance he needed to move forward with it.

“Certain people were kinda iffy about it at first,” said Pace. “We decided that “I Believe” would be the right song.”

Pace said the success of “I Believe” is significant beyond any fame which might come his way.

“When I first heard it, it was on Internet radio,” he said. “A lot of times, gospel rap is seen as the nerdy cousin of hip-hop. So, for me to be one to change that is monumental.”

Pace said he wants to use the song as a way to reach people for God’s glory.

“He put Himself in us to accomplish His will,” said Pace. “I want them to know my thoughts about God, my understanding of who God is. My mission in life is to push the gospel, and that song is a tool to help me do it.”

Pace is continuing his efforts to use his music to send a Christian message. In September he released a song titled “Turnt in His Name,” featuring 1K Phew and independent artist WestEndShawty.

Pace is also in the process of building his own gospel-rap record label, called Narrow Gate Records. He said he is open to bringing additional artists on board for the project.

“I’m all about helping people get where they need to go,” he said. “I have the tools for the artists to get out there. I have the right connections and know the right people.”

“My motivation is to push the gospel,” he added. “I feel like it’s time for the Kingdom to be seen.

For more information, visit Big Chris the Evangelist’s pages on social media outlets including Spotify and Facebook.