DMX will be posthumously ordained as a minister later this month in a ceremony that honors both his enduring spiritual legacy and his lifelong struggle to reconcile faith, pain, redemption, and purpose.

The late hip-hop icon, born Earl Simmons, will be formally ordained on Saturday, January 10, 2026, during a special service held at Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, a 164-year-old sanctuary known for its deep historical and cultural significance. Scheduled for 3 p.m., the ceremony will take place inside the historic church, which once served as a critical stop on the Underground Railroad, offering refuge to enslaved people seeking freedom.

Founded in 1860, Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church is among the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregations in Westchester County. It has been designated a historic landmark due to its vital role in abolitionist efforts and community leadership. Hosting DMX’s ordination at this site adds profound symbolic meaning, linking his personal journey toward spiritual liberation with a space long associated with resistance, resilience, and hope.

The service will be led by the Gospel Cultural Center, which is honoring DMX not for traditional ministry behind a pulpit, but for the spiritual work he carried out through his music, public prayers, and raw expressions of faith. According to the organization, DMX’s artistry functioned as a form of ministry that reached millions who may never have entered a church.

“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, giving voice to struggle, repentance, and hope.”

DMX, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 50, built a career defined by emotional honesty and spiritual vulnerability. While widely known for his gritty anthems, aggressive delivery, and street-centered narratives, his work consistently created space for prayer, confession, and moral reflection. He famously opened live performances with spoken prayers and often closed albums with deeply personal invocations that revealed his ongoing internal battles between darkness and faith.

For many fans, DMX represented a rare figure in hip-hop—someone unafraid to publicly acknowledge weakness, doubt, and the need for divine guidance. His willingness to confront his flaws while still seeking God resonated deeply with listeners navigating their own struggles.

The ordination ceremony will include scripture from Acts 17:31 and is expected to draw a diverse audience of hip-hop fans, clergy members, cultural leaders, and community residents. Those in attendance will gather not only to honor DMX’s artistic influence, but also to recognize the lasting spiritual imprint he left on a generation that found solace, truth, and faith within his music.