Meet Alwayne Channing Allen | Worship Pastor and Chaplain

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alwayne Channing Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alwayne Channing, what do you want people to remember about you?
Legacy. That’s something I think about all the time. Ever since I was a child I always heard my parents, other family members and friends say that I was a special child. I believed it then, and I still do now; although I think it manifests itself differently. Back then I was considered special because I was very intelligent beyond my years; I started walking and talking early (by baby standards); skipped a few grades on my way to high school, and went to college at 15 years old. Now I look back and I often like to joke and say that I was very smart early on, and then it was just the momentum carried me through college.

Now, none of that really matters. I’m not the most articulate person in the world. I won’t wow people by the things I say. But what I am, and what I will always strive to be, is a person who cares about how I make people feel. Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In everything that I do, I always seem to be in tune to how the people around me are feeling, and I seek to make space for them to express their emotions.

As I create music, I want the words and melodies to acknowledge the emotions and experiences of those who listen. I come from a religious background where often people experiencing pain and difficult situations are told to simply “pray about it” or “Just trust God.” and that’s that. I, however, want to be remembered as a person who would consistently create space, where faith and emotions could intersect without one invalidating the other and people can honestly and fully express themselves without fear when they interact with me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At the beginning of 2022, right around my 30th birthday, I decided I wanted to give being an artist a real shot. I had been pursuing a career in chaplaincy (spiritual care), but in all my chaplaincy experience, I always seemed to integrate music into my practice. In the fall of 2021, I wrote a song called “I Am With You”, which is a song that highlights the pain I had been experiencing, directing all my tough questions towards God. However, instead of a quick fix, it’s as though God responds to each question and circumstance with a reminder of the constant presence with me–even in my doubt, distrust, and lack of clarity about what is happening in my life. This message resonated with me in a deep way because as a chaplain, I learned that many times (most of the time to be honest), I could do nothing to fix the situation for those I spoke with other than be there, listening and validating the emotions being expressed. Most times, it helped those I served, and I understood that in many circumstances, it may be the same with God, for reasons unbeknownst to me. It brings some reprieve to know that even in the worst situation, I am not alone. I felt this was an important message to share with the world, so I recorded and released the song on May 27, 2022.

It has been very difficult carving out a path as an independent artist. It is quite expensive to make music, and you need money not only for the production, but also for promoting it to the world. The age of social media does help, but you still need resources to build a following. I am seeking to network and meet more people like me to find ways to continue to produce more music. I’ve also learned that the creative world can be like a proverbial hamster wheel as well, because there is internal and external pressure to produce more after you share the first project.

My brand of music is Christian, and a mixture of worship music for people to sing, as well as songs about life experiences for people to relate and reflect. In all my music, I strive to be vulnerable, in the hope that people will be able to relate to the emotions and experiences I share in my music. I believe more Christian music that acknowledges people’s feelings without invalidating them is necessary, and I want to be part of the solution to fill that void.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the DC Metro area, which has quite the variety of options for people to enjoy, ranging from the best brunch spots, museums, improv and more. One of my favorite places is the Historic Old Town in Alexandria, VA–just outside of DC. There are lots of fabulous restaurants, it’s right by the water, and the houses are beautiful to admire. There is always live music happening somewhere in Old Town, and if you like it in the day time, you’ll like it even more at night. The cuisine is really diverse and I like to try them all, so it’s hard to pick! There are some really nice Thai spots, and I am a sucker for some good Thai food. Thai Signature Local Thai Street Food and Bar is a place I’ve visited a few times, and Sisters Thai is another fabulous spot.

There are also a number of trails that are nice to hike or bike that I like to visit. Great Falls in McLean, VA is one I’ve gone to a few times. The National Harbor is also really pretty and a fabulous spot for dates. You can ride the Ferris wheel, ride a water taxi, or check out the Gaylord Hotel.

If you’re a big comedy fan, you definitely want to check out the DC Improv. Saw Tony Baker there and it was a hilarious time! There are always concerts happening too so lots to see and to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout New Life Fellowship and the team I served with on the campus of Andrews University from 2017 – 2020. New Life was the place where the leader and creator that was always inside of me that I tried to suppress was given the push and the space to emerge and to thrive. It was also the place where I learned what vulnerable leadership looked like and how to build stronger interpersonal connections.

It was at New Life where I rediscovered my creative passion in music as the Worship Pastor and where I learned how to show up vulnerably and authentically, even in the midst of testing circumstances in my life. It’s where I learned that I didn’t always have to be the “strong friend” and it was okay to ask the people who cared about me for help when I was struggling.

I discovered spirituality that was more free in my pursuit of God than what I had grown up with, and developed a more open spiritual identity as a Christian.

Website: https://linktr.ee/alwaynechanningallen

Instagram: @alwaynechanningallen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alwaynechanningallen/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6_UPBKIN1c4fV-fih6SUKw