Youth Mentor and Gospel Rap Artist

Steven Benson aka Big Brother Jonah, is one of the nicest guys you could meet. I met him a few years ago when we were ministering our music at the same event. I was able to catch up with Big Brother Jonah and here’s what he had to say:

K-Mor: Who is Big Brother Jonah and how did you start working with youth?

BBJ: Big Brother Jonah is a stage name I developed through the music ministry. I read the story of Jonah in the Bible and I feel like there were some similarities between myself and him. I felt like the youth were my modern day Nineveh. I ran like Jonah from the call of Gospel rap, but God eventually had His way in my life.
I began working with the youth as a youth pastor at my church. I love to see them grow as individuals and surrender their lives to God. I always wanted to go outside of the four walls and reach out to the community, so I went back to school and after I graduated, I began exploring the non profit community based careers in which God led me to my current job at Change Happens. I work there as a Outreach and Recruitment Specialist. We are in partnership with the Obama Foundation and City of Houston to recruit young men of color that attend Jack Yates High School. The goal is to get them ready for college, prevent violence, and assist them with any academic and social needs they may have. The joy of my job is to recruit mentors who step in and help change the lives of our mentees one goal at a time. The program has been a success, glory be to God.

K-mor: What has been the most rewarding and challenging part of what you do?

BBJ: The most rewarding thing is to see the lives of young men changed by creating opportunities, giving them resources, and supporting the young men so that they can succeed and live a productive life. The challenge has been seeing some young men make the wrong decision and go down a road that you hate to see them travel. You give them warning but the destruction is the only thing that catches their attention which is unfortunate.

K-mor: When did you know that this was your calling?

BBJ: I knew this was my calling when I was younger. It was just God’s spirit that put a will in my heart to minister to people, especially our future generations. Plus I have had great examples in my life. I must pay it forward. My mother and father are my pastors and they have raised me to put God first.

K-mor: What is your why?

BBJ: The Why is because I have a revelation of the cross. I am a child of God and His sacrifice for my short comings through death, burial, and resurrection makes me joyfully in debt to His call and purpose for my life. I want to hear Him say Well Done my Good and Faithful Servant.

K-mor: How can we contact you? What are your social media and music outlets?

BBJ: You can contact me through my email: Jonah4jesua@yahoo.com, also Facebook: Jonah Benson, as well as my Instagram : bigbrother_jonah

K-mor: Where can we find more information on My Brother’s Keepers?

BBJ: You can learn more about My Brothers Keeper on our website: https://www.changehappenstx.org/my-brothers-keeper