INFLUENCED by the music of her youth and inspired by her faith, Stacey Peckham is bringing her own hip hop church to town.
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Originally from the Narromine area, Stacey was keen to establish a church that combined elements of hip hop culture with music and religion.
Drawn to the sounds of gospel rap, Ms Peckham said she had been considering the idea for some time.
"When I did go to church I felt that something didn't quite fit," Ms?Peckham said.
"I was listening to my Christian rap and hip hop in the car and then when I got to church I would have to adapt myself to the music there.
"I had an idea that I would love a church where I would be able to get up and express myself using the style that I liked, like hip hop."
After moving from Darwin to Sydney, Ms?Peckham found America was not the only place where holy hip hop was popular.
"I found Krosswerdz Hip Hop Ministry and then The Embassy, which is a local urban gospel church based in Belmore, she said.
"There are many different elements to their praise and worship of God which include MC-ing, rapping, singing, the B-Boys and girls and even graffiti artists.
"The congregation ranged from families with toddlers to the elderly, it's like a 'normal' church," Ms?Peckham said.
Motivated to share her awareness of the hip hop culture and learn more about recording songs and her 'beats', Ms?Peckham studied music at the TAFE Yarradamarra Centre and is now studying to become a church leader.
To give Dubbo an opportunity to see what Christian hip hop is all about, Ms?Peckham arranged for Australia's National Christian Hip Hop Crew, The Commission, to include the city in their 2013 I.AM.LEGACY Tour.
The annual gospel event was founded in 2011 by The Commission and this year features popular hip hop artists from Australia and two international gospel rappers from America.
The event is free and will be staged at the Apollo House Block next Wednesday August 28 between 3pm and 5pm.
Ms?Peckham hopes to open her hip hop church to the public next year and has been renovating the old Girl Guide Hall in Narromine where her mother once taught Sunday school.
"When I get it all together it is my dream to have a space where people can come and share their faith," Ms?Peckham said.
"They can use their gift and talents for rapping or dancing and express themselves like they want."
