Sound system selector Rylan ‘Scratchy’ Samuels who rose to fame on the hugely popular dancehall sound system, Metromedia, is now playing to a completely different set of fans these days. The 15-year veteran got baptised at Fellowship Tabernacle in Kingston on Good Friday.

Samuels, one of the earlier members of the sound system, could hardly contain his excitement as he volunteered to share with the congregation the joy he felt at having made the decision to serve the Lord.

An elated Samuels said he had no qualms about giving up the sound system career he had pursued for over 15 years as well as all the glamour of travelling around the world to entertain fans.

Attired in full white, a reflective Samuels climbed slowly into the baptismal pool, to stand solemnly between the two pastors.

With hands clasped as if in prayer and eyes closed the new convert was submerged in the water signifying his new birth.

But shortly before the baptism service began, a smiling Samuels raced to the front of the church, anxious to share with the congregation his reason for departing the “ways of the world” to follow a new path.

He explained that last Christmas he decided to accept an invitation to attended the Greater Works International Church where he heard the speaker preach the story of Zaccheus. The biblical character, Zaccheus, was a rich tax collector who, having heard that Jesus was passing through his town, decided to climb a sycamore tree in order to get a better view.

But Jesus, knowing he was there, stopped under the tree and asked him to come down so he could go to his house to dine with him. This caused much furore among the people who accused Jesus of going to dine with a sinner. But Zaccheus heeded the command and came down to take Jesus to his house.

But unlike Zaccheus who obeyed immediately, Samuels said that although the message tugged at his heart he never yielded that day.

Less than a month later, he said, he visited Fellowship Tabernacle and again the guest preacher taught from the same biblical passage.

“Him teach the same message about ‘Zaccheus come down’ and my brother who was beside me nudged me and said ‘are you Zaccheus’,” he said with a big smile.

This time, Samuels said he knew he had to respond as he didn’t want to run the risk of not getting another chance to do so.

“Well I know that them say three strikes and you are out so me tell meself that I won’t let the third message catch me,” he later told the Observer.

But Samuels believes there are other Zaccheus’ who need to come down and already he is beseeching other sound system selectors to follow in his footsteps.

“If I can give up all I used to enjoy, like travelling all over the world to play music for people to enjoy themselves, then a lot more selectors can do the same and come to Christ,” he said.