After rocking the Country music world with his controversial song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” in 2023, Oliver Anthony is navigating his way out of the music industry and into ministry work.
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In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, the Farmville, VA singer-songwriter’s shared he has every intention of shifting his focus to travel and ministry after calling the music industry “a big joke.”
“I’m in the process of getting out of the music industry. It’s a big joke,” he shared. “The plan is to eventually change my entire focus to traveling ministry work. It’s all part of this Rural Revival thing,” he explained of the project focused on “revitalizing rural farms and communities, promoting sustainable development, and improving the quality of life for people living in rural areas,” per his website. “I just have to go at it in baby steps since it’s completely DIY.”
Anticipating possible pushback from fans, Anthony shared he’ll “still be releasing music,” but will “be set up legally as a ministry.”
His ministry goes through Rural Revival include connecting those that “have just gotten out of rehab, with PTSD, and people who are depressed and suicidal” with the outdoors. He hopes to expand their worlds “outside of a system that has just kind of been placed on us as a generation.”
See the full video below.