“Every time I speak to young people and they can relate to what I say, it reminds me that I am doing exactly what God has called me to do,” says Meisha Watson, host and executive producer at Crossroads Christian Media, and creative mind behind the Hey, Meisha! TV show and My Single Story podcast. “I was one of those young people once.”

Meisha, who recently partnered with The Salvation Army to host the 2024 Brave events for the empowerment of girls, spoke to staff writer Abbigail Oliver about being a Black Christian woman in the media industry and the value of mentorship in her own life.

Can you tell me about your background and your faith journey?

I was born and raised in London, England, and moved to Canada when I was a teenager. I went to church when I was younger, but I moved to the city to try and become an actress when I was 17. I started auditioning and performing, and stopped going to church. Nothing was really keeping me there at the time. 

Then, I met a friend who invited me to church with them. When I went back, I said to myself, “Whatever this feeling is, I want to keep experiencing it.” My career and my faith took off together, along the same trajectory. Onward and upward.

How has your faith and career brought you to where you are today?

I didn’t plan to be in ministry. My goal was always to just create art. But, as my faith developed, it was hard to make content that didn’t put Jesus at the forefront. I spent three wonderful years working at YTV and I loved my time there, but I couldn’t talk about my faith on air, and that was hard.

One day, I had the chance to visit Crossroads Christian Communications, a media company in Burlington, Ont., where I met the CEO. She asked me to pitch a show—so I pitched three!

The first show chosen was called Hey, Meisha! And I am still doing that show four years later. 

 Can you tell me about the productions you work on?

Hey, Meisha! is a Christian show for kids ages six to 10. The goal is to get the words of God into the minds and hearts of children as early as possible, and then allow the Holy Spirit to transform them throughout their life.

As a young person, my youth pastor, Kevin White from Cornerstone Christian Community Church, was an amazing mentor to me. He made the Bible relatable and accessible. And now I get to do the same thing for young people that Kevin did for me, planting that seed that makes the Bible relatable and memorable, while being a good leader to them.

I also produce and host a podcast called My Single Story. Within my own life as a single woman of God, I felt that there was a gap in ministry for singles. So, in this podcast we have honest conversations around creating a single-friendly church community and how we can equip single women to be able to live fulfilling lives where they aren’t just thinking about the next step of marriage, but rather what God has planned for them in this time. It’s not just about the good part of singleness, either. We want to hear about all of it because God is present in all of it.

In your time working in the media industry, have you faced any challenges or drawbacks? How did this impact you?

Before I got into ministry, my biggest drawbacks in my career and my life were because of my race. Working in television, I once had a bad experience with a makeup artist. She didn’t know what to do with my hair and she would colour my skin differently than my actual skin tone. I was often treated poorly.

As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve had more leadership opportunities and learned to speak up for myself. At my current network, I was able to ask for a specific makeup artist that knew how to do my hair. I feel really cherished and taken care of here.

I remember when I first came on to the set for the first time, I didn’t recognize any of the products that were on the table, and I was nervous. I thought, What are they going to do to my hair? What are they going to put on my face? But now, one of the kids on Hey, Meisha! came into the makeup room at the studio and he saw all these hair products that he recognized. To see this kid come in with a big, beautiful afro and skin, and he feels confident and excited—I’m grateful to be part of that change. 

"I want creatives to know that God is a creative God. Whatever God has put on your heart to create, go and do that." MEISHA WATSON

Can you offer any advice to young people who are looking to make a difference through their own work?

I want creatives to know that God is a creative God. Whatever God has put on your heart to create, go and do that. We’re in a renaissance of creation—of music and art, and of sharing the gospel in new ways. God blesses us with these gifts, and so we should use them.

My other very important advice is to pray. For too long, I felt like I had to pray in a certain kind of way, like everybody else. But we’re all different. We all have our own personal relationships with God. So, pray in a way that makes you feel most connected to Him. Sometimes He’s just looking for a down-to-earth conversation with you.

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