When you meet Paulis Sanchez (pronounced Paul-lease), you can say “Hello” or “Hola,” and either way she’ll have a warm, friendly conversation with you. Whether it’s English or Spanish, Sanchez manages to connect cultures all the time with her unique Latin Gospel music ministry.
As a longtime worship leader at Rhema Christian Ministries in Toronto, Canada, Paulis is used to singing for the English language Sunday morning service, followed by the Spanish. Her church is a great reflection of Toronto itself: multi-cultural and dynamic. What makes “Colombian-Canadian” Paulis stand out even more is that she sings in a black Gospel style. Musically, her sound is “like a combination of Israel Houghton and Martha Munizzi in a Latin package,” according to Mark Weber of ChristianMusicDaily.com.
Born in Toronto to aptly-named parents Jesus and Gloria Sanchez, Paulis lived in South America for several years as a kid. At age 8, at the request of a neighbor’s invitation, she and her mother went to a revival meeting, where they became Christians. As a teenager, Paulis moved back to Toronto, where she went on to become a church worship leader, something she has been doing for more than a decade now.
Around 2005, Paulis first walked into a recording studio. That lead to her 2007 album, “Seguro En Ti (Safe In You),” a Spanish-language collection of songs, many of which Paulis wrote or co-wrote. “Seguro En Ti” enabled the singer-songwriter to travel the world, ministering the Gospel in Canada and the U.S., along with Latin American and Europe.
Growing as a recording artist, more recently Paulis recorded a live album, “Mi Alma – My Soul,” a bilingual follow-up to “Seguro En Ti.” Produced by Nashville’s Roger Ryan, a Grammy-nominated producer known for his work with Cece Winans, Shirley Caesar and Take 6, with production assistance from Renee Rowe and Virgil Stafford, “My Soul -Mi Alma” is a unique concoction of black Gospel, Latin rhythm and rock music, complete with covers of songs by Hillsong United, Ron Kenoly, and the Newsboys. Perhaps the most touching cover, though, is Kari Jobe’s “Healer.”
“The song ‘Healer’ really connects with people, especially after I’ve shared about my personal life with an audience,” says Paulis. “I experienced deep emotional pain from broken relationships, financial crisis, and loneliness. Having lived through that, you begin to understand that all you have is God.”
Paulis especially connects with women who need a transparent message of hope, as she’s a living example of God’s restoring grace. “I went through a recovery process, finding who I was truly in Christ,” she says. “I went from depression to healing, from feeling bad, alone in my house one day, to telling thousands in concert my story, from a point of love. God enabled me to do that, because my biggest fear was sharing deeply personal details of my life with the ‘church culture.’”
It was at a Nashville women’s conference where Paulis had a major breakthrough as both a person and an artist. Invited to sing in front of hundreds of pastors’ wives and female church leaders, she decided to open up and tell her story. She didn’t intend to speak that day, but the Holy Spirit tugged at her heart.
“I was amazed and surprised by God after sharing my story with the women,” says Paulis. “Hundreds of women came up to the altar and it turns out that many of them were dealing with issues of brokenness regarding their close relationships or their own self-esteem.”
Paulis decided she wouldn’t be ashamed to share her hurts and healings with audiences from then on. “Church culture teaches that we’re to be perfect,” she says. “We’re usually not allowed to show people we’re weak, we’re human, but it’s when we do acknowledge our mistakes in front of other believers that we can find forgiveness, healing and restoration.”
On stage, Paulis speaks and sings from her heart, sharing about her own personal journey, going through life with God. She likes to show audiences how God uses people’s weaknesses as their strengths so that He may be glorified.
“The core of who I am is a church singer,” says Paulis. “My album, ‘My Soul Mi Alma,’ is congregational.”
Recorded live at Evangel Temple in Toronto, “My Soul - Mi Alma,” features the song “Eres Tu,” a duet with Integrity Music’s Freddy Rodriguez, and effortlessly weaves together lyrics in both Spanish and English. “My Soul - Mi Alma” is an album that is not bound by language or culture. It helps position Paulis as a bridge builder between people of different cultures and backgrounds, while also capturing what Paulis does best— sharing her passionate heart with an audience, and helping them connect their hearts to God’s heart and presence.
“In You Jehovah,” a song Paulis wrote, sums up her ministry well—inspired by Psalm 31, the song is what she calls a “declaration of trust.”
“I want to share with people that they can find safety and shelter in God,” she says. “When you put your trust in God, giving Him your heart and soul, He, in turn, offers you hope and grace. Through my music ministry, I want more and more people to know that.”
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