Updated March 9, 2006 (first published November 8, 1997) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) –

I often hear from people who are broken hearted that contemporary music is taking over their churches. Let me give an example of what is happening among those who only a short time ago would have nothing to do with Contemporary Christian Music.

Liberty University was founded by Jerry Falwell decades ago when he was an independent Baptist preacher. He once had high standards for music in his church and school and on his Old Time Gospel Hour program, but that is no longer the case, and this exemplifies what is happening on many fronts.

By the 1980s Falwell had adopted the “music is neutral” position. Speaking at Word of Life in New York, he said, “Other than Heavy Metal and vulgar lyrics, it’s all a matter of taste and has nothing to do with Christianity.”

The October 1997, issue of Charisma magazine reported that “Jerry Falwell Is Now Open to Charismatics.” The report mentioned that Integrity Music, which is very influential in spreading the contemporary music and which rose out of the Charismatic movement, is planning to record a live praise and worship album at Liberty University. The editor of Charisma, Stephen Strang, said that FALWELL ADMITTED THAT “YEARS AGO HE WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THIS TYPE OF MUSIC IN HIS SCHOOL.” Strang continued, “Now Liberty is not only co-sponsoring Integrity’s live recording, IT IS WORKING WITH INTEGRITY TO ESTABLISH AN INSTITUTE THAT WILL TRAIN A NEW GENERATION OF [CONTEMPORARY] WORSHIP LEADERS IN LYNCHBURG” (Charisma, October 1997, p. 122).

The popular Christian rock band dc-Talk was formed on the campus of Liberty and has returned to the school from time to time to perform rock concerts. The three members of dc-Talk met at the charismatic Heritage USA when Falwell was attempting to rescue the PTL Club after Jim Bakker was arrested. The origin of this rock group, therefore, is related to the compromise of Jerry Falwell in associating with the worldly/unscriptural PTL Club. After dc Talk was formed, they were allowed to sing at a Liberty University chapel service (Calvary Contender, July 15, 1991).

Some of dc-Talk’s musical role models are the Beatles, David Bowie, and The Police, all of which are wicked secular rock groups. Kevin Smith of dc-Talk said that he listens to mostly secular rock music (Flint Michigan Journal, March 15, 1996, p. B19). dc-Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” They have also performed the drug inspired song “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix and the rock song “All Apologies” by the secular rock group Nirvana. This group was led by Kurt Cobain, who used to spray paint “Abort Christ” and “God Is Gay” on neighborhood buildings and who blew his brains out with a shotgun in 1994. During their 1999 “Supernatural Experience” tour, dc-Talk performed “Hello Good-bye” by the Beatles, “Jesus Is Just Alright” by the Doobie Brothers, “Give Peace a Chance” by the late New Ager John Lennon, “That’s the Way I Like It” by the Sunshine Band, and “Le Freak” by Chic (CCM Magazine, April 1999, p. 55).

Yet in 1991 Jerry Falwell said: “During Toby, Michael, and Kevin’s tenure at Liberty University, it was obvious to me that God had great plans for these three young men and their powerful program...” (Calendar magazine, Spring/Summer 1991, p. 8). Terry Watkins observes: “That’s quite a statement by Brother Falwell, considering that Kevin was kicked out of Liberty for a ‘drinking’ problem!”

The group was praised in Falwell’s June 1996 National Liberty Journal: “This year’s top artists are Liberty University’s own dc Talk, whose Jesus Freak CD experienced never-before-seen sales figures for gospel music.” In April 1996 hard rocking dc Talk drew the largest concert crowd in the history of Falwell’s university.

On Sunday morning August 15, 2004, I attended the early service at Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church. The six-member contemporary praise and worship singing team is led by Charles Billingsley and is backed by a music group composed of a drum kit, bass guitar, two electric guitars, electronic keyboard, organ, three brass instruments and a saxophone. It reminded me of the music at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in California, which I visited in 2003. The main difference is that Thomas Road does not have the swirling lights in the background and the worship leader doesn’t have shoulder-length hair.

The sound and feel at Thomas Road was very nightclubish, with the thumping drums and bass guitar and the singers crooning into their microphones. In fact, Billingsley has traveled to Las Vegas to study entertainer Wayne Newton at the Stardust Hotel. Billingsley said he wanted to learn how to “make an audience come alive” because he loves “it when the crowd is rocking” (The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Virginia, June 27, 2004). He told The News & Advance that he also studies Elton John and Christina Aguilera “alongside his Bible” and he “admires” Sting and Phil Collins.

This church and school, which years ago stood for traditional sacred Christian music, has capitulated to the siren call of the charismatic-ecumenical Contemporary Christian Music. Now it is spreading this unscriptural philosophy of music far and wide through its students and the many churches under its influence, including large numbers of churches affiliated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International.

This is only one example of the many we could give of how contemporary music is coming into fundamentalist, Bible-believing, non-charismatic churches.

WHY IS CCM SWEEPING INTO SO MANY CHURCHES?

First, CCM is sweeping in because it is pervasive. Unless it is steadfastly resisted, it will be accepted. No church can be neutral in this battle. Even the strongest Bible-believing churches are continually tested in the area of music, and it is evident that this battle will not go away. Church members encounter worldly music on Christian radio stations and television programs and in most Christian bookstores. The companies producing this music are largely owned by secular corporations that have only one motive: profit. Nothing truly spiritual and acceptable to the Lord can come out of such a compromised, worldly, unscriptural situation.

Second, the new music is enjoyable. It is a great temptation because it is satisfying to the flesh. This is why one can draw large crowds to attend church if a very rhythmic music is provided, but many of those same people will not come to a prayer meeting or to a preaching service that features sacred Christian music. Worldly music appeals to worldly people. The sad problem is that even the born again child of God has an old nature that still enjoys carnal things, and the most spiritually-minded Christian is perpetually tempted by the lusts of his own flesh. It is easy to enjoy Contemporary Christian Music. Just relax and allow the flesh to have its way.

Third, CCM is the easiest way to draw a crowd. Pastors are tempted to let down the standard for the sake of increasing the attendance and making the church more popular in the community. If he does not have his eyes directly upon the Lord of His calling, a pastor will think he is in competition with other churches in the area. How can a church compete with Contemporary Christian Music? Only by providing the same type of music. Pastors all over the land are falling prey to this temptation. 

Fourth, CCM is entering homes and churches through the children’s music. The vast majority of Christian music published for children is syncopated and jazzy. Even some of the newer Patch the Pirate tapes are troublesome in this regard. (See the article “Be Careful about the Newer Patch the Pirate Tapes” under the Music section of the End Times Apostasy Database at the Way of Life Literature web site -- http://www.wayoflife.org.) The following warning is very timely and important: “If you raise your child on seemingly innocent but worldly jingle sounding music they will have a definite thirst for the CCM sound when they become a teenager. You won’t be able to say, Oh, now that you’re older let me teach you what good music is all about. It will be too late. You need to give them a standard of excellence and spirituality from their earliest years” (David G. Parker, Music in Our Contemporary Christian Culture, 1997).

Fifth, CCM is entering the churches through specials and background tapes. Contemporary Christian Music is entering into fundamental Baptist and other fundamentalist Bible-believing churches through the specials. First, this happens when there is a poor choice of music on the part of those performing the special. It is not uncommon to find church members singing popular CCM songs as specials in churches that otherwise stand against CCM. I have witnessed this on several occasions as I have traveled on preaching trips. CCM is also entering the churches through background tapes used during the specials. These tapes frequently use snare drums and an electric bass guitar to produce a rock backbeat. It is not uncommon that the music on the tapes is performed by professional musicians that are not even professing Christians or by the same ecumenical-charismatic crowd that produces the popular Contemporary Christian Music. One of the largest distributors of background tapes is Soundtraks, based in Oklahoma City. On May 31, 2001, I talked with Don, who works in the production department at Soundtraks, and he plainly told me:

“We don’t have any spiritual standards for the musicians. Some are out of Nashville. They don’t have to go to any church. We just use good musicians. The same musicians are used for Southern Gospel and Contemporary.”

Sixth, CCM is entering the homes and churches because it is kin to the contemporary Southern Gospel to which so many are addicted. Much (though not all) of Southern gospel has always been akin to boogie-woogie. The late Bruce Lackey, who was the Dean of Tennessee Temple Bible School in the 1970s, played the piano professionally in bars before he was saved. He often warned that much of the Southern gospel music would be right at home in these licentious environments because the rhythm is the same. Boogie-woogie is boogie-woogie, regardless of the words that accompany it. Boogie-woogie arose from the same sleazy side of the 1920s and 1930s juke joint culture as rhythm & blues. It is sensual dance music and is not fitting for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Music that fits the bar scene is not fit to glorify a holy God. Further, Southern gospel has deteriorated rapidly in recent decades and has become increasingly akin to secular rock music. The backbeat has gotten heavier. The popular Southern gospel groups have gotten worldlier. The Gaithers and The Imperials are prime examples. They have adopted the music and the fashions of the world. Some of the men in these groups have grown their hair long like a woman’s, and the groups use hard rock music. They have also become increasingly ecumenical. I attended the National Quartet Convention (NQC) in 1999 with press credentials, and the main evening shows were little more than rock concerts. I observed that most of the 12,000 or so attendees were middle-aged or older. Fifteen years ago, most of the people in this crowd would not have enjoyed the music they heard at the 1999 NQC. What has happened? They have allowed worldly contemporary Southern gospel musicians to lead them, little by little, into a love affair with sensual music. Many church members who would never listen to Petra or dc-Talk or Audio Adrenaline, listen to the same rock beat through the Gaithers, etc.

HOW TO KEEP CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC OUT OF THE CHURCH

How, then, can churches keep the new music out?

1. MAINTAINING SPIRITUAL STANDARDS FOR MUSIC IN THE CHURCH BEGINS WITH THE PASTORS. We believe that in many ways “everything rises and falls on leadership.” It is not enough for a few of the church members to have high standards of music. If the church as a whole is to be protected from the new music, the pastors must understand spiritual music and must have strong convictions and high standards in this area. This must be reflected first of all in their own homes and in the lives of their children. Pastors and deacons do have a greater responsibility to keep their families scripturally sound. God requires this of them. See 1 Timothy 3:4-5, 10-12; Titus 1:6. Those who do not maintain proper scriptural order in their families cease to be qualified to lead the churches. A school principal recently testified to me that he had to tell the teenage children of deacons and pastors in his own church that the music they brought to a church activity was unacceptable. This type of thing will eventually destroy the standards in the church. If the church in general has good standards for music, yet the young people in the homes of the leaders are listening to worldly music, the standard overall will break down quickly. Those young people will set the spiritual tone for the other young people. The parents who try to maintain high standards of music for their children are undermined if the young people in the church leaders’ homes flaunt those standards. Further, it is hypocrisy for a pastor to refuse to allow Contemporary Christian Music in the assembly, yet allow it in his own life and family.

2. THE PASTORS MUST TRAIN THE PEOPLE ABOUT SPIRITUAL MUSIC AND MUST WARN THEM OF THE DANGERS OF WORLDLY MUSIC. It does not come “natural” for God’s people to reject worldly music. The flesh enjoys it, and the flesh is ever present. Church members must be trained in the area of music just as they must be trained to understand sound doctrine and to win souls to Christ and to have a fruitful Christian home and to practice holiness in every other area. To be effective, the teaching must be very plain and it must be applied so that the people will understand exactly what types of music are helpful spiritually and what types are detrimental. Wise pastors will use every tool available to help the people understand these matters. They will make good literature and video presentations available. They will bring in speakers who are effective in teaching about Christian music. This is not an insignificant matter. Music is one of the most powerful influences in this world. Note the following statement by the Bible commentator Albert Barnes: “Dr. Johnson once said, that if he were allowed to make the ballads of a nation, he cared not who made the laws. It is true in a more important sense that he who is permitted to make the hymns of a church, need care little who preaches, or who makes the creed. He will more effectually mold the sentiments of a church than they who preach or make creeds and confessions” (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Ephesians-Colossians). The pastor that ignores this issue does so to the spiritual detriment of the church for which God has made him responsible.

3. THE MUSIC PERSONNEL MUST BE CAREFULLY SELECTED. If a church is to keep Contemporary Christian Music out of its midst, it must be extremely careful about the selection of people who are involved with the music. This includes the music director, church musicians, those who provide special music, and the choir members. The best way to be certain that all involved with the music are committed to maintaining the highest spiritual quality is to have written standards and to go through these regularly with all music personnel. Everyone should be trained in a spiritual philosophy of music and should be fully prepared to recognize and reject worldly music. They must be committed to this philosophy before they are allowed to be involved with the church’s music “program.” The leaders cannot merely assume that the music personnel understand and agree with these things. The only Christians who understand the issue of Christian music properly are those who have been trained to understand it. This comes back to the responsibility of the pastors to teach these things. If there is not an ongoing training program pertaining to music, a church will quickly deteriorate in this area, because the pressures to use the new music are constant. Further, the music people must lead by the example of their own lives. If a song director uses sacred music in the assembly but enjoys contemporary music in his car and home, his example will have a powerful effect upon the church family. I know of one church that used only excellent music in the services, but one of the key music personnel loved jazz and other forms of carnal music privately. The young people, particularly, pick up on this kind of double standard.

4. THE HIGHEST STANDARDS MUST BE MAINTAINED FOR WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE CHURCH. One of the most important and effective ways to maintain high spiritual standards of living in a congregation is to have the highest standards for teachers and workers. These are the members who most significantly affect the church body. What they believe and how they live and what their goals are has a large influence on the spiritual climate of the entire church. If a church’s teachers and workers listen to worldly music, other members will doubtless follow their example. And how can a church know what its teachers and workers are doing in these areas unless it has written standards and makes certain that the standards are enforced? I have heard pastors say that it is not their business to involve themselves in what the people listen to and what they watch and what they do “in the privacy of their own lives.” That philosophy is both unscriptural and unreasonable. It is unscriptural because the Bible says the pastors are placed in the church “to watch for your souls” (Heb. 13:17) and for the perfecting and edifying of the body (Eph. 4:11-12). How can a pastor watch for the souls of his church members unless he knows what they are putting into their souls? How can he perfect and edify them unless he knows what is happening in their daily lives? Such a philosophy, therefore, is unscriptural. It is also unreasonable, because it is to say that the shepherd is not to interfere in the business of the sheep. A shepherd that does not make it his business to know what the sheep are doing is a lousy shepherd.

5. WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT SPECIALS AND BACKGROUND TAPES. We have noted that this is one of the ways that contemporary music is entering the churches. At the very least, someone should be in charge of approving any background tapes that are used, and it must be someone that is knowledgeable about music and someone with high music standards and convictions. One way to avoid this problem, of course, is not to use background tapes. Many churches have found this to be a good solution, and it avoids the possibility of people getting their feelings hurt when their tapes are rejected.

6. THE YOUTH GROUP MUST BE LED SPIRITUALLY. In their youthful immaturity young people are drawn naturally to “new” things. They also pressure their parents to weaken the family standards. In fact, those who promote Christian rock music do so in the name of the young people. They claim that the only way to reach the youth is with “their own music.” Yet the Bible says that “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thess. 4:7). The church is not in the business of entertaining young people but calling them to discipleship in Christ and separation from the world and holiness of living. It is true that what you win them with you win them to. If a church uses worldly means to win young people, those won in such a manner will be worldly. If a church has an organized youth group, it must be very careful about the selection of those that lead the youth. Young people don’t need a “good times Charlie.” They don’t merely need another buddy who will pal around with them in fun and games. They usually get plenty of that. What they desperately need, and what the church is required by God to give them, are godly, spiritually mature people that will love them and show them the path in God’s perfect will, that will call them to reject the vain, “cool” ways of this present wicked world, that will challenge them to be pure, to pull down the worldly idols from their hearts, to give themselves wholly to the service of Jesus Christ while there is still time, to yield themselves to Christ’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

I praise the Lord for the many churches that refuse to be infiltrated with worldly music. Those that are standing are not doing so by accident. And those churches that do not take a bold and biblically educated stance against contemporary music will doubtless capitulate to it sooner or later.