You could not help but notice the trend of the past two decades. Numerous churches began offering worship services with different worship styles. It is not unusual to see a church post its times of worship for a contemporary worship service, a traditional worship service, and an occasional blended worship service.
The trend was fueled by two major factors. First, many churches were fighting worship wars. The great compromise was creating a worship service for each faction. Unfortunately, that created divisiveness in some churches as each faction fought for its preferred time slot. Second, some churches had a genuine outreach motivation. Their leaders saw the opportunity to reach people in the community more effectively with a more indigenous worship style.
Though I am not ready to declare a clear reversal of the trend, I do see signs of a major shift. It is most noticeable among those congregations that have moved from multiple worship styles back to one worship style.
So I spoke to a number of pastors whose churches had made the shift back to a singular worship style. I asked about their motivations for leading their congregations in such a direction. I heard six recurring themes, though no one leader mentioned more than three for a particular church.
- Multiple worship styles created an “us versus them” mentality. Worship wars did not really end with multiple approaches. In some churches the conflicts were exacerbated because those of different preferences did not interact with each other.
- The church did not have the resources to do multiple styles with quality. In many churches, inadequate resources meant one or all of the services suffered. It was deemed better to put all the resources toward one style of worship.
- The church moved from multiple services to one service. I heard from a number of pastors who have led their churches back to just one service, a move that naturally necessitates one style. Some did so to engender a greater sense of community; others did so due to excessive space in the worship center.
- The Millennial generation has influenced many churches. This generation is much more flexible in its preferences of worship style. They are questioning the need of multiple styles.
- Worship wars are waning. Many congregations with multiple worship styles created them as a response to worship wars. Now that the conflicts are waning in many churches, the need to segregate by worship preferences is no longer necessary.
- Multiple generations are becoming more accustomed to different types of church music and worship style. Contemporary music, in some form, has been around a while. It is not this strange aberration it once was to many congregants. And many church members who did not grow up on traditional worship are hearing those hymns in new and meaningful ways. Simply stated, there is a much greater appreciation for different forms of church music than in the past.
Again, I am reticent to declare a major trend to be taking place. But, anecdotally, I am seeing more congregations move to the singular worship style approach.
I would love to hear your perspectives. If you have any specific information about this trend, please bring it to this community so we can all benefit.
This article was originally published at ThomRainer.com on November 23, 2015. Thom S. Rainer serves as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and seven grandchildren. Dr. Rainer can be found on Twitter @ThomRainer and at facebook.com/Thom.S.Rainer.
Back in the early 2000’s I realized that leading the church, I was serving, to move to multiple musical “styles” was a mistake. God is not worshiped with or by style but in truth and spirit. Music is one medium with which to express our praise, worship, confession, laments and attributes of God
As we were moving toward building a new building for corporate worship, we began the somewhat painful move back to one service and one “style”. I realized that we could use a variety of styles, old songs and new songs in one place to express, with our unique voice, to sing His praise.
give me reverential worship over worldly rock and roll any day. A Holy God is worthy of serious reverence not flippant casual rock and roll. We are to be different from the world not identical.
The separate or multiple services does separate the church membership into ‘cliques’ and the body of Christ should be united. I agree with your points you have stated, but also must say people are self centered not Christ centered when they complain about the style of worship. I do not think God complains whether we stand up or sit down or knee down to pray to Him. We should focus on Who we are worshiping and not how we are worshiping.
I must state that I have my preference of hymns, because that is what was done as I was growing up. But, when contemporary are sung, then I just figure it is not ‘my’ time…it is HIS time.
Where have we, as Christians, missed this? It is like ‘what color of carpet’ mentality.
Lord, help us as we learn to praise and worship you for Who YOU are!
I rather appreciate this response. Selfishness is, and always will be rampant, and a major contributor to why and how things are done the way they are. To have the maturity to say, “this isn’t my time” is HUGE! Thank you.
I am really sorry most worship services have congealed to one music in worship….modern choruses. While I have nothing against them, I always leave the service hungry for something more. It is sad to me that we have largely abandoned a wide range of music possibilities in church. I am much more uplifted by “How Lovely Is they Dwelling Place” by Brahms than by the 6-note range of a chorus. And, if an old hymn is sung, it is usually melodically unrecognizable in the chorus format. All these genres share the same message. I love Mozart and Bah. but I can co-exist with all the modern radio Christian music as well. I jut think we are narrowing our perspectives and losing a vast array of music that God can bless.
Two points:
1. The issue is worship . . . not just singing songs. I can sing songs by rote without ever engaging my mind, heart, or spirit. If you dare to look around when the singing is going on (yeah, I know . . . unspiritual), you can often see a sea of song-singers and a few people that look like they mean the words that are coming out of their mouth. Is that a judgement? Maybe . . . but I’ve had lots of conversations in my life. I know what people look like when they are expressing thoughts they are passionate about. This is true about any style of music in the church.
2. One of the things that has changed about lyrics in this age is to whom the words of the song are addressed. I love the old hymns, but I must deal with the fact that they were often written as songs of testimony. Is that bad? Of course not! But as a worshiper I must make a mental decision to not stop with telling the people around me that “Jesus is Mine”, but to make that the confession of my heart to the Father above. Contemporary music is more often written with lyrics addressing Heaven rather than man, so in that sense, it requires slightly less redirecting than do hymns. But either can be sung so mindlessly that you have to wonder “What’s the point?””.
In summary, I don’t really care what the music is. I usually attend a service with traditional hymns, but I’m perfectly comfortable in a contemporary service as well. But I have found that worship from the depths of my being breaks me, brings me to repentance, and leaves the plowed grounds of my heart ready to receive the truth of the Word. Just singing songs – traditional or contemporary – does none of that. So before we argue about the style of music, let’s make sure we are talking about worship and not just singing along with an old familiar tune while our mind is set on getting out early enough to beat the other church to the restaurant.
Very well stated Fred.
Thom,
I think you are correct in your assessments. I completed my doctoral work on intergenerational worship and feel this is the most biblically sound method of worship. I would add one other thought to your list: It seems to me that some of this resolution is from natural attrition of those who were holding firm to personal preferences. Without vocal pressure, issues will tend to resolve themselves. Sadly, this is often after damage has been done to Christ’s church.
Ronnie,
I’d be interested in your findings as I am doing some doctoral work in the same area. Would you mind emailing me? Thanks!
brandonjhardin@gmail.com
I think you hit the nail on the head, Dr. Reid. The damage has indeed been done. I hope that Christ focused worship will one day return to the church. Far too much focus on the “seeker” instead of the Master type of modern worship.
Yes, yes.
Amen, Dr. Rainer! I’m so encouraged to hear this! Though I do not question the sincere motives of those church leaders who segregated their congregations by musical style, I have never felt comfortable with it. We have managed to hang on to one “blended” musical style in two morning worship services throughout this season, and I believe it has served our congregation well by bringing everyone along on the worship journey together. And I agree with Linda (above) that we should strive to use the best of all the art at our disposal to help our congregations bring their offerings to the Lord.
I love this trend, I love intergenerational worship. We are to prefer one another in worship- following the Great Commandment even when it comes to our preferences. One generations shall declare His works to another- this can happen in worship gatherings where God is the focus.
Thom. An interesting article that seems based more on hope than evidence. Even the comments above show that worship wars are not waning. For some churches falling numbers will necessitate fewer services but as long as there are large and diverse congregations there will be the desire to accommodate all tastes.
This is a very complex issue, but I’m not sure I agree that times are changing now. Between fifteen and twenty-five years ago, Baptists started following the lead of Rick Warren and Billy Hybels as they told us how we needed to get rid of everything we ever knew about church and do what they were doing. They were attracting big crowds and big offerings. Baptists began to go with the flow. Fast forward to about five years ago–Dr. Al Mohler wrote a fascinating article about Saddleback and especially Willow Creek. Their members felt as if they were not growing in the faith and maturing spiritually. Church leaders were going to do more “research” to see why. Dr. Mohler pointed out that there was little interest in what God’s Word might have to say about the situation. Rick Warren even had an article on his website under “Pastoral Helps” that described in detail “How to Transition an Established Church”. After I read the lengthy document, I understood what was taking place in so many churches. Very subversive in my opinion. More like a how to manual for a hostile takeover. You are all free to disagree with my assessment.
The church has been charged with reaching the world with the message of hop and salvation through Jesus Christ. We should try creative means to reach the lost. However, we must be careful and diligent not to turn God’s church into a social event, an entertainment venue, a symposium for the arts, or another social service organization.
The worship wars have been a very painful and unnecessary time in recent years. I’m sad to observe that there is far too much entertainment in the modern church. People are watching the music instead of being a part of it. Congregational singing has been almost non-existent in recent years.
Some of the worship wars are settling down, but not before the damage has been done. God’s people are divided and often scattered for the sake of ‘following the trend”. When churches stop acting like businesses trying to sell a product to a given demographic, maybe healing and restoration can begin.
For the record, I lean traditional, but not exclusively so. I’m not afraid of new things. I am regularly discouraged by the overall decline in the quality of worship over the last twenty years. I’m only 46, but I have LOTS of changes. Worship is not about ritual or the lack of it. It shouldn’t be strictly classical any more than it should be strictly rock and roll. “Praise” and “worship” should return to more biblical definitions as opposed to a marketing ploy for a musical style.
Just my thoughts. I have no grudge with fellow Christians that disagree with my opinions
My church has all three services and I think that reflects Ephesians 5:19 where it talks about pslams, hymns and spiritual songs. Why should we move to one worship style when everyone is different? I think we have to watch out to be Heavenly minded and not worldly minded. My parents church hates contemporary worship so they stick with more traditional worship. I would never attend that church for that reason and if you look at the age of their congregation, it skews to Seniors. Even if that is good for today, do you want that for tomorrow? They are going to hit the wall on growth and then figure out, that meeting the needs of the congregation vs the needs of your community are two different things. What you are really saying is “To Hell with the community, this worship meets my needs”. Billy Graham said that 75% of the church is unsaved. When we listen to the disgruntled, how many of them truly speak from a heart of reaching others?
As a Minister of Music since 1991 (associate 4 before) and the “Last Boomer”, I have been in 3 churches, the one now for the second time. God With Us greatly influenced my ministry and how I looked at newer songs much in the same way I believe Alleluia did the generation before me. As such, I have led a singular “style” (really a useless word) or better, a single worship plan in each church, even with multiple services due to space constraints. I have contended for this approach all along the way due to reasons #1 and it’s deeper root which I believe is this…it’s not Biblical other than when Paul and Barnabas parted ways due to their disagreement over Mark. Is that really the Biblical basis we should do ministry? My only caveat is that each body of believers should follow the Lord’s leading for them in what they sing and how they accompany it (the REAL issue). Be who God wants you to be. Just don’t look around and say “You are doing it wrong”. Selah.
Dare I say that 2 factors in the “one service” trend are death and maturity.
If I look at the church I grew up in, most of the hardliner “traditionalists” are dead, and those that are still around have seen the faith of the “contemporary” crowd in action for long enough to realize that it is genuine and, rather than continue to critique, appreciate the faith that has grown in them, thus overriding the “contemporary” stigma.
At the same time, many of the staunch “contemporary” supporters have matured, and appreciate the lyrical integrity of hymns, and the beauty and excellence in the music, even when it is “traditional.”
I think that a natural resolution is what is coming, a clear realization that there shouldn’t have been factions in the first place, and a chance for both sides to find a compromise as neither was 100% right or wrong.
Excellent thoughts, Travis! The only other issue that I would add to your excellent observations is the indicator of demographics. Some things can’t be measured, but church demographics isn’t one of them. If your congregation is holding firmly to some prescribed music tradition and your church’s nursery is vacant and the youth department is used more by grandkids than kids, you might have to wonder if you’ve missed the part about “become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some” in 1 Corinthians 9. Mature believers (not the exact same thing as older folks) are willing to lay down their “rights” in order to reach people for Christ – just as Paul did. I could tell you a story about a true saint of God in his 8O’s that set aside his personal preference in music because of the life he saw being manifested in the teenagers through contemporary music. I pray to God that I will be found as selfless as that dear man.
I’m not crusading for contemporary music . . . but I am crusading for not allowing music to be a stumbling block when either reaching the unsaved or ministering to our young people who are young in the faith. Otherwise, the local churches will grow older and ultimately close. I’m sure all of us can look around and see that scenario playing out at the local level.
Travis–I appreciate your comments and your experience, but not every church has that same experience. I hold ministerial staff responsible for their role is causing the divisions that you mentioned. When the change in worship style came to our church, it was the result of a small number of people that came into our Baptist church from Assembly of God backgrounds. They were able to gain favor of some of the ministry staff and suddenly, those people’s tastes became more important that the rest of the congregation (400+ people). Our congregation is not divisive by nature, so they went along. A small group of people did what the Minister of Music wanted and he couldn’t care less what the vast majority of the church wanted. Within five years, every person that demanded the church be changed to suit their tastes has gone somewhere else in search of their latest passion or fad. They leave behind a discouraged group of committed servants in need of healing. I am VERY glad that your experiences have been much less hurtful than mine. I just want to point out that all experiences are not good ones. The worship wars are beginning to mellow, but their effects will be around for some time.
Worship style conflicts are sadly often the result of church leaders following the latest trends in music or whatever. There are endless books and aids out there to “help revive your church”. The Bible, the Holy Spirit, and prayer often take a back seat. Worship should be focused more on God and less on the “seekers”–regardless of the style chosen. The seekers are beginning to find out that what they asked for was not necessarily what they needed.
Being a semi-professional musician, and raised in a traditional Baptist household, I can honestly say I am thrilled to hear there is a move back toward a one-worship style. Contemporary Christian Music had a good run, but it’s time we collectively move back toward sacred traditional – worshipful – music and service. Being a drummer, CCM wasn’t all that hard to play, had a number a rehashed lyrics, rhythms, beats, melodies, etc It got to be you couldn’t tell one song from the other. MOST CCM songs are 4/4 straight up rock and roll. CCM brought with it a glamour and glitz of a Broadway show – the stage was set up for a show, instead of an honest-to-goodness worship service. Too many stage props, too many colored lights, the stage had to be “balanced” etc. What exactly are we striving for here? A Broadway production, or a worship service?
It got to the point where I was gigging with a secular band one night, then playing in a praise and worship band the next morning at church and had difficulty distinguishing the two. The beats were the same! Plus I have to mention the mentality of the “average” young praise band leader. Egotistical, cocky, know-it-all, only knew 4/4 praise and worship rock and roll. It is getting to the point of young worship leaders delighting in finding a stage and audience in which to perform; the “look at me and what I can do” mentality. The “rock star” mentality. Plus most young praise and worship leaders refuse to “lead” the band like traditional ministers of music; instead they must play guitar and stand at a microphone like rock stars – all the attention on them – expecting the rest of the band and choir follow their lead – just like a rock concert. It’s like they are rock star wannabes.
As a CCM musician for 5 years, I’ve been there, done that, got the T shirt. I’m done. Give me Traditional worship service any day.
I think I really started to question CCM when some knucklehead took “Amazing Grace” a hymn hundreds of years old, rewrote the style and changed it into a rock song and gave it a rock beat. UGH! All I can ask is Why??!?
Thank you for this article and the responses. These have all encouraged me greatly today. As a Music Minister with 30 years of leading worship, I have been greatly troubled by all the things I have witnessed happening in churches over the last, say 10 years concerning worship. I have always believed in and practiced a blended style of worship. Everyone needs a way to express his/her praise to our Lord. For some people it is through hymns for others it is through more modern music. Both can live together very well if handled with prayer and great care. Thank you again for all these words. This has brought me more encouragement that you will ever know!