Modern music in churches today

[lily]

Originally Posted by n david

First, you confuse your favorite genre of music with being more anointed than another. I hate worship genre wars, where people try to pit their favorite against others. Quite frankly it's stupid.

PAW is a black organization, Tony Spell's church music style utilizes mostly black Gospel music (location and audience). Side note: I watched a service in which Tony Spell sang a song by Andre Crouch. That dude HATED Apostolic Pentecostals. Back in the late 70s, my family and some friends went to a concert by Andre Crouch where he ranted several minutes against A/Ps. Yet every church I've visited or attended has sung at least one, if not more, songs written by Andre.

Personally, I like black Gospel music. I love Saints in Praise, the old Carlton Pearson, Walter Hawkins, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Winans, and the list could go on and on.


I like the early 2000 Hillsong music. I like many of Clint Brown's songs.

Speaking as someone who has been a music director/worship leader in several churches in a couple of different states, the genre may change, but the anointing should not.

When I first began, at the church where I grew up, it was old school choruses and the Sing Unto the Lord hymnal, along with a couple of choir songs on Sunday nights.

My second church was in a small town surrounded by farms. It was still some old school choruses, with a little country gospel mixed in.

I moved to the southwest where it was Hillsong, Martha Munizzi, and Israel Houghton.

The second church here was predominately Hispanic. Welcome Marcos Witt and other latin artists.

My third church here was predominately black. I was actually called out by a sweet "church mother" who sang in the praise team because I wasn't using more black gospel and they liked black gospel music.

My current church is a small UPC church, mostly over the age of 60. They like old school choruses and country gospel.

In each one of these churches, it wasn't about the genre of music. The genre changed depending on the makeup of the congregation and their culture. But what didn't change was the worship.

Don't get so stuck on your personal preference and not worship because it's not your style. It's not about you or the style of music. It should always be about HIM.

Yes, you are correct, Tony Spell's church sings mostly black Gospel music, that is my Christian music style of choice. I most recently attended a PAW church, although it was a small church and there wasn't a choir. It was just good, heartfelt worship -- no Hillsong style music, no stagelights and dark church sanctuary, etc. We have visited a few churches (thank God we are finally able to go to church again with all this coronavirus restrictions!) and most definitely it's churches with predominantly African American congregation where I prefer the music.

For me, I'm a very musically minded person. I received the Holy Ghost while worshiping during a song service in a small UPC church back in the early 90's. It was just your typical Pentecostal church music prior to when the Hillsong craze took over. At any rate, music is a dealbreaker for me. I have to find a church that coincides with what uplifts my spirit and inspires me to get in that place of worship.

I am just saddened to see the weak, shallow, lukewarm, uninspiring Hillsong style music take over UPC churches from what I have seen so far.

I know it's about Him, but it really is so simple as to just find a church that goes along with my music taste. This modern Hillsong music style has lyrics so bad that it's just awkward. I just don't connect with it spiritually and I can't get in a zone of worship.
From the musical sense, it's like trying to force someone into new wave music to listen to and really heartfelt enjoy the terrible modern country music of today -- Just won't happen. What do you do if you're riding down the road and something comes on that you can't stand? -- You turn it off.
If I visit and see a church is utilizing a music style and fad I cannot gel with, I just check it off the list and move on to something else....