The modern protestant, evangelical church in America and around the world has become very successful. It really has become quite the phenomena. There are many megachurches that have thousands in attendance along with many large and smaller churches imitating their pattern for success. These churches have beautiful facilities, multiple ministerial staff, and a plethora of programs for every age and stage of life.
But if you were to take away one component of the modern church, I believe the church would shrink dramatically in size.
Churches today are really nothing like the successful churches in the past. If you were to step back in time just 50 years to 1969, you would find almost nothing that would compare to the modern day megachurch. You could go back as far as you wanted past 1969 and also not find churches that were similar to our present day congregations.
So what has really changed in Christianity and the churches. In times past in our nation, church was more of a local entity. People usually attended churches that were close to their home and could be reached in a relatively short amount of time. The churches were generally not that large and people enjoyed being in a congregation where they knew most of the other members. But today people travel long distances to attend large churches and often only know a few people in the church on a personal level.
To look at a general, overall history of the church in America and how it has changed can be done rather briefly. Up until the 1970’s, churches were very similar to how they had been for years. But after the moral revolution of the 1960’s, many things changed in society. The denominational churches that had been so constant in people’s lives, began to lose membership. They failed to provide the answers to people’s problems after the dramatic changes that came about in the morality of the nation in the 1960’s.
A movement began to sweep the nation that commonly became known as the charismatic movement. This started in the pentecostal churches and affected all churches at some level. At this time, many independent churches started. These new churches crossed denominational barriers and attracted people from those groups along with other previously unchurched people.
After several years of success, some of the denominational churches started to make changes to copy the new charismatic churches so that they could regain some of the size and numbers that they had lost over time. They did not necessarily duplicate the tongue speaking, healing services, and supernatural manifestations that the charismatic churches were known for. But they did copy one of the other components of those churches that actually made them look very similar in their worship meetings. They not only duplicated this component, they took it to a whole new level.
And without this component, I believe the modern day church in America would be vastly smaller than it is today. This component has dramatically changed present day churches from yesteryear. What is it you say? Well think about it. The preaching has been similar for generations. Each denomination or group of churches have their particular emphases that they have always had. That is what separates them from other churches. Each church still has programs for different age groups in the church. Most churches still take up an offering and support other like minded ministries and missionaries outside their church. The majority of churches still are involved in doing some good in their local communities. In all these ways the church has not changed significantly.
But here is what has dramatically changed. And another interesting thing about this change – it is very similar in all the churches. It is the music. That’s right, the music of the church has changed dramatically in only the past 50 years. And you can go to churches that disagree in doctrine, practice, style, and other beliefs, but you will find a great similarity in the music that you will hear.
Let’s talk about why the music in the church is such a significant part of what happens now. We know that music has always played a role in the lives of God’s people, from Old Testament times all through the New Testament to present day. But why now does it seem to be so significant? This started with the advent of the new music that came into the culture in the 1950’s. This music went by many names but is most commonly referred to as Rock music, based on the term rock n’ roll.
The Church was not prepared for the significant changes that came into American culture during this time of turmoil. Actually the deadness of the Church is what allowed these changes to come so quickly. And once these changes came, the Church lost significance. So that opened the door for what was known as the Charismatic movement. Over time the Charismatic movement lost its uniqueness, so then there was a need for something new.
Since most adults from the 1980’s forward had grown up with the Rock music beat, they were familiar with it and accepted it to some degree. And there were some in the church who wanted the Rock music without the other components that usually accompanied it – things such as drugs, immorality, rebellion, and freedom to think and feel how you wanted. These music pioneers wanted the music without these problems, so they thought you could take the music, Christianize it with good words and the right message, and it would be acceptable. And as with many new changes, it started with the youth.
Eventually over time this music became the essence of worship. It began to dominate the new churches that began to emerge. The meetings of the church now consisted of mostly music with less time for sermons or testimonies. Song leaders were replaced with worship teams. The atmosphere in the sanctuary’s became similar to concerts or movie theaters. Drinks and food were allowed into the meeting, often being sold or distributed in the lobby just outside. Along with the music came videos, skits, plays, dramas, dancing, and all forms of entertaining ways to present the gospel message.
So here we are now in Christianity. Almost every church has been affected by this modern day phenomena. And there are a very few groups of Christians that have taken a stand against it. The reality is this music is so readily available, that many of the members of the churches that do not allow it in their meetings, listen to this music in their personal life. In other words, there are very few Christians who do not listen to this “Contemporary Christian Music.”
If this music was taken out of the churches, what would happen? We can learn something from history if we look back a few years. England, along with much of Europe, at one time was considered Christian. But what happened? The Church lost its influence and society began taking a different turn. Actually much of the rock music influence that swept America came from England. If you were to go to England during the 1970’s (and for many years after that), you would not have found any large churches existing. When Christianity lost its significance there during that time, the churches essentially lost their membership. And as the years went on, many English people stopped even identifying with any church even though they were raised in the church. This is what would have happened in America to the churches if it were not for the Contemporary music.
As a side note, this brand of Christianity which is driven by the music is finally catching on in England and there are churches now starting to crop up that are growing in attendance.
So what is the problem, you ask. The problem is this music comes from Satan. It stirs up lustful thoughts and desires, and produces wrong actions in the people who play it and listen to it. The results are more divorces, more immorality, more irresponsibility, and more selfish interest; which leads to bitterness, loneliness, depression, and even suicide. Just look at the ones who produce this music to see what it produces in their life. All of this is opposite of what Christ wants in our life.
