Non-Christians Should Not Be Part of Worship Music Bands, Says Worship Professor

When a church my wife and I used to attend had nonbelievers on the music team, an unsaved coworker of hers visited and noted that it was “church lite”. Yes, it makes a difference, and you don’t have to be a firm third degree separationist to get this.

I don’t think many people at SI use “worship bands.” Most of us probably do something radical … like congregational singing. The fact a Christian publication seriously has to ask whether someone has to be a believer in order to worship God through music reveals how divorced many Christian congregations are from reality, and from God.

While I understand (and agree) with Matthew Westerholm’s reasons for why he believes his article on Desiring God is necessary, it’s shameful that this even has to be argued out loud.

If someone believe that it’s okay to have a unregenerate heart lead God’s people in the worship of God on God’s day, then that person shouldn’t be allowed to be in a position in which they are asked to make those kinds of decisions.

[TylerR]

I don’t think many people at SI use “worship bands.”

We do. We offer both “traditional” and “contemporary” services. Our overall attendance is typically about 20% traditional, and about 80% contemporary.

[TylerR]

Most of us probably do something radical … like congregational singing.

False assumption (that attendees at contemporary services don’t or won’t sing). Our attendees sing heartily and loudly, at both types of services.

[TylerR]

The fact a Christian publication seriously has to ask whether someone has to be a believer in order to worship God through music reveals how divorced many Christian congregations are from reality, and from God.

100% agree. At both types of services, nobody sings on our platform or plays an instrument of any type without a credible testimony of salvation. I can’t imagine otherwise!

[TylerR] I don’t think many people at SI use “worship bands.”

We do. And once a month there is also choir and orchestra.

[TylerR] Most of us probably do something radical … like congregational singing.

We do that, too.

[TylerR] The fact a Christian publication seriously has to ask whether someone has to be a believer in order to worship God through music reveals how divorced many Christian congregations are from reality, and from God.

I’ve known churches that only use a piano and maybe an organ who regularly employ unsaved musicians to play the instruments. My unsaved brother-in-law has made a decent living doing that for more than 20 years.

My church has a small group that plays the newer tunes, including a doctor’s wife who loves playing the drums. I tease the youth pastor that he needs to trade his accoustic in on a Stratocaster a la Wayne Campbell. Isaac Watts just screams for some power chords from time to time. (no, I am not kidding….you could do “When I survey” as a heavy metal power ballad a la “Home Sweet Home”)

The one quibble I have is that given that the root words for “worship” refer to prostrating one’s self, I hesitate to call it a “worship band.” “Praise band”, sure, “musicans”, absolutely, but “worship” isn’t the right word IMO.

Have you not been reading my cautionary tale, Bert? :)

I was hoping for some absolution because that’s not the song that the pastor that wrote the book you were referring to was thinking of. :^)

And I actually used to make fun of the group by pronouncing their name with the umlauts as best I could. The sound is comparable to your body’s response when you have some bad potato salad at a picnic. #hazardsofGermanclass