A LEGITIMATE CHASM

This wide chasm was evident in the choices made in churches. Believers either chose a church where conservative traditional sounds were the standard or they chose congregations where only CCM songs were featured. As the conflict ensued the CCM crowd began to gain the ascendancy, even within former conservative music oriented congregations.

In order to stem the flow of exiting older saints, as well as pander to the desires of contemporary crowd, some churches began the two-service concept: one service with only traditional music, the other service with only contemporary worldly music. However, this approach essentially resulted in two churches under the same roof, divided by two vastly differing musical sounds.

THE NEW SUBTLE STRATEGY

The commercial religious music industry, which was virtually all CCM, however, recently discovered that it eliminated a hefty financial market when it removed the traditional gospel music sounds from its available menus. To bridge this chasm, and to tap this untapped financial reservoir, the CCM publishers created what might best be termed "blended worship," whereby they combine the lyrics [words] of the great hymns/gospel songs with the CCM sounds [beat/rhythms].

By utilizing this blend, CCM advocates are gradually amalgamating congregations that were formerly sharply divided over musical convictions and preferences and also gradually breaking down the staunch resistance that conservative music advocates expressed toward the CCM rock music.

Sadly so, many former conservative/traditional music only churches/pastors and professing Fundamentalist educational institutions are falling for this deceptive strategy.. The F.D. editor observed this new trend firsthand when he attended, as a Fundamentalist media representative, the massive SBC Jerry Vines Bible Conference/Pastor's Conference in Jacksonville, FL in Feb. 2005, with approximately 10,000 registered guests.

SOME CURRENT ILLUSTRATIONS

His spiritual heart wept as he heard the great old fashioned hymns/gospel songs being butchered by the rock rhythms, and as the huge crowds "bounced" in a mesmerized Charismatic type frenzy to carnal heavy bass beats [See F.D., June-July, 2006, pp. 6-10]..

This "blended" worship is the type now being employed by numerous professing Fundamentalist professing churches, including the large Trinity Baptist Church [TBC] Jacksonville, FL, where Dr. Tom Messer serves as the senior pastor. [See F.D. Dec. 2005-Jan. 2006, pp. 9-12; F.D. Apr.-May 2006, pp. 12-14]. In the TBC services, one song could be traditional, while the next song might just be far-out raucous CCM rock, with a third song that is a possible blend of the previously two contrasting rhythms. Computer users who download the weekly TBC services can easily verify this unscriptural blending.

AN EARNEST FERVENT PLEA

The F.D. editor earnestly pleads with good Fundamental pastors who read these lines to constantly alert themselves concerning the latest CCM strategies and sounds, particularly the new "Blended Worship" craze, and to ardently resist this subtle betrayal of the great hymns and gospel songs. When a pastor protects the music, he is protecting the message.

Pastors should not entrust this great responsibility to any subordinates. This does not require senior pastors to be the actual music directors, etc., but simply that pastors communicate regularly their music philosophy and music standards to associates, insisting that these standards be maintained on a weekly basis without equivocation.

Defending the correct message involves defending the correct music. The message is IN the music as well as in the lyrics. Carnal sounds will produce carnal saints! Dr. Jerry Falwell was grossly off-base when he recently stated "There is no such thing as Christian music. There are only Christian lyrics." (GCC conference, 4-20-2006)

The writer hopes this forthright admonition will not fall on deaf ears but on spiritually sensitive hearts. He is willing to take any flack for his staunch stand on this vital issue. The editor's use of a spider web for this article caption was not accidental!. Thought: "The Word and the World don't successfully mix."