Any of you music ministers ever had this problem?

From what the OP said, the couple tried to talk with him through emails... if I am understanding correctly.

It probably could have been handled better by all.

 

Yeah, it is one thing to email on the baptist board. It's another thing at church--that is live body stuff. Don't rely on your deep business to be done by email---that is avoidance.

 

They specifically expressed a reservation about prerecorded accompaniment when they joined the choir. They expected to be able to minister without violating their consciences.
Instead of respecting them and their convictions and working out a solution privately, you put them on the spot with the choir "vote" and expected them to accede to your will, and peer pressure, and violate their convictions.

 

I don't know SFIC, I think they took good advice on this one;

Mt 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

In this case the Pastor is considered the Church. I would suspect the Pastor also knew the people involved and made a decision as the Lord placed it on his heart. Hopefully their non-envolvement is their way of agreeing with the Church or it might be best they move to a Church more in line with their belief.

 

In the choirs I direct, the members generally have no say in music selection. I pray and sek God's guidance on selection of music and its appropriateness for its place in the worship service or program.

A choir, or any other team, needs to function as a "benevolent dictatorship." Everyone in the choir knows that we do a variety of music and there may be some things you don't like and possibly things you do like someone else will not. We work for the ministry and not ourselves.

I am sensitive to this issue, but it's my job to make those decisions through personal prayer and in consultation with my pastor . Generally, I don't give options as to what we sing, when we sing it and if we use keyboard, trax or orchestra/band for accompaniment.

As a leader of choirs and other groups, I occasionally put things in that I personally do not like style wise that meet the textual and Biblical requirements.

The poster should talk with the face to face but not change plans for two people. Anyway the use of accompaniment trax are not theological or Biblical issues. This is at most a personal style issue.

Tim

 

:applause: :applause:

Well said. :thumbs:

 

Churches shouldn't be a tyranny of the minority.

 

Yes I am confused because of post 8:

 

The problem is that the publishers, even though they are Christians and consider what they do a ministry, are in business to make a profit.

I have no problem with this, they deserve to make money. Yet, it would be nice if in the accompaniment realm we had more options than trax, piano or full orchestra.

 

There is no scriptural precedent for absolute unanimity in all issues.

Aaron came into this discussion with an agenda.

The pastor has allowed this to go forward. What's the problem?

Oh, I forgot...the agenda.

 

Absolutely. My agenda is equity, justice and judgment.

Poodle (is this a guy?) came not to seek advice, but to find validation for his defacto judgment, that the couple are "troublemakers" simply because they have a conscience toward jazzy music in the worship of Christ, and the CCM group jumped on board to condemn them, as they usually do, without knowing the situation. I've never known anyone who expressed their reservations concerning the genre to have been fairly represented by the opposing side, and I seriously doubt it's happening here.

Isn't ironic that though the CCM side consider themselves more Scripturally sound, spiritually mature and free of the traditions of men, they are loathe to comply with the first principles of spiritual worship? E.g., that all that is done in worship be done for the edification of all.

In this thread they have asserted—vociferously—that there is nothing biblical or spiritual about their choice of music, it is merely their personal preference. And so you see what they are willing to do to a couple's conscience merely for the sake of their personal desires. Talk of agendas! And at Christmas time at that.

This isn't Christian at all. If Poodle (again, is this a guy?) can't put together a Christmas program in which all can participate in good conscience, then maybe he's in the wrong position. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of consideration and creativity can accomplish.

 

Sorry, no.

Your agenda is to malign anyone who listens to what you call "CCM." (an elusive definition, BTW). In re-reading this thread...you claim folks pile on the objectors. The overwhelming view I saw was to listen to what the pastor says. Find something wrong with that (you can't).

And I repeat, once again, my ignored statement:

There is no scriptural precedent for absolute unanimity in all issues.

Sorry that blows your "equity, justice, and judgement" to smithereens. I'll help you clean up the mess.

 

The error is obvious to the most casual observer. Scripture trumps the pastor. A primary duty of the pastor is to support the weak.

Second, the overwhelming view is really the contempt in which you and others hold this couple, not true laborers, troublemakers, trifling. So, yeah, I find the advice in this context wholly wrong, self-willed, cold and not anything remotely Christian.

Unanimity is irrelevant. Unity and deference in all matters of conscience is a mandate of love. Where you sin against a brother in that, you sin against Christ.

 

As I said, if you aren't creative enough to put a Christmas program together that all in good conscience can participate in, then you're in the wrong position.

By the way, would you be kind enough forward me the email address of this couple. I'd like to hear their side.

 

Precisely.