One of the most confusing things for me, as a musician is trying to figure out the logic behind many conservative Christians (especially us Baptists) who preach long and hard against all forms of CCM music, and yet view Southern Gospel Music (of all kinds) as the music of heaven. Many of the very arguments they use against the “CCM movement” could easily be used (and justifiably so) against Southern Gospel. I recently visited a church that was looking for a youth pastor, and they and I were considering whether or not I was right for the job. During the interview with the pastor and the assistant pastor, it was very clear that this church took a strong stand against CCM music of any kind. They stayed away from that “wordly” music. However, they loved Southern Gospel.
Well, I visited the church a few days later for the Sunday Morning service, and then the Wednesday Evening Service, and I got to experience their idea of good godly music. I was actually surprised. The choir sang to a tape/cd accompaniment and it had a very strong rhythm, in fact I would say most of the track was rhythm. As I was sitting there in the service listening to this music I could not help but wonder why they were so against CCM and yet had no trouble with the music they were using. The backbeat was very strong, the lyrics were so shallow a 4 year couldn’t have drowned, and I could barely hear the words because the music was so loud (especially the rhythm).
And yet if you were to ask the pastor why he is against CCM, most likely his answers would have been too much rhythm, shallow words, can’t understand what is being sung, too worldly, too showy, etc. etc. And yet I could easily take all of their arguments against CCM and use them just as effectively or more-so against Southern Gospel. (especially the kind they were using).
Some will point to the lives of the CCM artists, but the same can be said of Southern Gospel. Some will say CCM is all about the performer and not about God, but once again this can be said of Southern Gospel! In many ways CCM and Southern Gospel are similar, and many in the Christian music business are involved in both! So why is CCM so evil, and Southern Gospel so good? The more I study, listen, and think about this the more confused I get, or rather I should say the more I see how confused most Conservative Baptists are on the issue.
My point is not to demonize Southern Gospel music, or any type of music. I simply want to get us to think about why we take the stands we do. Our position on CCM music ought to be reflected and mirrored in our position on Southern Gospel. Why is the bass and drums okay in Southern Gospel, but wicked and ungodly when used in CCM? Why are shallow lyrics such a turnoff for CCM, but A-okay in Southern Gospel? I am not saying that we can or cannot use Southern Gospel or CCM in our churches that is not the point of my questions. Rather, I am calling for consistency in the way we apply our philosophy of music in the church. One of the greatest turn offs to the younger generation regarding church is hypocrisy. I think that there is much hypocrisy in church music today. We need to apply the same standards to our music as we do to the younger generations music. Only when we are consistent will they be willing to listen to what we have to say.
Musings on Church Music 
Vaughn I found this very interesting as I am guilty of this very thing. Mostly I guess from the church I was raised in that only sang traditional hymns, etc… I have never listened to CCM because of it, I haven't condemned it, but haven't listened to it. At the same time I love Southern Gospel. I will make a point to get aquainted with it. It seems to me that the argument about a person's motives when they write/sing a song is not applicable in deciding whether to use it in your church service. Does it honor and praise the Lord? What is YOUR motive in using the music in your service. If your motive is to inspire young people to praise and honor the Lord, then I say use it. It depends on the song. Years ago when I was in school our music teacher loved a song by Andre Crouch that was particularly offensive to me as Moses was telling the Lord to get His dirty work done another way and I stood on pricipal and would not sing it. It very much depends on the song, I will check out CCM and thanks so much for giving me something to think about, opening my eyes. God Bless from Texas, Anne Billings
Vaughn,I'd have to say that there are numerous worldly reason for the style or type of music a church uses in a "worship" service. I am, personally, familiar with Southern Gospel, as well as, CCM. Some consideration is given to "what I was raised with." I have a predominate group from Kentucky. What do they like? Southern Gospel…even a little Bluegrass Gospel. Age is another factor. My kids know the hymns, but I have one who prefers CCM, and I have one who likes both. Personal preference is another factor. Sometimes churches try too hard to be relevant, but the miss the mark of the true meaning of "worship." I have read John McArthur's "Worship: Our Ultimate Priority." Changed my personal outlook on the great debate as stated above. I want to honor, glorify, and truly WORSHIP Him. Can it be done with hymns? YES! Can it be done with Southern Gospel music? YES! How about CCM? YES!The true question for me is "Under the Lordship of our Savior, how can I best worship Him?"Our church…we blend it with hymns, as well as, a little CCM (Casting Crowns & Brandon Heath for example) with praise hymns and choruses. All I want to hear is well done thy good and faithful servant…
I am not even trying to say we should or shouldn't use CCM or Southern Gospel. I just feel that we need to have a consistent music philosophy. If you believe drums, shallow music, and heavy rhythm are wrong in CCM, then you should believe the same about Southern Gospel. Or if you feel it is okay in Southern Gospel, you should say the same about CCM.
Vaughn,Great points. I believe, after having been in an independent baptist context for a decade, that the "stand" on music (against CCM, while seemingly blind to the identical features in Southern Gospel) has more to do with sociological factors than anything else. Many of these churches are predominantly of one culture, geography, and skin color. Forms of music linked with other cultures, geographies, or skin colors are often viewed with suspicion or as subversive influences that erode the "good old religion" of earlier days. This is, of course, a broad generalization (perhaps even provocative), but I believe it has at least a large measure of truth in it. As the second anonymous commenter said, the real issue to be determined in measuring the appropriateness of a piece of music is whether it is consistent with the principles of worship given in Scripture. The legitimate "worship wars" must be fought in the are of applying Scripture (primarily from the OT) to the Church. Ironically, many IFB's who favor Southern Gospel view the Church's relationship to the OT in a way more consistent with high-church Anglicans (a characteristic also reflected in the preference for an Anglican translation of the Bible, the KJV).
Excellent point, Vaughn. Another example of the kind of logic used: a few years ago, I was in a service where, as a side note to his message, the rather elderly preacher compared Southern Gospel and CCM. His argument was basically that CCM is bad because it’s new but Southern Gospel is good because it’s older than he is.
that kind of goes along with my post on “give me that Old Time Religion”. I fear that too often our reasons for what we do are based more in tradition (that’s the way we’ve always done it) then true biblical precepts and principles.
Another thought on that is this:
CCM is the grandchild of Southern Gospel.
Where did all the early rock musicians come from (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, etc.)? They came out of Southern Gospel. There is a very real link between Southern Gospel and Rock Music, where does CCM come out of? Rock Music, so without Southern Gospel, CCM would never have existed (at least in the form it exists today).