The Future of Christian Music?
Because I’m very fortunate to speak at a lot of christian churches, conferences, and other events, I get a chance to hear a lot of christian music. In general, christian music can be broken down into the following categories; contemporary christian, gospel, southern gospel, urban gospel, holy hip hop, and traditional hymns.
To be more specific though, you can break christian music down to black christian music and white christian music. Many people don’t want to talk about this, but that’s the current state of christian music and it’s been that way for a long time. It’s race-based and is mostly influenced by places like Nashville and Detroit in the United States. Even when I preach at a Latino church, the praise and worship is mainly contemporary christian(white); it’s just being sung in spanish.
Even christian radio is segregated. Rarely, does a ccm station play urban gospel and never have I heard a black gospel/urban gospel station play ccm. As a matter of fact there aren’t very many black gospel/urban gospel stations, but mostly shows that last about two hours weekly hosted by Be Be Winans or Dr. Bobby Jones. Why is it that in this multicultural reality, christian music is for the most part, race music? This shows how far behind christian music is compared to so-called secular music.
Secular music has transcended race. A black artist like Seal to some sounds white, while Pink sounds black. A white rapper named Eminem is one of the hottest artists in what is considered a black and urban genre. Yet, we expect our multicultural, christian youth today to value christian music over secular music. You may want to push back at me (and you’re welcome to), but christian music is held captive by race and we don’t want to seem to talk about it. My theory is that this is done by secular record industry powers to keep christian music a second class genre and we need local church folks to fight against this reality.
Most christian record labels and other companies have been sold to larger secular companies. Find a christian for profit and it’s most likely owned by a company headed by someone who is not a christian. Maybe this explains it. Or maybe it’s because many christians don’t want to have healthy and real discussions about race, business marketing, and power and its impact on christians.
There is hope though. There are christian artists such as Toby Mac, Israel and New Breed, John Reuben, and Kirk Franklin who are being bold enough to cross race lines and create kingdom music. This must be the future. We must move beyond christian music enslaved to race, to a more liberating genre. I will this call kingdom music. Kingdom music is christian music set free, designed for all God’s people, also able to reach all lost people. Can I get a amen? Now what we need is a group of non profit kingdom music record labels that won’t sell out to secular companies. Can I really get a amen?
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Pastor Efrem-
Thanks for posting about this!!! It is such an issue facing the church that needs dramatic transformation.
This is one of the reasons I’ve given up listening to the “white” Christian radio station in town… the only time they’ll play Kirk Franklin is when he’s featured on a Toby Mac song (and maybe they played “Imagine Me” a few times)… but come on radio stations. I just don’t get it.
What needs to be done to make positive change in this area? How can we, as consumers, let our voice be heard about this issue?
Miss you & the fam in Mpls,
Lorie Crandall
I totally agree with you. Given the fact that Christian music is an industry and a business, I think the change will only come as there are more Christian independent artists become more business like–taking control and doing things on their own. Taking a page from the book of Cee-Lo–and let’s not forget Jay Z chapter one book 2: Both of these men were rejected by the powers that be initially. (Cee Lo was rejected by both labels catering to African-American and Caucasian audiences!) But they were unswayed—because they had a vision. Just my own thoughts. I very rarely listen to Christian radio because of the music that’s on the air waves. Just my point of view….
Is “Art imitating Life?” What we are seeing in the Church is a mirror image of the worId. I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I thought the other day, it hasn’t always been like this. In the late 60’s or 70’s everyone loved the Bee Gee’s, James Brown and Mahalia Jackson. Something happened and a racial line and economical line was drawn.
In my opinion the Church must be able to lead with truth and transparency in this area. It is unfortunate but often Her self preservation overrides Her desire for a reconciled body. God’s love through us must drive out greed, injustice, need of acceptance by man and visual judgment.
I say we tell the truth in love. Every great biblical mentor took their steadfast stand to change the nations. The Bible says out of the mouth the heart speaks. Let us pray, so that what we sing will be an imitation of all God’s art and His life.
I love you brother, but once again you’re pushing the agenda you feel is necessary for you to have significance. I’ve been a Kirk Franklin fan for years and I can tell you it has NOTHING to do with race. I don’t believe there is an effort to keep “black Christian” music off the air waves. It is simply a matter of what people ask for and request. I disagree with you that somehow another Christian, in order to be fully spiritually developed, needs to embrace Kirk’s music or any other style of music they might not otherwise enjoy. From what I hear, you and I have very similar music tastes, but I think it is arrogant to impose them on others as a gauge of their spiritual maturity. You do this quite often, most times with your own political opinions. I have listened to many of your sermons and, while most of the time I feel I have gotten something from them, many times you spoil them with your own political views. This is your blog and you certainly have the right to express your opinions, but to stir the pot for some type of racial conspiracy about black Christian music is damaging and very self serving. I think the term “far fetched” is an understatement of your over-reaching effort here to somehow bridge a racial divide that does not exist.
You are right and I look forward to praying for your ministry. Check out my alum Jesus Love let me know what you think thanks!
Peter,
i don’t know you but I do think you mis-understood Efrem’s point – The problem isn’t a person’s musical taste, no one is saying to be a mature christian you need to like a certain, or even all types of “christian music” The problem is that radio stations (and other venues for promoting christian music) are segregated, and much more racially segregated than their secular counterparts.
True, to one extent, stations play what people ask for… but then again most white evangelicals who only listen to the ccm station, are exposed to other christian music expressions. So ccm stations have listeners who only ask for the basic white-bread assortment, because that is for the most part ALL they see as their choices to choose from. The result is the majority culture continues to believe that “white christian music” is the NORMAL.. and all other cultural expressions are variations, and not in some way quite as valid.
Having worked in “Christian” institutions of higher-ed – I saw this problem first hand, kids would come to the college expecting only ccm types of music, and believing all else is at best a deviation and often seeing it as an annoyance, yet never really embracing it as an equal expression of worship, praise, or testimony – they could also be welcomed to embrace.
Come on – top 40 pop stations have learned to cross the color divide and our society is more musically integrated as the result – We are the unified “body of Christ” Right? why can christians seldom lead society in such ways? Christian concerts could be great venues form the body of christ to come together across race-class-culture – instead because of how music is marketed and concerts are promoted, christian concerts are as segregated as our churches.
BTW – it was Jesus’s social views that got him killed. He advocated a source of radical forgiveness and love that threatened the political and religious power systems. Religion that does not touch political or social views is personal piety that selfishly clings to ones emotional high while also believing in their intellectual superiority. All the while, watch the rest of humanity drown in the fecal material of a sin sick world.
Amen and amen Pastor Efrem! I long for that day too for Kingdom music to break the divides created and perpetuated by Nashville and Detroit. We miss you in Minneapolis! I hope Cali is treating you good. God bless you and your family.
Peter Shu
Minneapolis, MN
the blog used just a few examples of the secular music industry departures from racial divides in music. and then moments later, the blog used just a few examples of the christian industry departures from racial divides in music. lost your point with that.
and, there is a larger market in hispanic and latino music here in the west than you are letting on. the generalities have hurt your points.
That hit it exactly. In MN the most urban KTIS can get is a few Toby Mac songs (Really pushin the envelope here) and KMOJ on Sunday morning is not better.
There is the famous quote “Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week in America.” And I think our Christian music exemplifies that perfectly.
I’m a black guy from the Caribbean. I’m a worship leader/ Reggae Hip Hop artist. Some have said that I’m liberally gifted as a worship leader. I can do the CCM thing. It’s very obvious to me that I don’t fit because of my race. On the Hip Hop side I don’t always feel welcomed either because I’m from the Caribbean and I’m not African American so hence I’m not Hip Hop. I’m not white enough nor not black enough.
I’m 100% convinced racism plays a part in Christian music. Racism is about money and power. No one is giving up money and power for the Kingdom. Good luck with that wish list Pastor E. The only way things will change is by revolution. Unless people are openly rebuked they’ll sucker you into useless meetings in back rooms that lead to nothing because they that hold the money and power have already agreed on the out come without you.
Peter the fact that you are elevating what people like over what’s right is the core of racism. In essence, why should we give up our money and our power for something we don’t like? That vision is narrow and minimizes the value of what others bring to the Kingdom. And yes any homogeneous church sitting 15 miles from any urban city is the model of spiritual depravity.
All the suburban youth love hip hop, yet suburban festivals no hip hop, unless it’s Toby Mac or John Rueben (White). These guys are in no way remotely close to being the antidote for Lil Wayne, 50 cent or Snoop. Why is it like this? Racism. In this day how can we offer kids anything else other than diversity.
HIP HOP IS THE GLOBAL CULTURE….HIP HOP IS POPULAR MUSIC
Hip Hop has made more money that any other musical art form in the history of the music business as we know it.
How arrogant to ignore it because you don’t like it. What about what God likes?
P.S. I like Toby’s stuff and his ministry.
I totally DIG IT! Your right on.
I will never understand what I call The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Debacle. When I saw this multicultural choir I thought christian radio would embrace them. But to my surprise both white radio and black radio all but ignores them. As an African American I am especially surprised at black radio. I thought black christian radio would embrace this choir more. They have not. Let’s be honest, I can turn on a white christian station and hear the following black people: Mary Mary (Shackles is all they play though), Nicole Mullen, Babbie Mason, Larnelle Harris, BeBe and CeCe, Mandisa, even Kirk Franklin (at times), but you ain’t hearing no white folks on black christian stations. And it ain’t all radio’s fault either. Most black folks can’t stand the music. Take the song that Kirk Franklin, Toby Mac and Mandissa sings. What is it? “Don’t wanna lose my soul?” I thought black christian radio would play this song. The popular blaqk christian station here in Atlanta may have played it once. Nobody wants to say this, but in the christian world black people just don’t want to listen to any music by white people. I give white christian radio a “C” for multiculturalism, black radio gets a “F” a flat “F.”