Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dreamsinger
Well Joe F., having a "heart for service and worship" is a great thing especially when you have no other choices but it doesn't do much to ameliorate the "suck" factor. As sad and cynical as it may sound, the quality of musicianship has a bearing on the attendance, and by extension, the financial health of a church. I got that little tidbit straight from Jesse Duplantis. Sorry, but that's what I think OP was talking about.
|
And I'll concede that you do have valid points. I guess it boils down to what a church has for it's priorities. If church attendance growth and increasing the pot in the collection plate is the goal, then by all means, hire John Mayer for your guitarist and Marcus Miller for your bass player. I do agree that the music can be lacking in some cases just due to lack of talent.
To further the point however. Let's say say we have to choose between pastors, one who is a man of God, has a heart for service and worship, loves his congregation, loves his Lord, but is not the greatest public speaker. He may hesitate between points, lose his place etc.. That may distract some from worship, but they get past it. The second pastor is just a highly skilled public speaker. He doesn't care whether the message is true or not, it's just his job to deliver it with flair and polish. He is witty, can keep you on the edge of your seat with his anecdotes etc.., but could care less whether you are understanding the message. I've seen both. I'll take the first one with all his flaws.
In our church, we have made the decision that we will not make doctrinal sacrifices in the interest of attendance. We see every member of our music team as a Worship Leader/Minister, meaning they cannot lead worship unless they themselves are worshipping. This takes priority over their skill level. We had a drummer stop by one day and tell us he wouldn't mind playing with us. He had no beliefs of convictions of any kinds however and said that he would more often than not want to leave as soon as the music was over. He may have been a great drummer, but he was not qualified to be a worship leader.
I have to work with a bass player who has 9 months experience, a drummer who is 15, and a pianist who is classically trained and had never seen a chord chart in her life before she came to play iwth us. Still, we turn out some great music, which is part of the message and a function of worship, not of entertainment and showmanship. The song "Walk By Faith" in my sig, was done by this rag tag band of amateurs. The sax player is an accountant. It may be popcorn bubblegum fair to some, but it's just a sampling of a wide variety of music we have tackled, practiced, and mastered, all for a common cause.
Your preferences may vary, but again, it's all a matter of what you are trying to accomplish and I don't judge or fault you for your thoughts and opinion.
Off to do some of that music right now actually! Cheers.