Contemporary Christian Music
107 Theses
A Call for Reformation in the
Contemporary Christian Music Industry
On Reformation Day -- October 31, 1997 -- Christian singer Steve Camp, called attention to the worldly condition of Christian music and subsequently drew strong criticism from the Contemporary Christian Music establishment. Camp also published a poster that contains 107 theses modeled after Martin Luther's 99 Theses which started the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Steve Camp's 107 Theses are posted on the Prodigy Christian Music web site.
Breaking CampChristian Singer Stirs Up Industry With Campaign For Change
by
Christopher AveThe Dallas Morning News
02/21/98Contemporary Christian music has lost its soul, says one of the genre's veterans. Steve Camp, a singer and songwriter who released his first album 20 years ago, has sounded a clarion call for repentance and reform in the $1 billion-per-year industry.
On a 4-foot poster mailed to nearly 6,000 music industry officials and followers - and soon to be distributed nationwide by the tens of thousands - Mr. Camp complains that Christian music "yodels of a Christ-less, watered-down, pabulum-based, positive alternative, aura-fluff, cream of wheat, mush-kind-of-syrupy, God-as-my-girlfriend kind of thing."
And Mr. Camp is not stopping there. He said that within a month he'll announce plans for a new record label that promises to produce only songs with lyrics fully supported by Scripture, give away CDs to Christian ministries and sponsor concerts that resemble church revivals.
"We cannot vacillate," he said during a recent interview. "We have to move through the fog of our society with absolute clarity, or we might find ourselves crashing into the iceberg on a spiritual Titanic."
Division in the Christian music industry has been developing for years, observers say, as artists have gained exposure on secular radio and in nonreligious retail stores.
"I think definitely it was inevitable for this perspective to come out," said Lindy Warren, managing editor of The CCM Update, an industry publication. "I think there's a lot more visibility of the industry's issues among the public than ever before because of this."
And Mr. Camp is not alone in his views, Ms. Warren said. "I think Steve has a ton of supporters," though more in Christian radio and retail outlets than within the Christian recording industry, she said.
Of course, criticism of an industry that by some standards is enjoying unprecedented success has also raised hackles.
"I think Steve needs to concentrate on his own life and not worry so much about everyone else's," said Carman, a singer and songwriter who, like Mr. Camp, has been releasing records for 20 years.
Led by longtime crossover performers such as Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith as well as newer acts dc Talk, Jars of Clay and Audio Adrenaline, contemporary Christian music is reaching more people than ever, its defenders say.
If Christian music were limited to exclusively Christian outlets, Carman contends, "We would lose a whole generation."
One veteran Christian music publicist suggested that Mr. Camp may be acting, at least partially, out of a frustration with the stagnation of his own career. Mr. Camp last released an album four years ago. He left the Warner Alliance label in 1995.
"It's a little easier to talk that way when you're not being embraced by the industry," said the publicist, who requested anonymity. "I don't see him doing anything of much consequence apart from his criticisms".
Mr. Camp, who lives in Nashville, Tenn., the center of contemporary Christian music, realizes he has offended many friends in the industry.
"I've received threats saying, 'If you keep on, we'll bury you,' " he said. "I could have committed adultery with somebody and gotten better press. I could have released a bland crossover record with Shaun Cassidy-type lyrics and gotten a better reception than this poster got."
Mr. Camp's poster contains 107 theses modeled after Martin Luther's list that sparked the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Mr. Camp said he released it after six years of study and 47 days of fasting and prayer. He sent out copies on Oct. 31, Reformation Day.
"I just didn't one weekend go to the office and say, 'Let's take on a whole city as a matter of marketing strategy,' as some people have said I've done," he said. Citing the Bible for each of his theses, Mr. Camp argues that music created by Christians amounts to a ministry and should glorify God by proclaiming God's word precisely. Contemporary Christian music "has committed a spiritual adultery in joining itself with the wayward world," a reference to secular companies' ownership of Christian music labels such as Word, Sparrow and Star Song.
Today, he said, he hears a kind of Christian music very different from what he heard during the industry's formative years in the 1970s. The newer music, he said, doesn't have much Christ.
"I remember the days when people actually sang about the Lord and weren't ashamed of it," he said. "Now it's simply marketing technique. It's simply money." He said other artists have told him privately that record labels have pressured them to leave words such as "Jesus," "God" and "sin" out of their songs.
Mr. Camp believes that if current trends continue, Christian music will become indistinguishable from secular music.
"The lines have become so blurred that [Christian] artists are taking past secular hits and saying these songs represent Christ because they sing them," he said. "That's absolutely ludicrous. It's like singing 'Hey Jude' and saying it's about that little epistle" in the New Testament.
"When an artist takes an old song like the Edgar Winter hit 'Free Ride' - and does a very poor rewrite of it - and it turns out to be the Number 3 song [on a Christian rock chart], that doesn't justify it. That song is not about the Lord; it's about a one-night stand between a man and a woman."
The lead singer of the Christian group that re-recorded the song, Audio Adrenaline, said he believes that God often works through non-Christians, including songwriters and record-company executives.
"I think God can use people, even a person who doesn't even know God, in a way to bring glory to himself," said Mark Stuart. "I think God's in control of what's happening, and I see fruit of Christian music continuing to grow."
At Audio Adrenaline concerts, Mr. Stuart said, band members share their testimony and talk about God. The group even offers an "invitation" to receive Christ, similar to those at evangelical church services. The band's first headline tour appeared Thursday at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas.
"On this tour, we're seeing kids come to Christ every night, we're seeing walls come down between generations," Mr. Stuart said. "You cannot be ashamed at the music, or embarrassed, but at the same time you can be sure they will hear the good news of Jesus Christ at the show."
Mr. Stuart does see much good in Mr. Camp's campaign. "I personally think there does need to be a reformation, not just in music but in Christianity itself," he said. "I think it's cool he's challenging people to become more in tune with what God wants."
Other observers agree with some of Mr. Camp's critique but disagree with his conclusions.
William D. Romanowski, professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College, a Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Mich., said he applauds Mr. Camp for raising important issues. In an essay for a forthcoming book, Religion and Popular Culture in America, Dr. Romanowski writes that the Christian music industry tries "to serve both God and mammon."
"The fusion of business and religious values and purposes still plagues the CCM industry. It remains something that people in the industry apparently have yet to understand, or at least publicly acknowledge," he writes.
But during an interview, Dr. Romanowski said he disagrees with Mr. Camp. "The psalmist says the earth and everything in it belongs to God. You don't have to justify doing art or music," he said. "Music can do a lot of different things beyond evangelism."
"It's actually a very demeaning view of God's creation, that music, which God created, is somehow not worthy of our participation."
Mr. Camp's condemnation of the spiritual-secular dichotomy of Christian music may not be embraced by the industry. But it has certainly caught its attention, says Ms. Warren of The CCM Update.
"I can't tell you how many requests I've had for that poster," she said. "I don't know that necessarily means all these people [agree]. I do think he's causing people to think. You know what? That's what Luther did. And that's great."
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From July 7-12, thousands of teenagers will gather in Salt Lake City, Utah - the headquarters of the Mormon Church - for the annual Christian & Missionary Alliance LIFE Youth Conference. Featured at this conference will be the contemporary Christian band, Audio Adrenaline, and Christian singer, Rebecca St. James. What is the message the teens will be receiving from these popular artists, who will be building them up spiritually to withstand the onslaught that is sure to come from the highly trained Mormon missionaries in this Mormon stronghold? The following quotes from the CCM luminaries appeared in the July issue of the monthly C&MA magazine, Alliance Life:
ADRENALINE IS PUMPING: Music rocks Alliance youth as Audio Adrenaline headlines LIFE '98 (pp. 8,9)
"Strengthening the faith of teens was also the guiding force behind SOME KIND OF JOURNEY, a book about taking seven teens on the road with the band. The idea was to take seven teens from diverse backgrounds [ed. note: religious backgrounds?] and discuss issues relevant to their generation. What resulted is a book that challenges teens to think about issues they will face, if they haven't already, like tolerance and homosexuality.
"This gives the kids a real perspective of what's going on in the world," [lead vocalist, Mark] Stuart says, "And it allows them to really study and pursue their own faith. [ed., whatever that is] The kids were sincere and got into arguments, and that's what is real. That's what life is about -- people talking and loving each other through their differences." [ed., The Dialectical Process: Thesis + Antithesis = Synthesis]
A MIRROR OF CHRIST: For Rebecca St. James the big thing is seeking daily to go after God and to truly be like Him (Alliance Life, pp.10,11)
"Rebecca has advice for Alliance teens seeking to live their lives fully dedicated to Christ: 'Actions speak louder than words. [Catholic saint] Francis of Assisi said, 'In all you do be a witness, and if necessary, use words.' We should seek to imitate Jesus.'"
"Who's Had the Biggest Influence in Your Life?
"My parents. I really respect them very much.
"Billy Graham. I respect him because of his standards. [ed., ecumenism?]
"And then [Catholic nun] Mother Teresa. I really respect her because of her servant's heart and how she continually looked at people and served them like Jesus would."It is not difficult to perceive the ecumenical agenda of these musicians. Christian leaders who hire them to minister to their youth are, unwittingly or no, permitting children to be "processed" to surrender the fundamentals of the Christian faith in favor of tolerance, acceptance and even admiration for those who preach another Gospel which cannot save sinners.
Life '98 will also feature The Supertones, a ska band ~
According to one ska web site, ska music for youth is punk-style:"Ska is dance music, a mix of reggae, punk and jazz. Ska actually began in the 1960s in Jamaica as dance music, moving on quickly to the UK in the `70s. Over the years it grew and evolved into the ska we know currently. Today, ska is fast paced dance music with guitar, bass, drums, horns, and sometimes keyboard. It ranges from hard punk-like music (a.k.a. skacore) to a jazz type ska (usually found with older ska bands)."
The Gospel According To Ska (Alliance Life, p.9)
"According to [trumpet player, Darren] Mettler, The Supertones have played with secular ska bands, like Save Ferris, and haven't experienced any problems. Two of The Supertones' videos are in rotation on cable music stations, proving that the secular world has not shut out the band or its message.Really? Then what is the message which the Supertones call "the lifesaving love of Christ"? Does it resemble Jesus' message in Matthew 4:17? "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." Or John 3:7, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Or even John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life?" Or I Peter 1:19 which speaks of being redeemed by the precious blood of Christ? Or John 5:24, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that hath sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life?"Compare the Life-giving message of Jesus Christ with the Supertones' do-it-yourself appeal to the flesh:
"Let's not candy-coat it," Mettler says, "Life is tough and there are struggles you go through, but the idea is to persevere and see the hope beyond that, to experience hope in the midst of chaos."Despite the faithful reproofs of Christians like Steve Camp, the unrepentant attitude of the vast majority of Contemporary Christian recording artists is demonstrable. Most make no attempt to even adorn themselves with the sheeps' clothing which the proverbial wolves used to wear:"Contemporary Christian music performers are always crying about the way they are being treated by fellow Christians. Brian Quincy Newcomb says of Mark Heard:[Commentary by Adrian Van Manen, author of Their Rock Is Not as Our Rock:]"'Over the years, Heard has borne the cross of critics (including us) making note of astounding similarities between his work and the music of his influences--James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, T-Bone Burnett, etc.'
"Contemporary Christian Music Magazine says of Deniece Williams:
"'In l978, Deniece laid to rest any doubts about her star potential when 'Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,' her duet with Johnny Mathis, went to Number 1 and their joint album went gold. . . . But Deniece hasn't always been in the favor of one particular group--conservative Christians. Maybe it's none-too-subtle racism. Maybe it's the nagging fear Christians have that anybody with Deniece's success is only coming into the Christian marketplace to rake in a few more bucks.'
"Craig Johnson asks about Stryper:
"'How can four articulate, intelligent young men, each with a strong Christian commitment, elicit such criticism? Isn't the issue greater than spandex and spikes? What about the message behind the metal?'
"It's sad how these fellows, who dress like homosexuals, have hairdos like female movie stars, run around with secular rock groups, and who are on the same secular rock label as the Motley Crue are persecuted by weirdo conservative Christians. It seems that Christians could back off and let these "boys" do their thing. The truth is, they are not being persecuted, they are being rebuked, chastised, corrected and reproved for their ungodly activities by concerned Christians. Christians have never been appreciated in trying to get others to fear God and follow His commandments. CCM performer's situational ethics, demands that they be allowed to pursue their desires in spite of the cost to anyone else. This causes conflict with Christians. God corrects errors in doctrine among His people." (David Cloud, Confusing Persecution with Correction, 6/22/98, citing Their Rock Is Not as Our Rock, "Is It Persecution or Correction," by Adrian Van Manen)
Are Jesus' precious lambs being slaughtered right within His sheepfold? Where are the shepherds who should be guarding the flocks?
The Lord Jesus speaks of them also:
"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." (John 10:12,13)
Carman Ministries Markets
Holy Ghost Hop
by David Cloud
What About Carman?...What about Carman? He is alleged to be a serious Christian musician.
Consider the following words to his song "HOLY GHOST HOP."Everybody used to do the twist
The mashed potato and it goes like this
The funky chicken, monkey too
There wasn't nothing' they would not do
But there's a new dance no one can stop
A leap for joy we call the Holy Ghost Hop.Now get ready, hold steady
Don't deny it, just try it
Be bold now, let it go now
Give the Holy Ghost control now.Chorus
Rejoice with a grateful heart
Rejoice to the Holy One
Rejoice, let your praises fill the air
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice
Everybody praise Him and rejoice.Hey all you brothers and you sisters too
Don't let tradition tell you what to do
Release your worries and your fears
'Cause we've been hopping in the church for years
If King David was here I know that he
Would do the Holy Ghost Hop with me.
Carman Ministries Sponsors
National Dance Convention
Carman Ministries Presents.....
The Mission 3:16 National Dance Convention
April 25th & 26th, 1998
Chattanooga, TNThe Convention
Are you ready for an action-packed weekend of fun and excitement? Join us in Chattanooga! Don't be intimidated if you've never danced--we offer beginner and advanced classes in jazz, ballet, hip-hop and lyrical. We will also be doing seminars on starting a dance ministry, the purpose of dance, Christian and secular music, and being a Christian in a secular dance environment. We will begin each day with praise and worship, and offer a brief Sunday service. This is a weekend you don't want to miss!!A message from Carman
In my 22 years of music ministry, I have found that the art of dance enhances performances by giving a visual interpretation of the gospel. Dance is ministry through movement as intended by God. I am excited to introduce to you the Mission 3:16 Dance Convention! We have gathered an ensemble of professional dancers who love the Lord and are dedicated to creating a fun and encouraging environment for people of all skill levels. So whether you've never danced or have been dancing for 20 years, this convention is for you! Come out and enjoy the fun, fellowship, and dancing! -- CARMAN
Your Teachers
Rebecca Neeley - Director
Brady Casanova Williams - Co-Director
Sigmund Johns
Aimee Patrick
Jere Engle
Jodie Fishburne - Praise and Worship leaderAuditions and Showcase
Auditions: Imagine being one of the dancers on Carman's Mission 3:16 Tour! Well, here's your chance! We will be holding auditions at the convention. You must be at least 18 to audition and must provide an 8 x 10 head shot and resume.Showcase: Here's your chance to show everyone your moves! Choreograph a 3 minute piece to be presented Saturday night in our Showcase... Participants must be registered as a student for the convention.
Convention Fees
Junior Students (7 - 12 yrs old) $110
Teachers/Senior Students (13 yrs and up) $120
(Groups of 10+ receive 10% off individual rate)
Observers (Non-dancers) $30
Chaperones $30Accommodations
Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center
1-800-841-1674
Convention rate $79/night
Call today and mention the Carman Ministries Dance Convention for special rate.
Michael W. Smith, one of the most popular Contemporary Christian Musicians, is interviewed in the May 1998 issue of CCM magazine. The unscriptural mindset of the majority of these musicians is evident throughout the interview. Consider the following excerpt:
"If Jesus was here today physically, I'm not really sure He'd be in the churches," he says in soft, measured tones. "He'd be hanging out at the bars, with the desperate and the lonely. And I don't think He'd be going in and preaching--I think He'd be going in and befriending people. ...
"For so many years it was like [groaning in mock tones], 'Oh, a Smitty concert. Preaching. Altar call. Fire and brimstone.' A lot of people put me in right-wing, blow-up-abortion-clinic categories. They think all Christians think that way, and it's not true. So when they see my show, they say, 'He's legit. I like that. He's not that right-wing guy. But he's spiritual, and he's got something to say--and he said something that deeply affected me tonight.' That what you hope for" (Michael W. Smith Engages Culture, CCM Magazine, May 1988, p. 38).
Michael Smith is trying to justify his worldly methods and music. His "cross-over" music albums and concerts are designed to appeal to both the "saved" and the unsaved.
David Cloud Comments:
Smith says he's not sure Jesus Christ would be in churches. That is nonsense, of course, for it was Jesus Christ who founded the church (Matt. 16:18) and who taught the Apostles to make the churches the center of the fulfillment of the Great Commission (see the book of Acts). This is not to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased with all churches today. He prophesied that there would be great numbers of false teachers who would lead people astray into error and false churches (Matt. 7:15; 24:3,4,11,24). The Apostles of Jesus Christ made the same warning (1 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 2:18-19; 4:1). Christ and the Apostles prophesied a great apostasy, or turning from the faith, but they also prophesied that true churches would continue until Christ returns (Matt. 28:18-20). It is true, therefore, that the Lord Jesus Christ would not be in many of the churches which exist today, because they have rejected His Word, but it is not true that the Lord Jesus would reject all churches. He promised to be with the true church until the end, and we can be sure that He is.
Smith also says he doesn't think Jesus would be preaching. This statement makes us wonder whether Smith has read the Bible. Christ befriended people, but he also preached, and he preached continually. Many of his sermons are recorded in the Gospels. When Matthew summarized the ministry of Christ, he said, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom..." (Matt. 4:23). Luke summarized his ministry in these words: "And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, PREACHING and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him" (Luke 8:1). The Apostles and early Christians following in Christ's footsteps by preaching wherever they went: "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where PREACHING the word" (Acts 8:4). The term "preach" appears 141 times in the New Testament, 37 times in the Gospels alone! The man of God is instructed to "preach the Word" in season and out of season (2 Tim. 4:1-2). We are told that God has chosen to save men by the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor. 1:21).
The passage in 1 Corinthians chapter one reminds us of why Contemporary Christian Musicians are so often opposed to biblical preaching. The unsaved hates biblical preaching. The preaching of the cross is foolish to the proud unsaved mind, and it brings the world's reproach upon the preacher. The world did not love the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ warned:
"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:18,19).
It is possible to "minister" in a compromised, worldly manner so that the unsaved world thinks one is "cool," but it is not possible to obey the Bible and follow in the footsteps of Christ and the Apostles and the prophets of old and have the unsaved world think one is cool! The Lord Jesus Christ said:
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matt. 5:10-12)
Jesus also warned: "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26).
Smith said the world enjoys his rock music and enjoys the fact that he does not preach hell fire, and so the world counts him "spiritual" and "legit" but not preachy. The term "spiritual" as understood by the world or even by the religious crowd today is meaningless. The world has no idea what true spirituality is. The world does not measure "religion" and "spirituality" by the Bible, but by its own feelings and desires and philosophies. The unregenerate world hates the preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and the true preaching of the Bible, because it pronounces that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and it pronounces God's condemnation upon all men. It hates the preaching of the true Gospel because it says man's own righteousness, his very best religious, do-good efforts, is as filthy rags before a holy God. The world hates the preaching of the Gospel because it says there is none righteous, no not one, and because it warns that every person who is not born again will not see the kingdom of God but will be tormented forever and ever in the lake of fire, and because it says Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and there is none other name given under heaven whereby men must be saved, and because it says all other ways are false. The world hates the preaching of the true Gospel because it demands that a man give up his life for Christ's sake and the Gospel's, because it demands that a man come out from among them and be separate, because it demands that we strive to be holy as God is holy. For the world to count someone as spiritual is meaningless from a biblical perspective. The world thinks the pope is spiritual and Native American Indians are spiritual and New Age gurus are spiritual and Hindu mystics are spiritual and Hollywood entertainers are spiritual.
For people to "be deeply affected" by a rock concert does not mean that something spiritual in a biblical fashion is occurring. People are "deeply affected" by all sorts of false religions and cults and experiences and philosophies. People are "deeply affected" by many things which happen in their day to day lives. People are deeply affected by drugs and alcohol and hypnosis and treatment programs, by romantic affairs and by other emotionally charged circumstances. This does not mean they are truly born again or that they are in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible. The "Christian" world is filled with false christs and false gospels and false spirits. The Apostle Paul warned about these almost 2,000 years ago (2 Cor. 11:1-4), and we are told in Scripture that the religious deception would be much greater just preceding the coming of Christ (Matt. 24:3-4,11,24; 2 Thess. 2:7-11).
Brethren, beware of Contemporary Christian Music. It is the blind and carnal leading the blind and carnal down a path of delusion and error and into the arms of the one world apostate, end-times "church."
May 20, 1998 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, 1701 N. Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277)
