As with most conflicts in church between groups of people—as opposed to interpersonal issues involving individuals—the question of worship style is merely the surface issue. Of course, a pastor can resolve the obvious conflict by: (1) having two services, each with its distinct style of music; (2) offering a blend of songs in every service that are neither too stodgy nor too hip, creating a balance of sound recognizable by both groups; or (3) fading drums into the organ mainstream, since drums are usually the main instrument of contention.

The true issue, however, is about ministry philosophy and the purpose for a church service. It takes much longer for a pastor to resolve this conflict, but by doing so, the leader sets up an intentional future. Both groups want music they can recognize as contributing to the church's purpose. Those who see church services primarily as places of liturgical continuity and refuge for the saints prefer songs and sounds from the past; those who view the role of church as reaching the world around it tend to prefer songs and sounds from today.

Thus, the real question isn't one of music, but of focus. Pastors who believe their church has been positioned and called by God primarily to provide comfort for the saints ought to stick mostly with traditional music and not fight an unnecessary war. But pastors who want to reach their surrounding culture must change more than the music. Problems like this one—choosing between music preferences—give pastors a perfect opportunity to clarify their primary values.

share this page