PANEL:
Rob Hewell, Assistant Professor of Music, Chair of the Department of Church Music, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Martha Kirkland, Retired, LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, Tennessee
Richard Suggs, Minister of Music, First Baptist Church, Bowling Green, Kentucky
 

Opening comments by panelists [comments and answers to questions are taken from the panelists prepared notes; this is not a transcript of the session]:

Rob Hewell

     Who will stand in your place when you’re gone? Who will stand in my place when my season of opportunity has ended? Paul Clark has wisely called us to attend to an essential theme for our gathering this year, and this question lies at the very core of the matter.

     It seems apparent that the colleges, universities, and seminaries represented within the Educational Division provide an environment for cultivating the affirmative and faithful engagement of those who will, indeed, come after us. It is a quest well worth the effort—adherence to the enduring practice of inquiry and learning that bespeaks our academic heritage; to get at the nitty-gritty of the knowledge, skills, and pragmatic implications of the who, what, why, how, and when of ministry through music.

     Some of this cultivation occurs formally. The structural vigor of curricula, ensembles, studio, and classroom fosters momentum for nurturing the thinking and doing of persons who choose to learn in an academic setting. Some of these persons will indeed serve the Church as minister-musicians—in local congregations, through denominational entities, and even as teachers. Part of our challenge is also to remember the others who may never stand in front of a choir, coach a praise team, give guidance to congregational song, plan an event, write a book, or grade yet one more paper. We trust that all will become advocates—whether from the platform or the pew:
     ▪ advocates who can wisely discern when appropriate boundaries of truth and integrity are, and are not, being honored;
     ▪ advocates who have the courage to say “yes” when it is so, and “no” when it is not;
     ▪ advocates who are equipped to help the Church and local congregations preserve unity and witness when dealing with challenging issues;
     ▪ advocates whose musical palette is much deeper and broader than merely either one thing or the other.

     This cultivation also occurs informally through our own service in venues external to the academic setting. Some of our best "professoring" occurs when we are “off the clock,” as it were, exercising those parts of our own calling that authenticate all we do as teachers, mentors, and guides. Most, if not all, of us can name persons in whom we discovered some fervor we coveted — in a healthy way, of course. A providential mystery transpires when we give good evidence as disciplined stewards and practitioners of those good gifts that God has invested in us. That mystery marks the lives of those who see and hear us when they, too, pursue the Christianly art and ministry of song.

     In the midst of it all, we juggle other considerations such as finding healthy ground between cultural irrelevance and cultural capitulation. One such consideration is accreditation. At what points does accreditation help us? And if it doesn’t help, at what point do we chart new paths, and can we do so without losing ground in terms of the quality of education offered to our students, which will in turn impact the service they render. Also, then, the paramount consideration of accountability to the redemptive activity of Triune God fulfilled in Christ, and faithfulness to the Church as Christ’s bride and foretaste of the coming fullness of God’s reign.

     It is incumbent upon all of us to ask — and teach those who come after to also ask — that opening question stirring in the heart of this issue: Who will stand in your place when you are gone? If we forget to ask, we may never know; and on this count, some specific knowledge of who will come after us is certainly better than not knowing.
 

Martha Kirkland

The denominational arena includes two major entities: Lifeway and the Music & Worship departments of state conventions. It would be nice to describe all of these as “alive and well.” A more honest picture would be “alive and constantly changing, while still consistently and faithfully serving churches of every possible description. The denominational folk seek to, first, equip individuals in churches with their needs for resources and personal training and second, help provide solutions in the area of church music in the local church. A high value is placed on relationships and there are some state conventions excelling in this area. Networking is happening in a caring and intentional manner.

     LifeWay Christian Resources is the publishing house for the Southern Baptist Convention. This great institution has performed a leadership role for more than sixty years, accepting a huge responsibility of influence through products and consulting services.

     The State conventions are the primary connectors to the churches. They relate directly to Ministers of Music and other musicians in the church. They have the most effective methods of communication.
Both LifeWay and state music departments have the assignment of training local musicians, both professional and volunteer.

 

Richard Suggs

     Local Church Music ministry has experienced a time of unique challenge. There are few similarities between churches. Even within a single church, there is often a “multiple personality” when it comes to it’s use of church music.

     Church music is in a state of historic change. In the recent past, we’ve seen a line appear in the sand: on one side are the churches using solely a contemporary model; on the other side are churches who have chosen to embrace traditional, classical or liturgical models. Nearly every combination exists in between the lines. Nearly all churches have struggled with what kind of music to embrace. Most have made their decision of preferred model and have moved beyond the identity struggle stage.

     Some churches are doing whatever it takes to meet the needs of the congregation. The choice of music is driven by “current” needs and trends. When those change, the music will change. Other churches are steadfast in their determination to NEVER change. They may have a club mentality: you want to join, you play by our rules. Most fall in between these two extremes.
 
     Some churches have completely abandoned choral music, graded choirs, youth choirs, organs, orchestral instruments and even acoustic pianos and replaced all of these elements with rhythm driven praise teams who lead worship. They don’t have choir lofts because they have no choirs. Other churches have struggled to maintain a grasp on choral traditions, hymnody, organized multi-generational music programs and some sort of music education as part of its driving philosophy.

     In the wake of the recent, tumultuous decision-making years, paradigms have changed, definitions of styles have changed, value systems have changed, and the practice of church music has changed. Indeed, we are in a new era. We have the opportunity to re-examine our philosophies and our practices in ways that are tangible and practical. We have new colors on the palette with which to creatively explore the art of music making. Churches have been exploring a “new dimension in the world of sound” and media in order to offer a “more profound alleluia”.

     In some ways, the landscape of church music in the local church arena looks like the gulf coast after Katrina. Pockets of tradition and deep heritage exist just down the road from brand new environments of church music expressions. Obvious signs of tremendous struggle are easily seen by simply looking around. The thing we all have in common is that we’ve all dealt with musical styles and models of worship and we all use some sort of music in worship.

     Church music may very well experience the classic pendulum swing we’ve seen throughout the course of music history. However, this swing will likely take us to something that bears little resemblance to the past. We’ll never return completely, we’ll advance to the next “season” of church music.

     The Great Creator said it best: “Behold, I’m doing a new thing”

     The Local Church arena is the place where heritage is applied and practiced with lay people on a daily basis in “real time”. The Local Church is comprised of multi-generational congregations, much like a family. As in a family, the church is the place where heritage is first seen, then experienced and eventually taught, sometimes unintentionally. Passing on some sort of heritage will happen without even trying.

     Passing on a heritage assumes the handing down a system of beliefs from an older generation to a younger generation. This system of beliefs has been proven to be of great value. The local church is where children watch and listen to what we do and practice. “Bright Youth and Snow Crowned Age” both have a responsibility and a crucial part to play.
  
     The church must embrace the opportunity to invest in the lives of its younger constituency. Some churches seem to be “Spending our inheritance” on ourselves without investing in the future. Some have approached the utilitarian use of music with blinders on. Some tend to embrace what works “now” without regard to where we’ve come from or concern for where we are headed.

     Passing on a heritage and investing in the future requires great discipline, enormous amounts of time, and unwavering faith in the ultimate Creator.

 

Discussion Questions

Question 1. What are the biggest challenges to passing on a heritage of church music in today’s context (coming from your frame of reference?)

Rob Hewell:

     One challenge has to do with terminology. “Church music” as a defining term for what we do is no longer widely recognized across the church’s landscape. It may be seen as too limiting, or having connotations that are not current as to practice in local congregations.

     Another challenge is that students seem to be very in touch with the church in the larger, global sense that they are with the idea of ministry in a local congregation. Fewer and fewer students see leadership with a local congregation as their preferred venue for ministry.

Martha Kirkland:

     For Lifeway: 1. Getting information to the people in the churches who need to get it. 2. Re-establishing a true partnership with State Music Directors. 3. The age-old question: do we provide what people need or what they want?

     For State Conventions: the biggest challenge is connecting with pastors and significant music ministers who determine the use of time and money, but more importantly, the vision and direction of music in the local church, association, statewide. Winning the listening ear is crucial.

     Also, for state conventions, a practical challenge is determining the best dates and best locations for training events.

Richard Suggs:

     Long term investment, culture, philosophy, history, tradition, discipline, waiting, time - these are boring words. Yet, heritage comes from these places. “Take Time to Be Holy” seems to be more difficult these days.

     A huge challenge: Current society is marked by narcissistic tendencies, an insatiable desire for entertainment and amusement, quick access to God, and the “feel good” part of God’s presence. We often seek the blessings and attributes of God over the person of God. We need to remember that our feelings are not the Goal of worship; communing with God is the goal! In the scriptural arena of worship, praise has always demanded a sacrifice of self. Such an action is not congruent with today’s society.

     Traditional Churches have unique Challenges: Reality Check. Most traditional churches embrace choral music. Fewer and fewer churches are using choral music as their “staple” musical expression. In the recent past, the number of churches using contemporary models of worship seems to be growing. These churches also seem to be growing numerically. Conversely, it is hard to find traditional churches that are growing numerically. Traditional usually translates to smaller and even older while contemporary translates to growing and younger.

     Churches value different things. This has changed from the last generation.

     Passing on a heritage of discipleship in church music is not important for some. We are products of the investment others made in us. Still, many church members don’t know of this heritage. It has become unimportant, and therefore, irrelevant. Passing on a heritage of church music is not even on the radar for some churches.
 

Question 2. Each of you are representing a division of church music ministry in today’s context. How do you think we are doing at working TOGETHER at this task?

Rob Hewell:

     As Southern Baptist church musicians, we have a relationship — particularly through this organization — that needs to be celebrated and guarded. I am not certain that this unique dynamic is acknowledged across the convention as it was at one time; we may be preaching to the choir here. But we, nonetheless, must continue to cultivate the relationships offered by the Baptist Church Music Conference (BCMC), and explore new ways of invigorating our shared task.

Martha Kirkland:

     We have no measuring tools for this assessment, and except at this one annual meeting, most of us do not think about this question.
But to try to answer your question, my observation (as I look at all three arenas) is: the best “working together” is occurring in the efforts of state convention music personnel with local church staff musicians. I give that group the highest marks.

     I also thank God for BCMC, for the extreme efforts that have been put forth to keep it a living and functioning organization. This time of coming together can raise our consciousness level about passing on the heritage of praise.

     I want to applaud the faculty of our seminaries, universities, and college for their faithful attendance and their presence at this annual event.
 

Richard Suggs:

     I think we could do better.

     Working together has been one of the hallmarks of this conference. Until recent days, the divisions of this conference have assumed similar values and a similar “frame of reference.” That seems to have changed a bit. We seem to be more scattered today. Our systems are struggling to meet the changing trends and needs of society. We should guard against growing apart in our attempts to keep our heads above the tide of change.

     Church music students generally come from churches! The church is the “home base” for music ministry. When these students arrive on campus, are they entering an alien environment of church music culture? Did the experience they had in the local church help prepare them for an educational pursuit in vocational music ministry? When Ministers of Music are looking for help from denominational entities, are the resources and opportunities current, high quality and helpful for their churches?
 

Question 3: What are some things we can do to improve communication, understanding, and function within these three arenas?

Rob Hewell

It would be helpful if this annual gathering could offer more time for the divisions to meet. Two hours over lunch is a good start toward the opportunity to assist one another in significant ways. The stronger we are as divisions, the stronger will be our work together.

Martha Kirkland

1. Keep BCMC alive. Keep the mixed representation on the council, from various parts of the country. Continue the alternation of President among the three divisions. Identify our common goals and speak to those here in conference.

2. Make an effort to utilize people of every generation at BCMC. This year’s planners deserve great applause for the feature of students!

3. When we come together, nametags could reflect our primary distinction, with at least three different colors, maybe four with missionaries having their own distinctive color. Have a scheduled roundtable session where attendees from all areas come together for discussion, but small enough groups to enhance participation and know each other’s names.

4. Look at our programs from the last ten years or so. Do we lean heavily toward performance ? Are we balanced with fellowship, planned discussion groups, training, updating? Why do you come?

5. Each division create computer listings of “tested and proven” teachers, speakers, accompanists, etc., to share with one another. (Would save a lot of people a lot of time).

6. Who do you call at LifeWay? Because of multiple restructuring (just like in state conventions and local churches), and retiring and new personnel, a listing of employees in the LifeWay Worship and Music Group, their job titles, and phone numbers, is greatly needed. How could such a list find its place with a huge number of people?
 

Richard Suggs

     We need to realize the current dilemma of struggle. This conference has existed and grown under a system that may need to be adapted. As we look around, we see only a few younger ministers of music. The umbrella of acceptance and understanding needs to remain open as we reach across boundaries of style, model or practice of church music to include the wide variety evident in churches.

     For those who are the products of healthy church music programs, I implore you to guard against spending your inheritance without reinvesting in the future. We are called to evangelize the lost and disciple the saved through the ministry of music.

     Being together is paramount. Meeting together, singing together, worshiping together, learning together and dialoguing together is important.

     We need to include more Ministers of Music in the process. There are THOUSANDS of churches. We have a poor showing statistically. Music Ministers need this conference. They need to stay connected to their inheritance. They need to invest in their future. They need to learn from each other. They need to experience diverse forms of worship and styles. Music Ministers need to be inspired and reminded of the importance of striving for the best offerings of praise possible.

     God will always be the ultimate audience. It is easy to forget that and sacrifice the future’s “best” on the altar of the present “good”. Regardless of style or worship model, God deserves the best we can offer. We could help each other along on this journey by including more “brothers and sisters”.
 

Question 4: It takes time to pass on a heritage. It takes time to teach and train musicians, and to pass on the essence of all the things music ministry does. In today’s impatient culture, how do you think we address the issue of helping local church musicians, parents, pastors; denominational leadership, publishers, missional strategizers; educational administrators, and students to see the picture of passing on a heritage of music as ministry?

Rob Hewell:

     The question “Who will stand in your place when you’re gone?” speaks directly to this issue. It is incumbent upon each of us to be able to name persons whom we know have a calling and an interest in what we do. As part of those relationships, we must encourage these persons to own that question themselves, and the earlier they can attend to that matter in their own sphere of influence, the better. In addition to being able to name those persons we are mentoring, we must also be able to name those persons whom we claim as mentors. This ongoing stewardship is necessary if we are to continue the heritage.

Martha Kirkland

1. Repetition - almost a stubbornness of not giving up, not giving in.

2. Transparency - letting you see who I really am - one not having all the answers. Mature people are real.

3. Living the Word - Colossians 3:16. Living the TRUTH. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly AS YOU teach and admonish one another with all wisdom AND AS YOU sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God, doing all in the name of God, GIVING THANKS...." (emphasis added).

4. All we have is today. Our efforts have to be a super-combination of up-to-date methods and techniques, coupled with one-on-one relationships. Good example: the BCMC website.

5. Mentoring and internship should not be the exception. We should hear the word mentor or intern OFTEN. Take your pen; write down at least two people you are mentoring right now. Right down at least two people whom you call Mentor.

6. I’d like to give an example of hundreds of people attending a training event in Tennessee, getting to “see the picture.” At every large group session, a high-class video was shown. Included were church musicians of every age and from all walks of life who obviously had been interviewed about their involvement, their connection to music in their church. Their words were profound. Out of a huge number of people, I recognized one face. This was such as wonderful picture of what music ministry across our state is all about. Not heroes, but “music making people.”

7. Negative thinking stops progress. Haven’t you heard? Did you say?
"There’s nothing new under the sun." "We tried that...it didn’t work for us."
"No matter how well we plan, they just won’t come, and they certainly will never register early!"

     Observation of the “speakers”: there’s something missing. It’s called PASSION. What can ignite my passion? After pondering these “unanswerable questions” from our President, I went deeper into the question: just what is it I’m passing on? It’s more than my love for music, my love for teaching. More than the excitement of watching people grow and develop and use their gifts, more than loving the comradeship that we share today in this room; it’s literally my abiding in His presence in such a way that “I cannot keep from singing.” I cannot keep from using opportunities to give a part of myself to those coming along behind me. I want to INVEST - not selfishly for my benefit, but for the benefit of others! It’s the joy of finding out what I know and believe, in order to pass it on, acting out of joys and strengths. To God be the Glory, great things He has done!
 

Richard Suggs:

     Again, we need to re-examine the current paradigm. We can help shape the future instead of reacting to the trends. Risk failure by leading instead of following.

     Re-evaluate what is needed in the church and what is offered for the leaders through the lens of a growing diversity in church music.

     Maintain a wealth of highest quality products and resources.

     Keep priorities in order: JESUS FIRST, MUSIC SECOND! Music functions to offer expressions of worship to God. God is the object of worship, not the music. Music is simply the “means” to a greater end.