Putting Your Church’s Music Philosophy in Writing—part 1

Putting Your Church’s Music Philosophy in Writing—part 1

            Ministers of Music are often so busy “doing” tht they fail to put their church music philosophy in writing.  Rather than believing that the church’s reputation should be enough to cause prospective attenders to trust that when they get to church on Sunday morning that the musicing will not offend them, church musicians should take the initiative to publish the church’s music philosophy and praxis.  Committing a church’s music philosophy to pen and ink will also help those who are responsible for the use of music in public worship to evaluate what they are doing with their musicing unto God.

            Since religious music and musicing has divided more churches than theology in recent decades, it seems only reasonable that churches should publish and live by what they publish when it comes to how they music unto God.  First, a church needs to think through very thoroughly what they believe about the nature, value and meaning of the whole of music.  Transparency may be somewhat painful for church leadership, but honestly is always the best policy.

            I have presented only a few published philosophical statements.  I am in no way indicating that they are the only excellent published music philosophies that may be found in church web sites.  They have been placed in this blog series for one or more reasons.  Some are included because of their thoroughness, because of the way these excellent statements have been presented, because of their deep philosophical truths, or because they have stated very clearly how the church musics unto God in the context of worship.  Our hat is off to churches that have understood the importance of putting their music philosophy in writing!