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Benjamin Cartwright

Worship Leader

The Big Three
Theological Considerations for Popular Worship Music

If you’ve followed contemporary Christian music over the past decade, you’re likely familiar with the influential sounds of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation. These groups are known for their popular and engaging worship music, frequently featured on Christian radio stations. While their musical talent and impact are undeniable, it’s crucial to scrutinize the underlying doctrines and practices of the ministries behind their music.

Before delving into specifics about these ministries, it’s essential to consider a broader question: Does the background of the authors, churches, or ministries behind a song matter? If a song is well-crafted and suitable for worship, should we be concerned about who created it? The answer is a resounding yes. Here’s why:

Firstly, incorporating a song into a church’s worship service effectively endorses both the song’s author and the ministry behind it. This public endorsement implies alignment with the beliefs and teachings of those responsible for the music. Many people, including myself, investigate the background of songwriters and their affiliations. The music we choose for worship can direct congregants towards particular ministries, making it vital to ensure these ministries align with sound doctrine and support spiritual well-being. Church leaders have a responsibility to guide their members toward resources that will nurture their faith.

Titus 1:9 – “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”

Secondly, when a song is used in worship, it is typically reported to CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International), ensuring that the creators receive fair compensation. While this is a fair practice, funds directed towards ministries with questionable or unbiblical teachings inadvertently support those ministries financially. It’s crucial to be wise stewards of our resources, both personally and within the church. Given the multitude of pressing needs and sound ministries available, it’s worth considering why we would support a ministry that does not align with our values, even indirectly through music.

1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Let’s examine these ministries to assess whether they are truly aligned with the values we wish to support in our churches. Given the constraints of this article, I won’t cover every belief or practice associated with these groups. Instead, I’ll highlight a few key issues and encourage you to explore these topics further on your own.

All of these ministries (Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation) are known for promoting prosperity gospel teachings from their pulpits. They have been associated with controversial beliefs such as modalism (the idea that God is a single person manifesting in different forms throughout history), the notion that Jesus descended into hell and fought His way back, and questionable views on issues like gay marriage-even hiring open homosexuals for leadership positions within their churches. Additionally, these ministries have faced criticism for failing to address sin from the pulpit, been featured by mainstream news outlets for numerous scandals involving leadership infidelity and allegations of sexual abuse. They are even known for hosting events aimed at raising the dead and catching gold dust falling from the sky.

2 Peter 2:1-3 – “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”

Furthermore, the lyrics of the music produced by these ministries often lack theological depth and certainly fall short of Biblical truth. They promote self-centered worship, present a distorted view of God, and include elements that would be considered by many as heretical and/or inconsistent with orthodox Christian doctrine. Describing God’s love as “reckless” or singing of God’s loneliness without us is not just sloppy, it’s heresy. We are not given poetic license to redefine the character and nature of God. He has done that for us in His word. And so, declaring truths about God that contradict the Scriptures is not a practice we need to be involved in, no matter how catchy the tune that carries these lies may be.

Galatians 1:8-9 – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”

It’s important to note that not all of these ministries are guilty of every issue mentioned, and not every song that comes from these groups is “bad.” Even a broken clock is right twice a day. But there is certainly a discernible pattern of problematic practices. Younger Christians in your congregation may not yet have the discernment to recognize these issues. By incorporating songs from these ministries into worship, you may inadvertently lead your fellow believers toward teachings and practices that would damage their understanding of God and their relationship to Him as His creation.

Romans 16:17 – “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”

In summary, it is crucial to scrutinize the teachings and practices behind the work of those producing the music we incorporate into our worship services. By carefully considering the source of the music we sing in our worship, we help ensure that our spiritual resources support sound doctrine and contribute to the faith of our congregations. Upon reviewing these three ministries in particular, the clearest conclusion one can come to is that their music should not be sung in our churches. The risk is too great and there is no shortage of better options.

-Benjamin