Here I am in retirement, free to worship where I please and not currently the pastor of a church. Were I, I suppose they would expect me to show up most every Sunday. I’m not a music person, other than I know what I like and don’t like. In church music it’s mostly don’t like.
But music isn’t a deal breaker with me and the church I attend.
Recently, my wife and I made a move back to my home church in part because she is an outstanding singer and the church has – GASP! – an actual volunteer choir that sings every Sunday. They’re good. The congregation appreciates them. The choir members enjoy volunteering their time to practice and sing. No choir robes, though, so we avoid that bit of throwback to the 20th century. Every church I ever pastored bought choir robes. Expensive. Also a hill on which not to die.
There’s a problem with choirs? There’s not a problem with choirs?
Choirs help church attendance? Choirs are a relic of the past and hurt attendance?
In 2014 the article read: Debate: what (if anything) to do about choir decline. The conclusion back then was, maybe something or maybe nothing. No debate about the steep decline in churches that had choirs.
In 2022 the article is: Interest in choral singing is not declining in America, so why are church choirs disappearing? The author rehearses the trends and some history and concludes, I have to wonder if one of the reasons evangelical churches are seeing a decline in church attendance is linked to the decline of church choirs. It makes sense to me that the more people are committed to serving in worship leadership, the more they make church attendance a priority.
I wonder too.
For me personally, I’ve had it with nightclub church alleged worship. Can I get an AMEN! or at least a pat on the back for being, ahem, instrumental in kicking a disco ball and smoke machine out of one church I attended. Irascible curmudgeon victorious over youth and insanity, for once, anyway.
I’ll never attend a church that doesn’t have a choir. My wife likes to sing. It’s perhaps the best and easiest way to fit into a new church
And, if you have a choir that is not all that skilled, it doesn’t take much or many people to make it acceptable, if not outstanding.
But if you have a worship team that is not so hot, you can’t cover that up.
Maybe the church growth crowd, pastor coaches, and self-proclaimed expoits should be ignored.
Next, bring back the organ. Oh, I forgot, no one can play these anymore.
