Updated December 23, 2011 (first published February 14, 2007) (David
Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron,
MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org;) -- Based on new information we
have received, we are publishing another update to this report.
The philosophy of music is changing rapidly among fundamental Baptist and
other fundamentalist churches. It is becoming popular to “adapt”
contemporary praise songs by selecting ones with Scriptural lyrics and
toning down the rhythm. This is being done by Steve Pettit,
Majesty Music, Soundforth,
Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College,
Northland,
and West Coast Baptist College, for example. They excuse this practice in
various ways, such as likening the use of contemporary praise to the use of
a Lutheran or Methodist hymn, but this is a different thing altogether.
While I have never heard of a fundamental Baptist church becoming Lutheran
or Methodist by singing old hymns, many are moving rapidly in the direction
of the contemporary philosophy by using contemporary music. The contemporary
philosophy is 180 degrees contrary to a Bible-believing separatist position,
and the music has transformative power. Nothing is building the end-time
one-world church more effectively than contemporary praise music. For more
on this see “The Transformational Power of Contemporary Praise Music” at the
Way of Life web site.
Please note that we cannot guarantee that all of the music produced by the
following organizations and ministries is sound. We publish this list
because it is difficult to locate good Christian music and we desire to
point the way to some of the music that we have found helpful. It is not
possible for us to listen to every thing that has been produced by the
following sources.
Also, there is the matter of “taste” which comes to play in Christian music.
While there are definite biblical principles that must be applied to music,
there is also a simple matter of taste. For example, my wife does not like
quartets, but I like quartets as long as the music is spiritual and the
message is scriptural and they don’t showboat. Some like operatic style and
some don’t. This is the type of thing I am talking about when I talk about
“taste.”
Ultimately it is the responsibility of each listener to prove the music by
the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
For tools in how to analyze Christian music we recommend the video series
“Music for Good or Evil,” which is very up to date and is available from the
Way of Life web site’s online catalog -- wayoflife.org
We encourage our readers to contact us if some of the music by any of the
following sources is found to be worldly or contemporary.
Internet links change frequently. If any of the following links are
inoperative, it is up to the reader to do his own Internet search to find
the latest links and contact information.
BIBLE TRUTH MUSIC. Two excellent CDs by Bible Truth Music are “Hallelujah Singing” and “He Is Alive.” Bible Truth Music PO Box 1881 Newport News, VA 23601. 757-365-9956 or 877-276-6683 (toll free), http://bibletruthmusic.com/
CHRISTIAN PURITIES FELLOWSHIP. Various conservative music titles from Foundations Bible College. P.O. Box 1166, Dunn, NC 28333. 800-849-8761 (orders), www.foundations.edu (web site).
CHRIST-LIKE MUSIC. A good source for sacred music downloads that operates internationally and allows the use of non-US credit cards for payment, which other sources such as SacredAudio does not. http://www.christlikemusic.com/
CLARK, MIRIAN JARRELS. “While He Is Near.” Lovely piano/vocal arrangements. P.O. Box 292, Penn Laird, VA 22846.
CLEARWATER CHRISTIAN COLLEGE. Various recordings by college groups. I particularly like the CDs “Glory” and “Who Is Like Our God?” Clearwater Christian College, 3400 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33759. 727-726-1153 ext. 603 (bookstore phone), http://www.clearwater.edu/ (web site).
CONCORD & HARMONY. This is the music ministry of Alan and Ellen Ives. 328 Rosalia Street, Oshkosh, WI 54901. 920-231-4807 (home), 920-235-5400 (Wyldewood Baptist Church), http://www.wyldewood.org/cah/ (web site). Two good choices are “Volunteers for Jesus” and “In Jesus Is All Meaning.”
DAVID E. SMITH PUBLICATIONS, 4826 Shabbona Rd., Deckerville, MI 48427. 800-672-2733 (orders), 810-376-8429 (voice), despub@greatlakes.net (e-mail), www.despub.com (web site). Catalog consisting of over 2,500 items by over 50 writers. Includes graded solos and ensembles for woodwinds, brass, strings, piano, string orchestra and concert band. Featured are “Heritage,” a band method supplement utilizing hymns and sacred songs sequenced to traditional band methods, and “Hymnsembles” and “Hymns for Multiple Instruments” which are designed to work with mix-and-match or unusual instrumentations. Distributor for C.T. Smith Publications, Curnow Press, Majestic Music (not to be confused with Majesty Music), and Salvation Army.
DISCOVER CHRISTIAN MUSIC, 519 Piedmont Golf Course Rd., Piedmont, SC 29673. 800-767-4326) (orders), http://www.dcmrecordings.com/ (web site). A good source for sacred music.
FAIRHAVEN BAPTIST COLLEGE, 86 E. Oak Hill Rd., Chesterton, IN 46304. 800-733-3422 (orders), 219-926-6636 (voice), Fairhaven@CleanInter.net (e-mail). A good choice is “Everything Is Possible” by the Fairhaven Baptist College and Church.
FAITH MUSIC MISSIONS, Boeke Road Baptist Church, P.O. Box 2463, Evansville, IN 47728. 800-867-0554 (orders), www.faithmusicmissions.com (web site). Faith Music Missions has a line of conservative, drumless soundtracks. They produce Congregational Evangelistic style piano hymns on CDs “for the church or servant of God to use in lieu of a pianist or to assist their music program.” We would warn that some of the Faith Music Missions music CDs use a honky-tonk, boogie-woogie Southern Gospel rhythm. “Heavenly Place” by the Epleys and “Ed Russ and the Old-Fashioned Quartet” are examples.
FAITHWAY BAPTIST COLLEGE OF CANADA, Faithway Baptist Church, 1964 Salem Rd., Ajax, Ontario L1S 4S7. 905-686-0951 (voice), 905-686-1450 (fax), faithway@faithway.org (e-mail), www.faithway.org (web site). A good choice is “We Wear His Name” by the Faithway Baptist College of Canada Servant Singers.
HERBSTER TRIO. This excellent father-son trio has several excellent CDs. The singers are accompanied by orchestral music. Two of their CDs that I particularly like are “Hymns of Grateful Worship” and “Faithful Servant.” Tri-City Ministries, 4500 Little Blue Parkway, Independence, MO 64057, http://www.herbsterevangelism.org/site/pages/catalog.aspx?fsId=12&returnUrl=catalog.aspx, mark@herbsterevangelism.org.
HIBBARD, DAVID, 291 Clayton-Aura Rd., Glassboro, NJ 08028. 856-863-4992, hibbardfamilyministries@juno.com or dhibbard@juno.com. An excellent CD is Along Life’s Road: Songs for the Saviour.
HOWLETT, GREG. The album “Reflections” contains 10 lovely piano-strings arrangements. 880-C Royal Park Drive Monroe, GA 30656. 888.401.0867, greg@greghowlett.com, http://www.greghowlett.com.
HYMNS TRIUMPHANT. There are two volumes of these, each containing dozens of hymns performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London National Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Amen Choir. The arrangements are wonderful. They are available from the Old Fashioned Christian Music Radio Store, http://www.oldchristianmusic.com/mproductpages/london-orchestra+amen-choir--hymns-triumphant.html.
MAJESTY MUSIC, P.O. Box 6524, Greenville, SC 29606. 800-334-1071 (orders), 803-242-6722. http://www.majestymusic.com/. Most of the music produced by Majesty Music is excellent and Ron and Shelly Hamilton are among the most prolific and talented sacred music writers and arrangers today. We would warn that some of the newer Patch the Pirate tapes are moving in a slight contemporary direction. When I tried to warn about this years ago, not as an enemy but as a friend of Majesty Music who has recommended their music for decades, I was treated like a fool. Obviously they think they are above correction, so I would suspect that the direction of Majesty Music will be ever toward a more popular sound.
MURRAY MUSIC MINISTRIES. Lovely recordings by Greg and Heather Murray. I particularly like “The Lord Is Calling.” P.O. Box 346, Bedford, VA 24523, 540-816-0284 (voice), info@murraymusicministries.com, www.murraymusicministries.com.
NORTHLAND BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE, W10085 Pike Plains Road, Dunbar, WI 54119. 715-324-6900, info@nbbc.edu, www.nbbc.edu. I like the albums “For the Glory of the Lord” and “Holy Is He” by the Northland Baptist Bible College Northern Lights. We would warn that Northland has changed its music philosophy in the last couple of years and this change will doubtless be reflected in its music moving forward.
OLD FASHIONED CHRISTIAN RADIO MUSIC STORE. This online store offers a wide variety of traditional Christian music. 817-652-3771, http://www.oldchristianmusic.com/
SACREDAUDIO. A large variety of sacred music albums and mp3 downloads http://www.sacredaudio.com
SACRED MUSIC SERVICES, P.O. Box 17072, Greenville, SC 29606. 800-767-4326 (orders), www.smsrecordings.com (web site). An excellent source for sacred music.
SOUNDFORTH, Greenville, SC 29614. 800-258-7288 (orders), 864-298-0268 (fax), www.soundforth.com/, soundforth@bju.edu. Music tapes and arrangements, song books, choir and choral, children’s music programs, dramas. Also “A Guide to Hymn Playing” by Rebecca Bonam and Duane Ream. This is still a good source for sacred music, but they are adapting contemporary praise music and justifying it on bogus grounds and we suspect that their standards will change dramatically over the next few years.
STOUFFER MEN. Two excellent CDs are “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” and “Come and Sing.” Stouffer Music P.O. Box 1185 Taylors, SC 29687. info@stouffermusic.com, http://www.stouffermusic.com.
THE WILDS Christian Camp and Conference Center. http://www.wilds.org/resources/music. This is a good source for sacred music.
END
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