Now there’s a movement to bar women as worship leaders in churches

[BrotherTony]

2 hours ago, TheGloryLand said:

I have no problem with a woman leading in the music, if there no man. As long as she dresses proper. She not teaching while worshiping. Married, personally preferred to avoid attraction, which is the main problem. 

In our church the pastors wife has taken over the position of "worship leader." I didn't know we needed to be LEAD in worship. Some of the music she's put in place for us to sing during the music portion of the service has questionable doctrine and it seems more like she's there to give us a solo, or to sing OVER the congregation. She nearly swallows the microphone while bellowing out in rock fashion most of the songs. For a pastors wife in this position her dress is less than appropriate IMHO. Don't get me wrong, we like her and she's a very friendly, caring person. But I thought we as Christians were called out to be separated from the world, not to try and fit in with it. These things have caused my wife and I to be looking for another church.

[JenM]

3 hours ago, BrotherTony said:

In our church the pastors wife has taken over the position of "worship leader." I didn't know we needed to be LEAD in worship. Some of the music she's put in place for us to sing during the music portion of the service has questionable doctrine and it seems more like she's there to give us a solo, or to sing OVER the congregation. She nearly swallows the microphone while bellowing out in rock fashion most of the songs. For a pastors wife in this position her dress is less than appropriate IMHO. Don't get me wrong, we like her and she's a very friendly, caring person. But I thought we as Christians were called out to be separated from the world, not to try and fit in with it. These things have caused my wife and I to be looking for another church.

Those issues are serious enough to justify searching for a new church, regardless of the gender of the "worship leader." I would be looking for a new church, too!

(As an aside, "worship team" and "worship leader" terminology sets off alarm bells in my head. Churches who have those typically are already sliding into the stylistic traits of rock music.)

[TheGloryLand]

17 minutes ago, JenM said:

Those issues are serious enough to justify searching for a new church, regardless of the gender of the "worship leader." I would be looking for a new church, too!

(As an aside, "worship team" and "worship leader" terminology sets off alarm bells in my head. Churches who have those typically are already sliding into the stylistic traits of rock music.)

What happen to just vote them out? Unless the church members approve it. Then find a new church. If nobody speaks out, sin will win.

[BrotherTony]

5 minutes ago, TheGloryLand said:

What happen to just vote them out? Unless the church members approve it. Then find a new church. If nobody speaks out, sin will win.

My wife and I have spoken out on the issues in this church several times. Since we have made it strong stand some of the older deacons have said something as well. But, the slide towards the world has been continuous and now is far enough along to warrant my wife and I shaking off the dust of our feet on them. One or two people can't just, as YOU say, "vote them out." The younger generations who are coming in are taking the church in a direction that will lead to it's demise sooner or later. It's sad to see a church that has been in existence since the early 1800's going downhill, but, it's happening to a lot of churches that once stood firm for the gospel.

[JenM]

4 minutes ago, TheGloryLand said:

What happen to just vote them out? Unless the church members approve it. Then find a new church. If nobody speaks out, sin will win.

Everyone's situation is different. If it was me, I would probably just leave if I was in the minority in being against it.

But you make a good point, and the more scriptural thing to do would be to go to the person and bring them your concerns, as a starting point. Sometimes that's all you need to do.

[JenM]

1 minute ago, BrotherTony said:

My wife and I have spoken out on the issues in this church several times. Since we have made it strong stand some of the older deacons have said something as well. But, the slide towards the world has been continuous and now is far enough along to warrant my wife and I shaking off the dust of our feet on them. One or two people can't just, as YOU say, "vote them out." The younger generations who are coming in are taking the church in a direction that will lead to it's demise sooner or later. It's sad to see a church that has been in existence since the early 1800's going downhill, but, it's happening to a lot of churches that once stood firm for the gospel.

I'm sorry to hear that's happening in your church. I believe the rock style of music is so pervasive in our culture that Christians are becoming desensitized to it. Churches also have an issue where the standard is based more on the taste of the members than on scriptural principles, and the effects have been devastating.

[BrotherTony]

1 minute ago, JenM said:

Everyone's situation is different. If it was me, I would probably just leave if I was in the minority in being against it.

But you make a good point, and the more scriptural thing to do would be to go to the person and bring them your concerns, as a starting point. Sometimes that's all you need to do.

In our case we approached the pastor about the rock and roll atmosphere. The worship leader who was there 7 years ago was instructed to tone it down and he did for a time. He brought back the doctrinally unsound, rocky CCM a few months later and was called onto the carpet again. He left shortly thereafter and went to a church in Florida. The replacement was the assistant pastor's brother, and he was somewhat better. But, being related to the assistant pastor gave him leeway to start the drift back towards the worldly, undoctrinally sound music that had been there before. During Covid, he gave the pastor an ultimatum that if everyone in the congregation wasn't forced to take the jab, or to wear a mask during services he and his wife and child would leave. He left six weeks later. His brother, our assistant pastor left to take a bigger church in Shelbyville just over a year ago. And the assistant pastor's father in law, who was our assigned deacon, resigned immediately after that and went back to the church he and his wife had been attending before he came to our church. With the moving of his wife into the position of worship leader, this pastor has near total control over what goes on. 

8 minutes ago, JenM said:

I'm sorry to hear that's happening in your church. I believe the rock style of music is so pervasive in our culture that Christians are becoming desensitized to it. Churches also have an issue where the standard is based more on the taste of the members than on scriptural principles, and the effects have been devastating.

Very true. I've noticed that a majority of our seniors in our church no longer participate in the music portion of the service. They just stand there listening and looking dazed and confused . 

[Invicta]

We don't have a "music portion" in our church. We have hymns interspersed through the service. The pastor or preacher choose the hymns, appropriate to the sermon. We can only use the hymn books approved by the pastor and deacons. Pastor will not allow guitars due to their association with rock music.  I did wonder if he has heard any rock or boogie pianists.

Pastor does use some dreary hymns. He always reads a psalm the sings a hymn dashed on the same psalm. In the morning it is usually a much mangled version of the psalm, which I don't think most people understand. I did mention it to him and he asked if I didn't like singing psalms. I said I do but I dont think most people actually think what they are singing. I think it is more inappropriate as we have a number of immigrant asylum seekers attend the church and they are mostly people that my daughter teaches English lessons in the church. Some of them only understand a little English.

The immigrants are housed in a local Holiday Inn and a couple are also attending lessons at the mormons which are just across the road from there. The mormons have been canvassing their lessons on the local residents Facebook page, but the don't say they are mormons, just give the address.

[TheGloryLand]

13 minutes ago, Invicta said:

We don't have a "music portion" in our church. We have hymns interspersed through the service. The pastor or preacher choose the hymns, appropriate to the sermon. We can only use the hymn books approved by the pastor and deacons. Pastor will not allow guitars due to their association with rock music.  I did wonder if he has heard any rock or boogie pianists.

Pastor does use some dreary hymns. He always reads a psalm the sings a hymn dashed on the same psalm. In the morning it is usually a much mangled version of the psalm, which I don't think most people understand. I did mention it to him and he asked if I didn't like singing psalms. I said I do but I dont think most people actually think what they are singing. I think it is more inappropriate as we have a number of immigrant asylum seekers attend the church and they are mostly people that my daughter teaches English lessons in the church. Some of them only understand a little English.

The immigrants are housed in a local Holiday Inn and a couple are also attending lessons at the mormons which are just across the road from there. The mormons have been canvassing their lessons on the local residents Facebook page, but the don't say they are mormons, just give the address.

 

[TheGloryLand]

I’m sorry, I hit submit before I replied, but this sounds to strick for me, the way the Pastor is leading this church. If the ministry grows and people get saved, then it’s of God but if the ministry doesn’t have people getting saved, baptized, and disciples, no growth, there’s a problem. To be firm and strict with traditions can put a load on new believers.