Way Of Life - Bill Gaither's Disobedience To God's Word

[Guest Pennsylvania resident]

On 11/20/2013 at 12:49 PM, Miss Daisy said:

:lol:the video of him combing his hair over and over and over

Pentecostals do not even consider Christ's first church, the Catholic Church.  

     I invite anyone reading this to watch on EWTN catholic TV  , radio, Alexa, Sirius channel 130 

CALLED TO COMMUNION WITH DR. DAVID ANDERS

WOMEN OF GRACE

DR. RAY GUARANDI 

DR. GREG POPCAK MORE2LIFE, CHANNEL 130 SIRIUS RADIO, CATHOLIC COUNSELORS

THE JOURNEY HOME

FATHER MITCH PACWA

 

THE LIST GOES ON.

A LOT MORE SUBSTANCE HERE.

GROUNDED TEACHINGS.  TRUE PEACE

AMEN.

 

 

[Disciple.Luke]

On 11/19/2013 at 6:03 AM, RSS Robot said:

Print

 

Updated November 19, 2013 (first published July 30, 1998) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143) -

 

 

http://www.wayoflife.org/index_files/zz_gaithers.gif

Bill and Gloria Gaither are graduates of Anderson College, a Church of God school, and they attend a Nazarene church (“Church of the Nazarene,” About.com). They have written some very popular and well-known gospel music, such as “He Touched Me,” “Thanks to Calvary,” and “There’s Something about That Name.”

 

 

Since the early 1990s, the Gaither’s Homecoming CD and video series has dramatically increased the popularity of Southern Gospel music in this generation.

Sadly, the Gaithers have used their vast influence to promote the lie that music is neutral and thus to encourage the deep inroads that the world has made into Southern Gospel. They have also promoted the unscriptural ecumenical movement with its bogus “judge not” philosophy and its lack of concern about doctrinal purity and its disobedience to commands such as Romans 16:17 and Jude 3.

 

Gaither Believes that Music Is Neutral
 

In the 1980s Gaither bought into contemporary Christian music’s foundational premise that “MUSIC IS NEUTRAL” and that any type of sensual music can be used to glorify God.

During a concert tour in New England in 1986, Gaither admitted that he had changed his musical style due to the influence of the “world’s culture.” He said he believed there was a place for Christian rock, and he expressed his philosophy of music in these words: “God speaks through all different kinds of art forms and musical styles and musical forms” and the “format itself is not necessarily spiritual or non-spiritual” (FBF News Bulletin, March-April 1986, p. 3).

The following is an eyewitness description of the Gaither’s appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis in 1980: “The Bill Gaither Trio entertained 15,000 Southern Baptists on Sunday evening with a musical program worldly enough to make any true believer weep. The music was so loud that some people left and others put their hands to their ears to block the intense amplification of the music” (Robert S. Reynolds, “Southern Baptists on the Downgrade: Report on the 1980 SBC Convention in St. Louis,” Foundation, Volume VI, Issue 1, 1985, p. 9).

The Gaithers have increasingly used rock rhythms in their music. During the disco craze in the late 1980s, the Gaither Trio recorded a disco album (Calvary Contender, August 15, 1989). The Gaithers have a song titled “Singin’ with the Saints” which is a boogie-woogie version of “He Keeps Me Singing.” This is confusion.
 

 

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I realize this thread was started several years ago, and normally would not revive such an ancient topic but I actually know something about what has been said.

I live in Anderson, IN where the Church of God is headquartered and not far from the small town Bill and Gloria live in. Many years ago as a new believer the first several churches I attended were Church of God (Anderson) and would occasionally see the Gaithers in passing before or after service. 

I personally do not listen to or enjoy the Gaithers music. I just don't care for the style or like the music of the other singers they normally perform with. One reason is partly because of the reason mentioned in the initial post about how they sing songs from almost every denomination even if the message of the song itself contradicts the doctrinal lyrics of the next song performed. I personally take issue with that but that is just my own personal belief.

THe reason the Gaithers music can be described as "non denominational" is directly related to the churches they attend. Historically the Church of God started out as a very strict "Holiness" church who was Wesleyan-Arminian theologically and believed their movement was fore told by prophecy and scripture. Their message was for other Christians to "come out" of denominationalism and join them as the true "Church".

By the time I started attending that initial identity was an ancient belief. The movement had been so strict and legalistic in the past that the new generation of Pastors were so scared of past criticism to the point that they shyed away from from any definitive doctrine or belief that made any exclusive claims of their denomination. This view that their original beliefs were something to be ashamed of quickly led it to see itself as "non denominational" and refused to say anything that may be controversial or offend any other groups labeled as Christian made it a church with no clear definition and an increasingly progressive attitude toward sin or even the mention of it.

I watched from the pews as addressing sin became less and less common...to the point that you could attend five weeks straight without an altar call. It's hard to sell Jesus if the sin he died for isn't preached on Sundays. To the churches credit it did put it's foot down when it came to the definition of marriage being  man and a women, but since the congregations are free to believe what they want the pulse of the church was moving away from traditional marriage despite the leaders stance.

In many ways this shift in identity could be seen in the Gaithers themselves. The hymn books were becoming more of a decoration than a way to sing a long with the music of Sunday morning. Before long every Church of God I attended had turned worship into a modern rock concert. I believe this was partly because children of influential members in Anderson (like Sandi Patty for instance) preferred their own style of music and quickly spread across the whole movement.

Once the music changed the doctrinal domino's began to fall  and it seemed nothing was off limits to God anymore...including homosexuality. While the church wasn't promoting unbiblical sexuality they weren't discouraging it either by ignoring the subject. 

Like many other holiness churches at the time they were redefining what it meant to be "holy". Instead of trying to live out a life of personal and,physical holiness they instead insisted holiness was "loving all people like Jesus without being judgemental". It wasn't long before "loving" was synonymous with not offending anyone. Today most of the churches thriving here because the Sunday menu consists of rock music and having your ears and ego tickled with feel good seminar based on one or two isolated verses out of The Message or New Living Translation.

Like I already mentioned...the Gaither beliefs are a mirror of the Church of God (Anderson, IN). I could give several examples of the local Church of God "elite" ignoring blatant sinful behavior while refusing to confront the fellow believer with scripture choosing to just "love" them for who they are. I will refrain from specifics as my intention is to add some commentary to the original post...not to gossip.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Disciple.Luke