In a recent article, Ed Stetzer describes the influence of Hillsong Church and its contemporary worship music. On any given Sunday more than 30 million churchgoers around the world sing one of Hillsong’s worship songs, including many independent Baptist churches. Stetzer says, “Even churches that are not like Hillsong Church--or even dislike the church--use and love their music. That’s a key part of the global growing influence of Hillsong. It’s simple. Books change minds, but songs change hearts, and that’s central to Hillsong’s influence” (Stetzer, “Hillsong Church at a Glance,” Christianity Today’s The Exchange, June 24, 2014). Stetzer, who works with the Southern Baptist Convention’s LifeWay organization, is effusive and positive in his approach to Hillsong. There is not a word of warning about Hillsong’s radical ecumenism, including its close association with the Roman Catholic Church, or about Hillsong’s Word-Faith prosperity heresy or its tongues is private gibberish heresy or its spirit slaying heresy or its latter rain heresy or its female pastors. Stetzer is right, though, when he speaks of the power of music and says that “songs change hearts,” and this is a loud warning to those who have ears to hear. Too bad so many independent Baptist pastors have their fingers in their ears and their heads in the sand on this issue and are too busy pursuing a pragmatic agenda to heed the warning signs. (For extensive documentation about Hillsong see the report on Darlene Zschech in The Directory of Contemporary Worship Music which is available as a free eBook at www.wayoflife.org.) (Friday Church News Notes, July 4, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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