Black Church Music Facing Challenges

The traditional gospel choir in the church, particularly the black church, may be facing a shortage of accomplished music ministers, according to a recent report.

Black churches throughout the country are finding it harder to find skilled musicians to lead music – an integral part of the worship experience – reported Religion & Ethics Newsweekly.

"It's a difficult thing to try to find someone trained. I talked to one of my friends who told me it took him five years to find a musician finally that would be his minister of music," Dr. Gary Simpson, pastor of Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, N.Y., told the TV newsmagazine.

Simpson has also been unable to find a new music minister.

The main competition churches are up against is the mainstream music industry.

"The big money is in producing. The big money is in rap," said Leo Davis, Jr., minister of music at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, according to Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. "They're looking at rappers with the million-dollar houses with gold ceilings, and why do I want to work in a church and make $30,000?"

And while skilled musicians may be turning to the multi-billion dollar lifestyle of rap and hip hop, the mainstream industry is also taking many gospel singers out of the church.

"Gospel music is coming to the mainstream. Singers are coming out of the church and introducing the gospel style to a mainstream audience," said gospel diva Yolanda Adams, according to Real Black Radio.

Still, others have chosen to take rap to the pulpit with such groups as Dem Unknown WarriorZ infusing words about Jesus with a popular beat youths recognize.

While some pastors are embracing hip-hop music to draw crowds and relate to younger believers, Dr. Glen McMillan, interim music director of Concord Baptist Church of Christ, asks where the memorable sounds of music such as hymns are.

Hymns like "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and "Amazing Grace" live on, McMillan told the TV newsmagazine, while many won't remember a hip hop line, he believes.

Not only are accomplished music ministers becoming harder to find, but soon, even traditional gospel music in the church may become a rare sound.

McMillan wants younger generations to embrace the traditional songs and pass it down, but says that possibly 20 years from now, "hymnal music is going to be obsolete."