I mentioned previously that I’m working on a History of the Big Emory Baptist Association (the local Baptist Association to which our church and others in the area belong) and I discovered an interesting bit from 1938 that I feel like passing along- especially to Nick Norelli and the other musical heretics out there.

Included in the minutes of the Association’s proceedings from the year 1938 is the report from the ‘Church Music’ committee - which wrote

‘Church music consists of the following: (1) proper musical instrument (organ or piano); (2) Trained band of singers in harmony with God’s will. It would be well for the choir to be elected by church [sic]. (3) A consecrated song leader, who is a Christian and member of the Church; (4) Gospel hymns selected from religious books. I am sorry to find so few of our churches equipped with church music as defined above.’

The committee went on in its report to lament the fact that so many churches were using ‘modern song books’ instead of proper hymnals!  The issue of proper music in the Church continued to occupy the ‘Music Committee’ such that in 1939 they felt compelled to recommend to the Association that

‘… the churches of Big Emory Association discard the cheap song books with their cheeky and ragtime music and replace them with our regular standard hymnals’.

And I would suggest Nick and his cohorts do the same.  Rid yourselves of your cheeky rap!  Return to the fold of true Christian music!  Or suffer the consequences of the public scorn surely to come your way…

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