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If you are in or around Southern Gospel Music for any period of time you will no doubt run into the debate over Entertainment versus Ministry. This long drawn out debate has set me pondering this age old question. Which is it? Is there a place for good wholesome Christian entertainment or should we be totally ministry driven? Perhaps the answer is not really up to us? Or should I say, it's not really up to the artist. Perhaps both are happening at the same time and it is impossible to separate the two.

God has given us all talents and gifts. He wants us to use these gifts that he's given us. Not all are called to preach or be pastors. All of us however are called into the ministry! Whether we are grocery store clerks or full time pastors, we all have been given the same Great Committion!

However, is it really up to the artist to decide whether his song is entertaining or ministering? It seems to me that the artist's job is to sing his songs to the best of the ability God has given him. God then will choose who is ministered to. It is the individual hearing the song that ultimately decides whether it is ministry or entertainment.

I look back at the single greatest songwriter to ever live, King David! He wrote songs that have blessed us unendingly! However, did David know that while he was writing his great songs that someone would write them down and put them in the Bible to be read and sang thousands of years later? How could he? It seems to me that David wrote and sang songs from his heart. Many of his songs were sung out of great despair and agony. I'm sure that in his mind these songs were not coming from him with the intention to minister to someone else. He sang these songs for himself, as prayers to God in his deepest sorrow. Now thousands of years later, we have these great songs that give us hope and inspiration and minister to our souls on a daily basis. Did David know that in his deepest agonies he was declaring prophecy for the soon to come Messiah, or was he just despairing and God used his talent as a songwriter to bring forth a great song of ministry? David is just one great talent that probably never considered himself a minister or to have a ministry. He simply sang and wrote about what he held deep in his heart!

There have been many songs that have deeply touched and ministered to my soul. However, not every song ever written about Jesus or God or The Holy Spirit has ministered to me. Some bring joy, hope and inspiration but not so much a ministry to my soul! So many groups today declare they are in it for the ministry. But, it seems that they are really just doing what God has given them to do. Singers sing, preachers preach, salesmen sell! The heart receiving the message in the song is what decides whether or not it is ministry! Who can view what the heart needs besides God? He knows who needs to be ministered to by a song. To those who don't need it, it is simply great music or in other words, great Christian entertainment!

So if we the artists take ourselves out of the equation and simply sing using our God given gifts, the need for an argument over ministry and entertainment will no longer be needed. Whether we like it or not both are happening at the same time and it is not up to the artist to decide which one is going to happen next. God can use anything to minister to someone! Let's not forget he used a donkey to knock Paul off his high horse. Ministry can happen in a secular song as well as a gospel song!

Let's put the focus on using our gifts to the best of our ability and remove the pride in us that says we have to be a ministry to sing Gospel music. Once again, ministry is not up to us when it comes to music. Ministry is in the heart of those receiving that music!

Reader Comments

Scott - this is something I have really felt strongly about ever since my husband & I started attending the SGM services. I am blessed (entertained) by the singing and testimonies and prayer - therefore it really has become primarily a service (ministry)for me. It's really hard for me to even use the term "concert" - that's much too commercial! SSQ always ministers - they are totally spirit-driven. That's the difference.

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