I served as Pastor of the Charter Oak Evangelical Free Church in the early 80's in the midst of what some now refer to as "the worship wars." It was really a debate over music styles in our liturgies; churches were dividing on whether to allow contemporary Christian music accompanied by guitars and drums and driven by Christian radio; or was only hymns accompaniment by organs piano's, classical instruments and singing from hymnals reverent enough for worship. Many young and middle aged people had become Christians through campus ministries in the 60's and 70's and had spent most of their youth listening to rock and role. They were more familiar with musicians who came out of the Jesus movement, Larry Norman, Andre Crouch, and The Second Chapter of Acts, than with music that could not be played on traditional church organs. Many found the traditional hymn boring and hard to sing. Others, principally those who were older saw the church as a fortress that prot
