Can Non-Christians Play in the Church Band?

In the book "Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement" by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, there is a chapter about artists in the church. The book explains how the founders of a particular church movement in the United States succeeded and how they got there. One factor of success, they say, was training musicians for services and inviting non-Christians to rehearse; later, those people were allowed to play in the service.

My first reaction was: how can spiritual leaders allow non-Christians to play in the worship band? But others have endorsed this recommendation by the Fergusons. Since I do not think it is right to express opinions based only on emotion, I decided to go deeper and look at the matter carefully.

In chapter 5, "Reproducing Artists", of the book mentioned above (I also do not want to discuss the word "artist" here), the authors present their main idea: to start a missional movement, it is essential to attract and reproduce creative people. They write:

• Creatives catalyze new communities.
• Creatives help stabilize new communities.
• Attract and reproduce creatives.

The authors state that spreading a missional movement comes down to two essential things: reproducing more and better leaders, and reproducing creatives. Later in the chapter, they explain that this is why we should promote non-Christians into the church band.

To find an answer, I searched the Bible to see what it says about this. There are many passages in Scripture related to this theme.

Music is already part of human culture in Genesis. Jubal, the eighth generation after Adam, invented musical instruments. That, on the other hand, was probably not for God.

King David ordered the Levites to play music, but he himself also wrote many psalms.

The prophet Elisha asked for music to be played so that he could prophesy: "Now bring me a musician." 2 Kings 3:15.

Songs were also part of Jesus' culture: "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." Matthew 26:30. This probably refers to the second part of the so-called Hallel, Psalm 115-118, sung after the final prayer of the Passover meal.

Paul encourages us to honor God with songs:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music to the Lord in your hearts, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:19-21.

Animal sacrifice was necessary in the Old Testament because of impurity. But through the blood of Jesus we are cleansed daily from our impurity and no longer need that ritual. Instead of animal sacrifice, the author of Hebrews speaks of the sacrifice of praise:

Through him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15.

But we must be careful to appear before God in a way that pleases Him, because:

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. Proverbs 15:8.

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9.

And at the end of time, all will sing:

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever!" Revelation 5:13.

From this, we can see several elements of praise: it is spiritual, it is a sacrifice to God, and it is the fruit of lips that confess His name.

A non-Christian person is not spiritual, is not willing to sacrifice to God, and does not confess the name of Jesus. That means non-Christians and worship do not belong together. If such a person participates in worship, their motivation is not to honor God, and this may be an abomination before the Lord.

However, music plays several roles in worship. It also helps create an atmosphere. In worship, music helps us feel at ease when we arrive. It helps introduce the sermon by trying to create a beautiful disposition, and it also lifts the spirit at the end of the service. It can also be used as a teaching tool, communicating certain principles through the lyrics of a song.

There is a lot of technology that makes worship more beautiful and touches our emotions.

When music is used as a technique rather than as worship, I can understand why some allow non-Christians to participate in the band. And here lies the biggest problem with this idea and with chapter 5 of the book:

My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. 1 Corinthians 2:4.

I repeat the central idea:

• Creatives catalyze new communities.
• Creatives help stabilize new communities.
• Creatives attract and reproduce.

According to chapter 5, it is not only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we catalyze, attract, and reproduce new communities.

There is a Portuguese saying: "Do not put the cart before the horse." In other words, some things have a proper order. The result of living with God is becoming creative; the result of being creative is not living with God. I believe God uses creative people, but that is a result, not the cause.

Therefore, we must be careful not to use too much technology to touch people's feelings and souls while forgetting that it is the Holy Spirit who must work in us with His power.

With the current format of worship, we need people to help with small tasks such as distributing chairs, setting up the stage, organizing the room, welcoming visitors, and making contact.

When people gather and work together, new friendships are formed and people get to know one another better. This is a good opportunity to get to know non-Christians better, and also for them to get to know us better.

However, a boundary line must be drawn because:

The twelve summoned the whole group of the disciples and said: "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good testimony, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:2-4.

The task of the apostles was not, at first glance, a spiritual task. But the apostles preferred people of good testimony, full of the Spirit and wisdom, to carry out the ministry of service.

I understand from this that we can only give certain positions to people of good testimony, full of the Spirit and wisdom.