The Arts in the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee

Praise choruses with accompanying instrumental support give emotional impact to the proclaimed message in these Church of God congregations. While the decorative arts are used minimally, drama is often featured. Dance, however, remains controversial.

Music

Traditionally, music in the Church of God has been used as a vehicle for worship rather than as an end in itself. The expectation is that the worshiper will engage in worship by relating to the music on an emotional level rather than a cerebral level. This expectation calls for a type of music that speaks to the individual in a direct way. Inasmuch as the denomination grew out of a desire for a personal intimate relationship with God, it follows quite naturally that its music would be rather informal. For many years gospel songs, convention songs, hymns, and a few anthems filled the need for worship music.

In recent years music in the Church of God has undergone significant changes. The use of praise choruses has made a tremendous impact on the music ministry. In almost every church one will find these choruses used. In some cases, they are used as a means of worship to the exclusion of all other types of music. These choruses meet the need for Pentecostal worship for several reasons. Texts are often taken directly from or are adapted from Scripture. They are usually short and simple, making them easy to learn and easy to sing. It should be noted, however, that these choruses seem to be becoming increasingly more complex in their harmonies and rhythms.

During the past ten years, significant changes have occurred in the area of instrumental music in the Church of God. Many churches of only moderate size and resources have an “orchestra” that provides music for the postlude, prelude, offertory, and choral accompaniment. In larger churches use of an orchestra is expected. The instrumentalists in these groups are most always amateur musicians, high school and college students, as well as older individuals who have maintained an interest in instrumental music that they acquired in high school.

Central to the orchestra is the rhythm section consisting of piano, trap drum set, bass, and guitar. Added to this core group will be trumpets, trombones, flutes, saxophones, and other wind instruments. Although string parts are included in most arrangements, it is unusual to find strings in most church orchestras. String parts are often covered by the use of synthesizers. Obviously, in a volunteer situation such as this, flexibility and adaptability regarding instrumentation are very necessary. The use of the electronic organ is common in Church of God worship services. With the advancement of orchestral music, however, there is less dependency on this instrument. The pipe organ is not a part of the musical heritage of the Church of God.

The Other Arts

Just as music used in the Church of God leans toward the utilitarian, so does the overall application of the arts in worship. Even in congregations of great resources, the use of environmental art is limited to modest displays consisting of stained glass and seasonal decoration. The architecture of the typical Church of God is simple and functional in its design. In the past ten years, banners have been added as a part of the decor in some churches. Drama is used often as a part of musical presentations, especially at Easter and Christmas. These presentations are of the pageant variety and can be quite lavish in costuming and staging. Drama groups exist as a part of many youth programs in the Church of God. These groups use drama as a means of addressing contemporary issues as well as outreach.

Liturgical dance remains a controversial issue in the Church of God. It is utilized in only a few churches. There are many congregations that do not accept this art form as a means of worship expression.

The denomination as a whole does not give much attention to the arts. There are no publications that deal with the arts directly. The greatest amount of activity is seen in the area of music publishing where song collections are regularly produced and distributed by the denominationally sponsored publishing house.