Church Music

Definition and Meaning

Church music is the general term for the music the church uses in worship and in the life of faith. It encompasses the hymns sung together by the congregation, the anthems of the choir, the responses sung after prayers and Scripture readings, and instrumental music such as preludes, postludes, and accompaniment. Theologically, its significance is explained in three respects: praising God, confessing and teaching the Word through song, and enabling the congregation to participate in worship with one accord.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Old Testament records that David appointed singers from among the Levites and entrusted them with praise in the sanctuary (1 Chronicles 25). The Psalms served as Israel's hymnbook. The New Testament records that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30). The Pauline epistles commend "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Ephesians 5:19–21; Colossians 3:16).

In the medieval Western church, Gregorian chant sung in Latin was central. The Orthodox Church still maintains a tradition of unaccompanied chant. After the Reformation, Martin Luther promoted congregational hymns sung in the vernacular. John Calvin's church in Geneva made metrical psalms—psalms set to verse—the center of its worship music. In eighteenth-century England, Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley wrote a large number of hymn texts, and their works became the foundation of present-day Protestant hymnody.

Practice in Korean Churches

From the early years of missionary work in Korea, hymnals were produced containing translations of Western hymns. The Unified Hymnal, shared by multiple denominations, appeared in 1983, and in 2006 the Korean Hymnal Society published the 21st Century New Hymnal.

At the Sunday morning service, many churches sing hymns with organ or piano accompaniment, and the choir offers an anthem. At young adult services and Friday gatherings, a praise team often leads gospel songs and CCM with band accompaniment.

Emphases vary by denomination and tradition.

• In some Presbyterian churches that emphasize the Reformed tradition, there is a movement to revive psalm singing.
• Pentecostal churches, such as the Full Gospel churches, are known to have embraced lively praise with hand clapping and a variety of instruments in worship from early on.
• The Anglican Church of Korea maintains a liturgical tradition that values chants and responses following the church calendar. A liturgical tradition refers to a form of worship that follows a set order and prescribed prayers.

The worship music debate continues over issues such as the use of drums and electronic instruments and the theological depth of contemporary worship lyrics.