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Plenary Session Speakers

 

 

Dr. John Piper (Desiring God Ministries) – web link

- Session #1 - Jesus Christ: The Radical Intensification, Internalization, 
De-localization, De-formalization and Pervasiveness of Worship

- Session #2 - The Essence of Worship is Authentic Satisfaction in All that 
God is for Us in Jesus, and Missions is an Effort to Expand My Worship

- Session #3 - chapel - Love is About the Display of the Glory of God

- Session #4 - Worship Songs of the Suffering Heart

- Session #5 - chapel - The Joy of the Lord is Your Vocation

- The Supremacy of God in Missions Through Worship

 

Dr. Harold Best (Wheaton Conservatory/retired) – web link

- Issues and Concerns Related to Ethno-Artists/Musicologists

 

 

Colin Harbinson (Bellhaven College/International Festival of the Arts) – web link

- The Arts as a Cultural Bridge

 

 

Dick Eastman (Every Home For Christ) – web link

- Harp and Bowl Guide

- Cultivating Your “Harp and Bowl”

 

 

 

Richard Twiss (Wiconi) – web link

- Dancing Our Prayers: Using Native Arts & Music in Ministry

 

Dr. Roberta King (Fuller Seminary) – web link

- Make Known Among the Nations What God Has Done! Communicating Christ 
through the Arts

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Avorgbedor (Ohio State University) – web link

- Integrating "Indigenous" Practices in Christian Worship

 

 

 

 

Seminar Presentations

 

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AFRICA

 

Wendy Atkins (AIM) - Encouraging the Use and Integration of "Heart Music" in an Established Church Setting

I will show how song-writing workshops, scriptural teaching, printed materials, and working within the established church structure has encouraged the church among the Azande people in CAR to begin incorporating traditional musical styles in their church services.

 

Dr. Daniel Avorgbedor (Ohio State University) - Integrating "Indigenous" Practices in Christian Worship
This seminar presents a reexamination of challenges and opportunities in local expressions of the Gospel in Africa, focusing on creative musical traditions. The notion of "syncretism" and its limitations will be considered, with the related perspectives of recontextualization, reinterpretation, and reinvention. The seminar will provide fresh data that will aid mission work and local evangelism. The examples and conclusions have implications for mission strategies worldwide, especially in the area of worship arts.

 

Sheila MacKenzie Brown (OUC/SIL) - Moba Mobilization: Song Composition with the Moba people in Togo

This seminar presents a case study of research and application among the Moba people of Togo. It will describe the processes of determining the genres of Moba heart music and commissioning a new Scripture song in the Jaog style.

 

Karen Campbell - How Can We Sing Songs in a Strange Land?

In this study of Christian songs from a Sudanese Dinka refugee camp in Kenya, we discover that the people use at least three approaches in developing their theology and bringing it into songs. The ethnomusicology research method, involving analyzing song texts and placing them on a grid, will be demonstrated. The grid shows to what degree a Christian symbol (particularly blood, covenant and sacrifice) has interacted with Dinka culture in the lyrics of different songs.

 

Dr. James R. Krabill (Mennonite Mission Network) - "Teach Us the Songs of Heaven!"
This is the remarkable story of how the Liberian prophet-evangelist, William Wade Harris, touched the lives of thousands of people in Ivory Coast (1913-1915), teaching them to transform traditional royalty songs into hymns of praise.

 

Kathleen Noss (UCLA) - Communicating Biblical Texts Through African Performing Arts

The first part of this seminar deals with the history of education through the arts in Africa. The second section presents case studies of some of the possibilities and challenges involved in using African performing arts (particularly music) to convey biblical texts.

 

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ASIA

 

Amos Lee - Recontextualizing Long Song in the Mongolian Feast Celebration (Nair)
In order to take the genre of "long song" and put it into a new context of Christian worship, one must consider what long song means to Mongolians. For example, it has associations with festivals, wrestling, Buddhism and shamanism. The Mongol feast, which features consumption of alcohol and a slaughtered lamb, is ripe for reinterpretation towards the Eucharist. This study will present a lyrical analysis of certain long song themes which resonate with Christian themes, and which could possibly be used at a recontextualized feast that honors Christ.

 

Dr. Stephen Duncan, DMA, OCCA - Christian Bhajans: Indigenization of the Rites in India
This study examines the uses of indigenous music in the Rites of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It explains Bhajan, Namjap, Kirtan, and other indigenous musical forms and suggests how they can be used for worship.

 

Aradhna - "Sitars, Guitars and Yeshu Khrist": Worship in the Multicultural Indian Diaspora - Thesis

- Aradhna Home Page - web link

The concepts of Hindi bhakti (devotion) and bhajans (devotional songs), and how they have been incorporated into Christian worship, will be explored in this seminar. Participants will listen to a live performance of Christ-centered bhajans and learn some of them. The integration of Indian and western musical elements in some bhajans will be considered and demonstrated.

 

John Oswald (WEC International) - Song & Spirituality in the Himalayas

We will examine a case study of song texts recently composed by national believers, looking at issues such as intimacy and reverence in worship, the use of "Buddhist" terminology, and a personal or communal approach to God. A set of Christian songbooks and recordings that served as the basis for this study will be presented, and the development of the materials will be described.

 

Connie Wong (UCLA) - The Coming of Age of Chinese Gospel Music

Strategies of sharing new Chinese-American gospel music among the urban communities of the Chinese Diaspora will be considered. "Stream of Praise Music Ministry" is a representative Taiwanese-American gospel music group that has established a leading position in both sacred and secular Chinese music markets. This seminar will examine how this group makes use of mass media and world tours to create a model of worship music that accommodates the aesthetics of Chinese Christian congregations.

 

 

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AMERICAS

 

Jim Miller (NAIM/Songs to the Creator) - Resident & Relevant Ethnomusicology

Living long-term in the host culture affects how you do your music job. How do you learn to become an insider in the community? What are the long-term effects of generative ethnomusicology upon the local music system? How do you seek out and "read" feedback on the music you help create? How do you decide what feedback is most relevant? Does the community (Christians and non-Christians) see our work as relevant in any way? What ways? These are some of the issues to be discussed in this seminar.

 

Richard Twiss (Wiconi) - Dancing Our Prayers: Using Native Arts & Music in Ministry - Perspectives on Syncretism, Critical Contextualization and Cultural Practices in First Nations Ministry

Native Christians today are asking difficult questions concerning the use of historical Native music, art, dance, symbolism, and ceremonial forms. Can these be legitimates expressions of Biblical worship? Can First Nations believers use their traditional drums and dances on Sunday morning? Can they write and arrange new worship songs using the traditional styles, sounds, and instruments of their tribal traditions? This seminar proposes Biblical answers to these questions, and shows how the unchanging truth of scripture can be applied within an indigenous people group's cultural context without comprising scriptural truths. You will be equipped to discern the difference between contextualization and syncretism.

 

Atilano Muradas - Introducing Brazilian Musics into the Brazilian Church

 

 

 

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ARABIC-INFLUENCED MUSIC

 

Dr. Deborah Barkey (Friends) - Music and Cultural Identity in Turkey: Towards a Kingdom Identity & Worship Expression
A brief overview of music traditions in Turkey will be presented, underlining the importance of the arts in Turkish society to the maintenance and expression of cultural identities. We will then focus on problems inherent in trying to create a worship style using indigenous music that is identifiable with particular sub-groups within the nation. One of the ways to avoid social, religious, ethnic and political traps inherent in the appropriation of indigenous music styles by the church has been the use of more "neutral" elements of western worship music alongside selected elements of Turkish music.

 

Dr. Sue Hall (SIL) - Music in Arab-Influenced Africa

This seminar will address some of the musical factors that come into play in Kingdom work in parts of Africa that have been influenced by Arabic musical and cultural forms. Examples from across the continent will be presented. Research approaches and practical applications for many different contexts will be explored, with the goal of encouraging the use of all available musical forms to enhance the growth of the Kingdom of God in these parts of Africa. Participants are welcome to share from their experiences and ideas.

 

Von Newcomb (Pioneers) - A Case Study in Ethnodoxology: Kyrgyzstan

Have you ever wondered what it looks like when an unreached people group begins to worship the true God? We will look through the eyes of ethnodoxology at the history and development of worship in Kyrgyz churches, with a desire to extract useful principles for working in a cross-cultural context. Come and see the faces, hear the stories and music, and marvel at the hand of God at work in this small Central Asian country.

 

 

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MEDIA

 

Frank Fortunato & Ken Davidson (HSI/OM International Music Coordinator & HSI) - Missions, Music and Multimedia: Heart Sounds International

We provide Christian communities in limited access countries (primarily of the Arab-influenced world) with digital, portable recording facilities to enable local musicians to record their indigenous worship songs. We train them in use of audio & video equipment, and teach about biblical principles of worship. An overview of various recording equipment and methods we use will be included in this seminar.

 

Dawn Goodwin/Dr. Grant Lovejoy/Tom Ferguson (IMB/SWBTS/IMB)

This panel will discuss ways of integrating music into Chronological Bible Storying, a methodology increasingly used by church planters and disciple-makers. Successful examples, involving case studies and recorded media, will be presented from Haiti, several African countries, and India.


Dawn Goodwin

- An interview (includes Creole music samples)

 

Dr. Grant Lovejoy 

- CBS ISC Manual -

- CBS Manual 2002 -

- CBS Manual Evans ed -

- Teaching Materials -

- PowerPoint Presentation - Chronological Bible Storying - 

Additional resources on the Web at:

- www.epicpartners.org

- www.chronologicalbiblestorying.com


Tom Ferguson
- Report on Ifè Music Evangelism Workshop

- PowerPoint Presentation - CBS & Music -

- video - Ife CBS Music -

- musical example - Mahi Solomon -

 

Marilyn Malmstrom (VMS/SIL) - Partnering Media and Music in Ministry (PowerPoint)

- see folder on CD for musical examples -

- Vernacular Media Services Materials - 
We will discuss various ways that ethnic music is vital to the effectiveness of media. Examples include soundtracks for local video productions, music for audiocassettes and radio, thematic music for storying, and songs for live drama. A Ghana model of the ethnomusicologist, the language team, local composers and the Vernacular Media specialist teaming up to produce Scripture memory songs & recordings will be discussed.

 

 

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GENERAL

 

Dr. Tom Avery (SIL International Ethnomusicology Coordinator) - Beyond Scripture Songs 
(panel discussion with Gloria Sauck, Brian Schrag & Virginia Whitney)

Because heart-music Scripture songs have an immediate reality and usefulness they tend to be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ethnomusicology and missions. There are, however, a number of other contributions that ethnomusicology can make to cross-cultural ministry that may have similarly profound effects on the community, including outside the church.  Several such contributions will be briefly reviewed. The panel will reflect on the potential of these contributions within the larger framework of the Westminster Confessional statement: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."  This will be followed by a green-lighting session in which other possible strategies will be explored.

 

Dr. John Benham (MIWC/Bethel) - What's So Great About the Great Commission!? - A Musician Looks at Matthew 28
This seminar will develop a biblical case for the music missionary.

 

Dave Hall & Von Newcomb (WFN/Pioneers) - Ethnodoxology 101 (What I Wish I'd Known Before I Got Off the Plane)

- The Top 10 Reasons Every Church-planting Team Needs a Worship-arts Leader -

This seminar will inspire, challenge, and help equip you for the task of facilitating culturally relevant worship among all peoples. Through music demonstrations, teaching, storytelling, multimedia and small group interaction we will cover the basics of ethnodoxology, from theological underpinnings to practical applications. Involvement in ethnodoxology should encourage a people group to "take ownership" of worship forms, not merely borrowing them from other groups, which will result in deeper worship and worship evangelism within the wider culture.

 

Colin Harbinson (Belhaven College/International Festival of the Arts) - The Arts & Cultural Restoration
This seminar shares a compelling vision of God's intention for all people to worship Him within their own cultural framework. It exposes distorted thinking about culture and motivates Christians everywhere to discover the redemptive purposes of God for His world. In doing so, it draws attention to the significant role that music and the arts must play in the ongoing task of cultural redemption.

 

Robin Harris (InterAct Ministries) - The International Council of Ethnodoxologists
- ICE Home Page -

- see folder on CD for Handouts and Applications -

A paradigm for a new organizational partnership of Christian ethnomusicologists and others working in “ethnodoxology” will be presented. Details of this organization will be explored, including the need, the benefits, the scope, the structure, and categories of membership. GCoMM will be the "public launching pad" for this organization, and ways to become involved will be clearly stated.

 

Dr. C. Michael Hawn (SMU) - Reverse Missions: Global Singing for Local Congregations
Does the church in North America need songs from the world church to "fill out our praise?" Are western-trained church musicians prepared to lead global song? How might Christian global singing change our faith and worship? Examples of learning and teaching Christian songs from different cultures will be a large part of this seminar.

 

Dr. Roberta King (Fuller Seminary) – A Model for Doing Ethnomusicology in Mission
- Video Clips of Senufo & Masai -

Ethnomusicology can contribute to the missionary task in three main arenas: word, world and church. It provides a means for communicating the Word of God, for understanding the cultural context of a people, and for doing the work of the church in relevant and meaningful ways.

 

Karen Lafferty (YWAM) - Blending the Contemporary and Cultural

- see folder on CD for musical excerpts from her 2003 CD "Multitudes: The Sound of Many Nations" - 
How can we encourage and respect cultural roots of music while moving with the times? The blending of cultural and contemporary music is a sound that is loved by the popular music world, and is heard in many different forms in many countries. We must learn to use this music to spread the Gospel and glorify God worldwide.

 

Dr. Milton Lites - Art Music vs. Heart Music?

This study will introduce music that has been used among Chinese and Hispanic Christian groups, beginning with early missionary movements and continuing to the present. It will discuss the efforts of these groups to balance "music of the mind" (art music) with "music of the spirit" (heart music).

 

Brian Schrag (SIL/UCLA) - What Right Have We to Interfere?

- Response to "Ethnomusicology as Tool for the Christian Missionary" (with Neil R. Coulter) -
Many ethnomusicologists are uncomfortable with the idea of people (especially missionaries) using their tools and approaches in order to further specific social agendas. I will address several real and potential charges brought against missionary applications of ethnomusicology, then suggest an approach to creating profound, respectful relationships with music-makers around the world that mitigates many of the charges. The approach results in cutting-edge creativity flowing from deep encounters between Christian truth and local culture.

 

Joyce Scott (AIM, retired) - Intercultural Worship in City Churches
A practical Christian response to the global urbanization phenomenon will be suggested. Case studies from South Africa will demonstrate principles that apply in many mega-cities around the world where Christians of different cultures worship together.

 

 

 

Richard Shawyer (WEC International) - Facilitating the Creation of Indigenous Worship

- see folder on CD for video examples of Wolof worship - 
This seminar will address the following topics: What is worship? What does God expect in worship from his community? How can we encourage the community of God’s people in a particular culture to worship from their heart using the natural forms within their culture? A case study of an Arabic-influenced group in Africa will be examined in detail.

 

Roger Thomassen (Central Bible College) - The Need for Missionaries to Receive Education in Music Culture (PowerPoint)

- Thesis - The Use of Indigenous Music in Worship, Discipleship and Evangelism... -
A survey of Assemblies of God missionaries will be presented as evidence that missionaries should receive education in music culture as part of their pre-field preparations. The survey can serve as a model for other mission groups and churches as they evaluate their orientation process. Joyce Scott will also bring a perspective from Africa on giving orientation about indigenous music culture to missionaries.

 

Mary Lou Totten (FACE/USCWM) - Researching & Applying Indigenous Music & Arts for Christian Communication
This seminar demonstrates how to analyze art forms in a culture with a goal of Christian use, focusing on music and ceremony. It considers the role of respect and the importance of asking God to reveal where He has already prepared networks of cultural art communication within the society. The audience will discuss questions and issues that missionaries and the indigenous church must face as they integrate indigenous art and music within the church. Case studies will encourage the audience to develop answers and suggest further questions, using their own experiences and examples.

 

Ron Man (GEM) – Teaching About Worship Across Cultures
(panel discussion with Aradhna, Roberta King & Richard Shawyer)

- Articles on Worship by Ron Man -

There is a great need for the transcultural, theological understanding of biblical worship to be taught to present and future pastors, church leaders, worship leaders and congregations.  This panel discussion will outline some of the underlying principles of worship which need to be taught, and will include examples of teaching about worship in different contexts, for example, in Bible schools and seminaries in Eastern and Western Europe and in rural Africa and Asia.

 

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Other Contributors

 

 

Kirk Bullington (IMB) – The Use of Music in the “Church In Your Home” Movement in the Dominican Republic

- Uriel Song Lyrics -

- musical example - ¿Por qué no he de cantar? -

- musical example - Libertad -

- HTML Picture Gallery -

 

EthnoDoxology Journal (ACT) – Sample Issue

- EthnoDoxology Home Page – on CD 

- Contents of past issues - 

- Reviews from past issues -

- Worship CD Contents - Resources for Teaching About Worship in Missionary Contexts -

 

The Menorah Project (ACT) – 70 Nations Singing 7 Verses of Praise: A Doxological Gathering of the Nations
- The Menorah Project Home Page – web link

 

Kristy Miller (NAIM/Songs to the Creator) - Music Created By the People and For the People  

- A’A Tukayin (We Are Thanking God) - from the 1999 CD "Songs to the Creator" -

Keeping the creative control in the hands of indigenous composers.

 

Jim Mills (Creative Arts Europe) - The Quest for Relevance: Disseminating the Gospel to our Generation

- Creative Arts Europe Home Page - web link

 

Vernacular Media Services Materials

 

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Key to Organizational Acronyms

          ACT = Artists in Christian Testimony
          AIM = Africa Inland Mission
          FACE = Fellowship of Artists for Cultural Evangelism
          GEM = Greater Europe Missions
          HSI = Heart Sounds International
          IMB = International Mission Board (Southern Baptist)
          IW&AN = International Worship & Arts Network
          MIWC = Music in World Cultures
          NAIM = North American Indian Ministries
          OM = Operation Mobilization
          OUC = Okanagan University College
          SIL = Summer Institute of Linguistics
          SMU = Southern Methodist University (Dallas)
          SWBTS = Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Ft. Worth)
          UCLA = University of California at Los Angeles
          USCWM = US Center for World Missions
          VMS = Vernacular Media Services
          WEC = Worldwide Evangelism for Christ
          WFN = Worship From the Nations
          YWAM = Youth With A Mission