Why Aren’t Men Singing in Church (The Real Reason Will Surprise You) - Kelsey McGinnis

Podcast Notes: Asking Better Questions in Worship Ministry - Kelsey McGinnis Keynote Episode Overview

In this episode, we present Kelsey McGinnis' keynote from Churchfront Conference 2024. As a musicologist and researcher specializing in congregational music culture, Kelsey explores how transforming problematic worship ministry questions into deeper ones reveals important insights about community, belonging, and authentic worship.

Time Stamps & Key Points Introduction [00:00]

• Kelsey's opening insight: "Whether someone sings in corporate worship probably has very little to do with how they feel about the songs themselves. It has everything to do with how they feel about their voices."
• Introduction of Kelsey McGinnis, musicologist and researcher of congregational music
• Her approach to using questions as the foundation for research and writing

Bad Questions vs. Better Questions [00:43]

• The problem with starting with bad questions
• How even problematic questions can lead to important insights
• The process of refining questions to get to deeper truths
• Why questions about music often reveal deeper issues about community

Case Study 1: Male Singing Participation [01:49]

• The problematic initial question: "Why aren't men singing in church?"
• Why this is a bad question (confrontational, assumes something not necessarily true)
• How online discourse frames this issue ineffectively
• Conversation with Dr. Randall Bradley from Baylor University (director of Baylor Men's Choir)
• Key insight: "Whether someone sings in corporate worship probably has very little to do with how they feel about the songs themselves. It has everything to do with how they feel about their voices."
• Stories from men about their relationship with their voices:
  • Being made fun of during adolescent voice changes
  • Feeling their low voices intrude during quiet worship moments
  • Not feeling their vocal contribution is valued
• The importance of mentorship for young male singers
• Better question: How do we create worship where all voices feel welcomed and valued?

Case Study 2: Changing Role of Church Musicians [09:07]

• The strange initial question: "Is it more boring to be a church drummer now than it was 20 years ago?"
• Why this question arose (multiple drummers independently expressing the same sentiment)
• How worship music style has evolved over 30 years:
  • Movement from rock-based to EDM-influenced styles
  • Increased use of click tracks, pads, and loops
  • More accessible technology changing worship landscapes
• Better questions: "What has changed for drummers in the past 20 years? Has anything meaningful been lost?"
• Contrasting drummer experiences:
  • One drummer who feels more creative with new technology
  • Another who feels increasingly obsolete
• The deeper question: "How do we let worship evolve without pushing people aside?"
• The challenge of obsolescence in church ministry
• Observations from the Sing Conference in Nashville:
  • Older worship leaders finding community where they don't feel obsolete
  • The need for intergenerational inclusion in worship

Case Study 3: Technology in Worship [16:30]

• The limiting initial question: "Should churches use live autotune?"
• Problems with "should" questions (invite simple yes/no answers)
• Various perspectives on autotune:
  • As "spellcheck" or "bowling bumpers" for vocalists
  • As pitch coordination similar to click tracks
  • Concerns about becoming "karaoke franchises"
• Better questions: "What are we really worried about with technology? When do we cross a threshold?"
• Parallels to concerns about AI-generated art
• The deeper question: "How do we balance humanity and imperfection with our desire for excellence?"
• Thought-provoking quote: "Contemporary worship is in its Vogue magazine era—the Photoshopped version of itself"
• The church's opportunity to model acceptance of imperfection and humanity

Case Study 4: Lament in Worship [23:06]

• Common question: "How do we make space for lament in our worship?"
• Widespread sense that popular worship doesn't adequately address lament
• Conversation with Matt Maher about emotional whiplash in services
• Better questions: "What do we actually need to lament? What hurt are we responding to?"
• The need for worship to respond to hurt both inside and outside church walls
• Letting worship be shaped by love of neighbors rather than love of excellence

Conclusion [25:57]

• The human desire for easy answers and clear categories
• Why superstitious views of music (healing frequencies, etc.) miss the point
• The challenge of moving beyond online "takes" to deeper community questions
• The value of telling stories that lead to wiser questions

Key Quotes

• "Whether someone sings in corporate worship probably has very little to do with how they feel about the songs themselves. It has everything to do with how they feel about their voices."
• "If you feel like your voice is a gift, that it has a place, you're more likely to offer it as a sacrifice of praise."
• "I want to be part of a community where people aren't primarily valued for their ability to serve a particular aesthetic."
• "Contemporary worship is in its Vogue magazine era—the Photoshopped version of itself."
• "One radical thing that the church can do is be a place where we can model acceptance of the awkwardness and imperfection that comes about when you allow people to create something together."

Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Randall Bradley from Baylor University
• The Sing Conference in Nashville (hosted by Keith and Kristin Getty)
• Religion News Service article on autotune in worship
• Matt Maher (songwriter and worship leader)

Action Steps

1. Examine the questions you're asking about your worship ministry
2. Consider how your technology choices affect people's sense of belonging
3. Create space for all voices to feel valued in your worship context
4. Evaluate whether your pursuit of excellence might be excluding certain voices
5. Look for ways to let your worship respond to the hurt in your community

Connect & Continue

For more insights on worship ministry questions, connect with Kelsey McGinnis or visit churchfront.com/conference

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