Ep. 309: A Conversation with Steve Camp About Life, Music, and the Disrupting the Christian Music Industry

Any assessment of Contemporary Christian Music in the 1980s and 90s would have to include the name Steve Camp. His first national release, “Sayin’ It With Love,” topped the then fledgling Christian charts in 1978, 45 years ago.  He put out a steady stream of top selling albums and singles for the next 20 years. But in 1998 he did something that amplified his influence far beyond the Christian music scene. While on tour in Europe, he visited the church where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, an event that many say ushered in the Reformation. Camp sent out his own 107 theses on Reformation Day (October 31), 1998, calling for a reformation in contemporary Christian music: calling Christian musicians to make direct, uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the scriptures. Camp’s 107 Theses was widely covered at the time in Christian media, and some of the ideas he introduced are being hotly debated even today. So when I heard that Steve Camp had a new album out, his first in more than 15 years, I could not resist the opportunity to have a chat with him. We talk about his new album, “Neighbors in an Age of Rage,” and his work as a pastor of a church in Florida. By the way, you can find Steve Camp’s 107 Theses here. FINAL THOUGHTS If you enjoy interviews such as this, please consider supporting MinistryWatch.  I’m recording this on “Giving Tuesday,” and I know that many of you will be supporting us today. I’m grateful for that. But please know that our needs go on year-round, and we’d love to hear from you any time. In fact, I have a special challenge for you today. This year is the 25thanniversary of MinistryWatch, and we are hoping that 100 people will help us celebrate by making a commitment of $25 per month. Just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate button at the top of the page, and we’ll have a way there for you to make a recurring $25 per month contribution. That would be a huge help to us as we end 2023 and begin the new year. The producers for today’s program are Jeff McIntosh and Rich Roszel. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Christina Darnell, Kim Roberts, Stephen duBarry, and Casey Sudduth. Until next time – may God bless you.