Entertainment churches are places of worship that incorporate elements from the outside world, such as music, theatrics, performances, dances, and other entertaining activities, into their events. These churches aim to create a more immersive and captivating entertainment experience for their congregations in order to attract more people to their services.
On June 17, 2023, Paangpi Adventist Church, located in Myanmar, published a video of young girls dancing in front of the sacred pulpit. The dance featured popular synchronized hip-hop-inspired movements and dress as the performers moved in sequence together. [1] These choreographed dances, which are very recognizable in international music venues, are also becoming popular in churches.
The hip-hop dancing is followed by prayers to God.
Why are churches embracing this dance form? Because these dance shows are crowd-pleasers. Worship is being tailored for a new generation of young people, and the goal is to provide amusement, diversion, and satisfaction. However, this type of entertainment centered worship style is contrary to the Word of God. The biblical church never seeks to please or entertain men.
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10.
“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4.
What Paul did in his outreach for the gospel was not calculated to please men. He would have nothing to do with crowd-pleasing tactics, spectacular shows, sensational displays, or much of the entertainment that has come to dominate many church services.
The inscriptuion under the pulpit says, “Jesus is Coming Soon.”
The so-called entertainment emphasis was completely useless to the early disciples. Let it be that way with us as well. We must resist becoming these entertainment churches that have become so common today. Let us return to the simplicity that is found in Christ Jesus.
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3.
“Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God. What a contrast between the ancient custom and the uses to which music is now too often devoted! How many employ this gift to exalt self, instead of using it to Glorify God! A love for music leads the unwary to unite with world lovers in pleasure gatherings where God has forbidden His children to go. Thus that which is a great blessing when rightly used, becomes one of the most successful agencies by which Satan allures the mind from duty and from the contemplation of eternal things. Music forms a part of God’s worship in the courts above, and we should endeavor, in our songs of praise, to approach as nearly as possible to the harmony of the heavenly choirs” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 594).
“David’s dancing in reverent joy before God has been cited by pleasure lovers in justification of the fashionable modern dance, but there is no ground for such an argument. In our day dancing is associated with folly and midnight reveling. Health and morals are sacrificed to pleasure. By the frequenters of the ballroom God is not an object of thought and reverence; prayer or the song of praise would be felt to be out of place in their assemblies. This test should be decisive. Amusements that have a tendency to weaken the love for sacred things and lessen our joy in the service of God are not to be sought by Christians. The music and dancing in joyful praise to God at the removal of the ark had not the faintest resemblance to the dissipation of modern dancing. The one tended to the remembrance of God and exalted His holy name. The other is a device of Satan to cause men to forget God and to dishonor Him” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 707).
Sources
[1] https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=942259660382189
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This is becoming more and more pervasive amongst our churches. what is going on?? Can’t people see that Jesus is soon to come?
I have the impression that now the churches in the threshold and 3rd world countries are at it and with the unholy music and dance interludes at the services. These associations were always the brake block in the church when it came to fundamental points of faith. In the West, the secular music was already brought into the service 20 years ago.
This can only happen in the church when ungodly leaders and members are no longer under the control of the Holy Spirit. It’s time for the return of Elijah.
Jesus is coming is a common tactic used by those that are set to deceive. It throws the hearers into thinking that the speaker or church is present truth with the message that is coming. I’ve seen this many times that what comes next is to deceive. The message that they want to implant.
My impression has always been that if people of the world want entertainment, they aren’t going to come to church to get it. Even those with unconverted hearts can figure out that entertainment is not what church is for. The church can never beat the world at the world’s own game. Getting back to God’s Word as our supreme authority is the only path to relevance.
Back in the 1990s when the so-called “celebration” movement was in vogue in certain segments of Adventism, one pastor from California who was then nearly 90 years old—still pastoring, no less—wrote a letter to the Review explaining that lowering standards and focusing on entertainment was not needed at all as a means of attracting young people to church. He spoke of how his own church did nothing but preach distinctive Adventism, and he said, “We have more young people in this congregation than we know what to do with.”
Anyone who wants to see proof of this should pay a visit to GYC. For at least 20 years now, that movement has maintained large numbers of yearly youthful attendees simply by presenting Bible/Spirit of Prophecy truth, maintaining its staying power as God would have it—and flourishing as a result.
I would be interested to know how many of these wayward churches are following the Growing Young Churches curriculum.
This is ludicrous. What has happened to sacredness?
C’est de la confusion la plus totale,en plus sur la chaire,ou le nom de Dieu est invoquer,les soit disant Adventistes de nos jours ont oublier la punition,des hébreux au pied du Sinaï,pour avoir fabriquer le veau d’or,là ils défient Dieu ouvertement.Quelle tristesse.