The Both/And Church: A Qualitative Study on the Motives, Processes, and Impacts of Instrumental Music in Churches of Christ in the Bible Belt

Despite the information available on worship styles of churches in America, perspectives of Churches of Christ who have started using instruments have yet to be explored. Since 1906, Churches of Christ have been one of many distinct religious sects in America. Expressions of this denomination are most often found in the Deep South of the United States — what many religious persons refer to as the “Bible Belt.” Known for their emphasis on weekly communion, baptism as a sacramental part of discipleship, and their embrace of extra-biblical additions to ministry like missionary societies, one spiritual practice sets them apart most commonly from the majority of other faith traditions: a cappella (“voices only”) music in worship. Meanwhile, despite the denouncement of instrumental music by early Church Fathers, an increasingly growing number of Christian organizations have begun sharing their instrumentally accompanied music through the distribution of tapes, CDs, and ultimately, websites and applications, such as YouTube and other online streaming platforms, for decades. This development has led many Churches of Christ to ponder and even change their position on instrumental music. Using case studies and interviews with different Churches of Christ currently using instruments in corporate worship, this qualitative research study identifies the impacts that transitioning to instruments has on those congregations as determined by the motives for the transition, the process used for the transition, and the impact and results of the transition. Further, this project serves as a resource for other Churches of Christ discerning the potential addition of instruments to their worship liturgies in the future.