GIVE THE CHOIR ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE CHURCH

GIVE THE CHOIR ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE CHURCH

There are few topics of discussion that are as ardently debated as those pertaining to music in worship. When the time arrives to build a chapel there is no topic as misunderstood as where to locate the choir. It is estimated that as many as 80% of all churches in America array the musical forces across the front of the sanctuary. In older churches, most notably those designed by Christopher Wren, the choir is situated in the back of the church, serving as a support for the rest of the congregation. This is purely a tradition oriented style and has no biblical backing. Unfortunately some churches especially many Methodist Churches in Ghana have adopted this antiquated, improper and doctrinally baseless style of choir positioning in the church. Sometimes we get so caught up in some tradition and ritualistic notions and forget about what God expects from us.

If you walked into a church and it was time for praises and adoration; you could not see the drummer, you could not see the keyboardist, you could not see the trumpeter, you could not see the guitarist, you could not see he drummer, you could not see the praises leader or the backers of the songs, only to realize that they all were 180 degree behind you, what would you see. So while you are dancing, you cannot see the faces of those ministering the song to you, you would have to turn around or turn your neck 180 degrees before seeing the faces of the praise singers, what would you say? Would you not ask yourself if there was something wrong with the church? You have not looked at it this way, have you? So if you would find it wrong for the praise team to minister from behind the church, why would you find it normal for the choir to minister from behind the church? The choir ideally should be an amalgamation of both the choral singers and contemporary singers. However, we in Ghana and many parts of Africa prefer to have both separated and for obvious reasons. So why is it right for one singing group to be positioned behind the church, and another in front of the church? How would you feel if you attended a church where the pastor preached from behind the church and you could not see his face until you turned 180 degrees? For this, I am sure, you would ask yourself “What is wrong with these people?”

I have listened to men of God, some of whom are Methodist priests, who believe that the choir should not stand on the sanctuary (the whole area where the pulpit is, the alter is and the priest sits) to minister. They try to imply that the sanctuary is too holy for choristers (Both the choral and contemporary/praise team) and thus inappropriate to do so. You ask them of their biblical basis and they refer to tradition and not scripture. So it is okay for the elders of the church and the priest to sit on the sanctuary as well as Bible readers for the day, but choristers are not worthy enough. This monolithic echelon of unembellished ignorance displayed by men of God who have been trained through Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon and other prestigious seminaries is unbelievable to say the least. If there is a funeral for instance, does the church have control over who reads a tribute? If there is a wedding for instance, can the church stop someone specifically chosen by the couple to read the scripture? So then, the church allows visitors whom they do not know (who may be corrupt politicians, womanizers, murderers, cocaine barons, etc) to mount the sanctuary and speak or read from behind the pulpit because they may be a relative to a deceased member of the church or upon request by a wedding couple, and yet find it wrong for the choir to stand on that same sanctuary to minister. This is not only an insult to the institution and office of the choir, but a belligerent relegation and calamitous obliteration of the choirs purpose in the church. So who is holy in the church? The elders? The priests? Or the choristers are the only group seen as exuding bad character like womanizing or alcoholism? Let me emphasize that those who speak this way have condemned themselves already before the Lord (Rom 2:1-3, Luke 6:37) because we are only made pure by grace when we put on the cloth of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) which is what qualifies us to even stand in the Lord’s presence. Even if the choir is seen evidently as not well behaved, it is the duty of the priest to ensure that they are rebuked, corrected with love and prepared to be worthy to minister and lead the people in worship. The choir deserves its portion and place in the church. The choir is supposed to be well trained not only in music but in prayer and ministerial support to the priest; not positioned far away from the sanctuary as if they are some ordinary church members passing through. “So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.” (Nehemiah 12:47)”. The choir even deserves to be paid or at least refreshed or given some support for their ministry according to this scripture, but that would be a discussion for another day.
The choir, like the priest, ministers to the congregation and through music uplifts the spirits of the flock in fervent worship to the Lord. The choir is what the church looks up to in divine worship. The way they sit, stand, respond to the organ, respond to worship etc, is edifying to the saints. In some churches, the choir stands and backs the preacher up for as long as he holds the microphone and preaches. The preacher preaches with the choir. How dare anyone view the choir as unworthy to take their place on the sanctuary? Let those men of God provide a single Bible passage that support this unfortunate occurrence which is to say the least, a practice which is backward.

The Church Choir has an indispensable role in Church Worship. Choirs play an important role in the worship of the Christian church, particularly with the advent of polyphonic (multi-layered, more complex) music. The praise team is also very important in this setting as both groups are to work together in love and sweet collaboration of a spirit-filled service. This debate of where exactly is best for the choir to sit is established evidently in scripture.
(1) THE SITTING ARRANGEMENT IS IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH. IN THIS INSTANCE, ON THE SANCTUARY AT THE EAST OF THE ALTAR WHICH IS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SANCTUARY WHEN FACING THE ALTAR (2 Chronicles 5:12)
(2) THE CHOIR PERFORMED THE SERVICE (Nehemiah 13:10)
(3) THE PRIESTS MINISTER TOGETHER AS ONE WITH THE CHOIR ON AN ELEVATED PLATFORM/PODIUM/STAGE (Nehemiah 9:4)
(4) THE PRIESTS BLESS THE CONGREGATION WITH THE CHOIR (2 Chronicles 30:27)
(5) THE PRIESTS HAVE THE SAME SITTING AND STANDING AREA WITH THE CHOIR(2 Chronicles 29:6)
(6) THOSE WHO STOOD BY SUPPORTED THE PRIESTS WHILE THEY WERE EITHER PREACHING, SINGING, TEACHING, WAS NOT THE CHURCH ELDERS, NOT THE PRAYER WARRIORS, BUT THE CHOIR (2 Chronicles 5:12)
(7) THE CHORISTERS LED ARMY IN BATTLE (2 Chronicles 20)

The priests and the choristers are one family. They are all Levites and collaborate to lead the service. Moses worked closely with the Levites not only as priests or singers but as warriors (Exodus 32:26-28). To those priests, and I speak on authority because I personally know some of them, who hate the choir and believe it is an archaic group which should have no significant place in the church or in worship, I dare say - they are the most pitiful and need repentance. The choir has a variety of responsibilities. Their primary role is to support and enhance the congregation in singing worship songs. As such, the choir becomes an important leader in worship, guiding the gathered assembly in prayer and praise through song. Allowing the choir to perform its rightful role is imperative and extremely significant. Stop insulting the choir and disrespecting the worship order by making the choir sit behind the church. This has no foundation in scripture and absolutely uncalled for. The Architecture of any new church building should have the positioning of the choir in front of the church on the sanctuary. I commend AME Zion Church, Calvary Baptist Church, and a host of several churches who position the choir on the sanctuary, where the choir sits directly facing the congregation or the side of the front portion of the church. Any which way, the choir minsters from the front side of the church and NOT the back. The choir should be empowered to live up to expectation and church leadership must go back to the Bible and do the right thing.