Where Are Our Songwriters?

Psalms 33:3 says, "Sing unto him a new song played skillfully with a loud noise." Back last September I started studying about the late Gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo. My quest in desiring to learn about her began when I heard a local radio station in my hometown play the song Rambo sung entitled, "I Will Glory in the Cross." As a result, I went on YouTube and heard that song and really enjoyed it. That led to first one thing and then another. I was listening to different specials about her on the internet as well as listening to some of her songs. I also read a book about her. I learned in my studying about her that she wrote 2500+ songs. She had a great talent. She used it to the fullest extent until she died on May 11, 2008.

It takes a special talent to write a poem and set it to music. I recognized that last fall. It's a talent beyond just singing a particular song. I greatly admired Rambo's talent and her willingness to use it. I didn't agree with many of her associations. She hung around many Charismatics. Anyone that watched TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) has seen her as a guest on numerous occasions with Paul and Jan Crouch. How many people in our Independent fundamental churches possess a talent to write music like she did and are using that talent for the Lord?

In many of our fundamental Baptist churches much of the music we sing today comes from these modern Southern Gospel groups. The Southern Gospel music industry is in sad shape today. If you take a look at many of the CD covers many of them dress worldly and maintain a worldy appearance. Some of them live wicked lives. There was one prominent tenor singer that used to sing for a quartet that I enjoyed very much. It was revealed several years ago that he was homosexual. How tragic! Some of the stars of today's Southern Gospel groups are worldly and don't live a clean, holy life. We'll use many of the songs from some of these groups and sing them in our churches.

I remember one old country music singer named Hank Williams Sr. who wrote the song "I Saw the Light". That was a good song but most of the songs he sang were honky-tonk such as "There's a Tear in My Beer" and "You're Cheatin' Heart", for example. Why do we have to rely on those kinds of people to write our Gospel songs? It shouldn't be that way. Many of the Gospel songs we enjoy today come from the worldy crowd in the Southern Gospel industry. I will admit they're great songs, but why don't we have anybody in our fundamental churches writing songs that glorify God? Those of us that don't like Michael Jackson's music can easily criticize him and call him for what he is but what about those that sing Gospel that live wicked lives. That's even worse that Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson sang pop music. These other people are singing songs that are supposed to glorify God. We need people that sing Gospel to live what they sing.

I believe that there's some people in our fundamental Independent Baptist churches that God's given the gift to write songs. I can't believe there aren't some Baptists God hasn't given the gift to write songs. You would think that those that preach the Bible out of the King James and hold a fundamental view of scripture God would use people like that to write songs. We need people in our local churches that are given the gift to write songs to use that gift. We need people that love God to write songs that glorify Him. We shouldn't have to rely on Nashville to find songs to sing in our churches. It shouldn't be that way. God's gifted people in our churches to serve the body. I believe that God has given a gift to every saved person in a local church to use for his honor and glory. Everybody possess different gifts, but everyone has some sort of gift. It's a shame when the world is more dedicated to their talents than those of us in the church are. We should be just as much or more dedicated when it comes to using our gifts as the world is.

We need Gospel songwriters in our Baptist churches. I believe God has given some people the gift to write Gospel songs to the extent Dottie Rambo did. We can be critical of the crowd she hung around, but many of us aren't using our gifts the way that Rambo did. That's a shame. Sunday night Preacher was mentioning about those in the music industry writing Gospel songs and living wicked lives and was wondering what does God think of it? Another question I believe needs to be asked is what does God think of those in our fundamental churches that have the gift to write songs and they don't use that gift. It hinders the body of Christ. Everybody needs to use their gifts that God has bestowed upon them so the Body of Christ can function properly. The church cannot fulfill its purpose as a body if every member is not utilizing the gifts that God has given them.