Worship Leader Mackenzie Morgan Torches Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation Music for Heresy; Church No Longer Sings Them
Mackenzie Morgan, a worship leader at Refine Church in Lascassas, TN, took to social media and throw down the gauntlet and explain why she and her church have stopped using music from bands such as Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation worship, as part of their corporate worship, on account of the floodgate of false doctrine coming out of these congregations and from their leaders.
Morgan, whose church is Reformed Baptista and holds to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, explains that she stayed silent for a while about her uneasiness singing these songs, but then as the Holy Spirit convicted her she determined to really study and research these bands and the churches they spring out of.
She explains that “I was met with a terrible feeling of grief and sadness for what I was supporting” and concluded by affirming “It matters if a song is weak in theology and is not accurately displaying the Holiness of our God. It matters if churches are spreading a prosperity Gospel that is different from the Gospel found in Scripture. It MATTERS that each Sunday churches pay royalties to these churches in order to be able to sing their music, furthering these church’s outreach and their false gospel message. I had to sit in the fact that I had supported these churches. With my money, time, and was opening up the doors for others to discover their false teachings.’
You can see the full post below:
Ok. I’m not wanting to make this post for the sake of controversy. I just cannot stay silent about this issue any longer. You have been warned.
Leading the music part of our worship service at church looks a lot different now for me than it used to in this picture. I’ve kept pretty quiet about my convictions on mainstream worship music, but since it is such an important part of worship and the modern evangelical church, I realize just because not everyone agrees with my position is not a reason to stay silent. So here it goes from your volunteer loud person.
For a long time I felt extremely convicted singing and supporting popular worship bands such as Hillsong, Elevation, Bethel Music, etc. No one else saw anything wrong with it, so I told myself it was okay and thought there was something wrong with me for not liking what I was singing. Well, I realize now the conviction of the Holy Spirit was guiding me all along. One day I decided I was going to figure it out. Once and for all. Black and white. So I studied. And studied. And studied some more. I researched what these bands and their churches were teaching to their congregations on Sunday mornings and behind the scenes, and unfortunately I was met with a terrible feeling of grief and sadness for what I was supporting.
The individual problems are too numerous and lengthy for me to list in a post, but I cannot support these churches such as Elevation and the teachings of Steven Furtick. For his belief in modalism, which is the belief that God is not one being and three persons, but that God switches into ‘modes’ of each person of the Trinity. Folks, that is heresy. As for Bethel, that one should be pretty obvious.
No matter what, we must all agree with this: theology matters. I can’t even stress that enough. It matters if a song is weak in theology and is not accurately displaying the Holiness of our God. It matters if churches are spreading a prosperity Gospel that is different from the Gospel found in Scripture. It MATTERS that each Sunday churches pay royalties to these churches in order to be able to sing their music, furthering these church’s outreach and their false gospel message. I had to sit in the fact that I had supported these churches. With my money, time, and was opening up the doors for others to discover their false teachings.
Call me crazy, call me legalistic, call me whatever you want to. I know it’s not what anyone wants to hear. Music plays on our emotions. But maybe it’s time we start looking at the Scriptures to see what God truly calls for in worship and get over what we want.
The saddest part for me is that people will nod their heads and agree with me, but ultimately they don’t care. I can muster up all the words in the dictionary to pull on your heartstrings, but I can’t make you care. Only God can. That’s not what I’m here to do.
I told myself it was all in my head and I was overthinking it. But what if I wasn’t? What if the majority of the church is leading its people astray singing music that is less than worthy of a Sovereign and Holy God? Would God be pleased with the lights? With the smoke machines? With the obsession of hands in the air and ‘response’ from the crowd? With loud worship nights singing songs He doesn’t approve of? Why did God strike Nadab and Abihu dead with fire because of their offerings referred to in Leviticus 10:1 as ‘strange fire’? Because the fire they offered wasn’t authorized by God. Because He is a Holy God who is deserving of far more than we could ever offer and deserves only what is found in Scripture. But we think that’s too harsh. Like, we’re the holy ones? Why does the clay get to dictate to the Potter what is good?
I know not everyone will agree with me, and that’s okay. But just because something is popular, doesn’t make it Biblical. We can’t sit back and not do our own studying and research. Look at who’s songs you’re singing. Read their church’s doctrine and see what they preach, teach, and believe. But don’t stop there. Don’t compare it to your traditions or what you think is right. Compare it with Scripture. Scripture is the ultimate authority. Not me, not your pastor, not the world, only God. There are no gray areas in God’s Word. His Word tells us it is sufficient for every good work.
Thankfully, there are other solid, Biblical churches with music and lyrics rich in theology to listen to. A couple of the ones I sing and listen to most are Sovereign Grace Music and Cityalight music. I would highly recommend listening to them! If anyone reading this far would like to talk more with me about this issue, feel free to private message me. I’d be more than happy to. Lovingly, of course. And know that I write all this from the place of someone that cares. We’re all growing in our sanctification at different rates. I just wish someone would have sat me down and told me the truth years ago. Maybe I would have listened. Soli Deo Gloria
About Author
Well, good for Mackenzie! Theology certainly does matter! Go to Scripture. She’s got it!
Thank you for sharing. Amen Sista Amen !!
This reich wing b***tch just torched her career. Good riddance to her any other nazi who doesn’t stand with 🇺🇸🇮🇱🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
Johnny, those of us who frequent this site already know quite well that you are a godless troll who clings to darkness and sexual deviancy. No need to post juvenile, ignorant, and hateful diatribes like this – we get it, you hate God and those who worship him.
What for the live off Good as wrong with you??? You’re a piece of garbage not even fit to kick across the street. Seriously “reich wing”, yeah okay, I know roll when I see you, if you even fancy yourself a Christian, and I’m gonna guess you’re not, you might want to actually understand how important what we song or say about God is, but I’m gonna go our on a limb and guess you don’t have then cognitive capabilities to understand that.
Yeah, sound doctrine rocks and everything, and should lead to sound practice; so why is Mackenzie leading worship? I guarantee, you reverse engineer this puppy in real time on the ground at Reformed Baptista, and you’re going to find some doctrinal problems.
The whole modern “worship leader” is unbiblical to begin with so it’s a good thing to cast Hellsong and the rest in the garbage but you still have very corrupt “worship”.
Going Exclusive Psalmody is what needs to happen.
Yes, THIS! Lovin’ me some Tulips today, there is no office of Worship Leader in the New Testament! There are only three verses in the NT that deal with singing (yes, there are verses in Revelation, but they exclusively reference worship before the throne of heaven) in the assembly of the church, and my money says 90% of the skinny jeans and pony tails on the acoustic could not tell you what they are. Although Carnation and I may quibble a bit on exclusive psalmody since three of the verses reference hymns and two mention “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”, the point is that New Testament worship is always congregational singing not passive concert experience, and no worship leader is required.
I love what a good pastor friend of mine said years ago, “I can’t find a job description in the New Testament for a worship leader, only elders and deacons, so since they’re standing in front of the congregation and leading, they would have to at a minimum meet the qualifications for an elder”, which in our immediate instance here ain’t happenin’.
Yea! May many more follow.
JD HALL YOUR COMMENT SECTION IS GOING TO THE DOGS AND PIGS; LITERALLY.