Is One Right and the Other Wrong?

What kind of atmosphere should a church attempt to create immediately prior to beginning a worship service? Should the emphasis be on worship or on fellowship? 
  
Churches that choose worship may have soft, meditative music coming from the organ or piano. People may come into the auditorium and take their seats without speaking to those nearby. They may bow their heads and begin a time of reflective prayer. Worship in such churches is a high and holy hour for which people must prepare. 
  
Where fellowship is the choice, the scene is entirely different. Music is upbeat. People greet each other and there may be several small-group conversations going on at one time. Some people probably stand in the aisles while visiting with fellow members, taking a seat only at the last moment before the service begins. The pastor may even join in shaking hands with as many people as possible as he makes his way to the platform. The room is alive with sound and movement.
  
Is one of these right and the other wrong? 
  
What kind of dress is appropriate for church leaders? 
  
When you arrive at one church, you are greeted at the door by a man dressed in an attractive suit and tie. He is friendly and helpful. He opens the door. He provides a Sunday morning bulletin. He answers questions about the facilities. He helps you find a seat. Later in the service, you see this man standing at the front of the auditorium helping to collect the offering. He and the others with him, all dressed in suits and ties, exude an aura of confidence. They know what they are doing. They move smartly as individuals and as a group. 
  
At a nearby church, the man at the door is dressed in a sports shirt with a collar — no T-shirts allowed. He is as friendly and helpful as the greeters and ushers at the church mentioned above but a little more laid-back. You may have to open the door to the auditorium yourself. This man helps take up the offering, speaking to people as he passes the offering plate from aisle to aisle. Other offering bearers move more rapidly than he, and one young teenager who is helping seems a little bewildered by the experience. 
  
Is one of these right and the other wrong? 
  
What kind of music should a church offer?
  
In one church, the rich, deep tones of the pipe organ echo through the auditorium. The orchestra joins in and the strings of the violins sing as beautifully as the robed choir that fills the choir loft. The music is the hymns of the faith, songs that have been sung by fellow Christians for generations. The words are rich in teaching and emphasize the stream of Christian faith in which one stands. 
  
In another church, a rousing roll from a drum set serves as the downbeat for the praise band. The sound seems to produce rhythmic clapping across the auditorium as voices are lifted in praise to God. Some of the words sung are from Scripture. Most come from relatively new compositions. Many emphasize the glory of God. Soloists or a praise group interact with the congregation, often singing the same phrase several times. 
  
Is one of these right and the other wrong? 
  
What about the pastor? How should he preach? 
  
When one pastor stands to preach, he is like a spring let loose. He kind of explodes, moving quickly across the platform, and his words roll out as quickly as his steps. He paints dramatic word pictures and accents them with facial expressions and physical contortions. He is captivating, a lot like evangelist and former Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president Bailey Smith. 
  
Across town, another pastor stands to preach. He is intense but controlled. He speaks calmly but his words are well chosen. His approach is more like that of a teacher. He explains the biblical passage and makes perceptive applications of its major points. This pastor does not stand locked behind the pulpit, but he moves far less than his brother pastor across town, and no one would call him a “shouting Baptist,” for he seldom raises his voice. His model might be Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, and former SBC president. 
  
Is one of these right and the other wrong? 
  
There are some who might be quick to label one of the examples right and the other wrong. Baptist churches have split over each issue raised. In some churches, the battles continue. Who has not heard complaints about churches that “are so noisy one cannot prepare for worship” or churches that are “cold as ice because they don’t even speak to you when you come in?”  
  
Who has not heard arguments about proper dress for church, about the music sung or about the way the pastor preaches? 
  
What is sometimes forgotten in these discussions is that they are all about style. Too often, we argue that our stylistic preferences are right and the others are wrong. Not so. As long as the substance of the gospel is being lived out in the congregation, a variety of styles can be appropriate. 
  
That is not to say that style does not matter. It does. The numerous arguments about style prove it does. But style matters because of personal preference, not because one is right and the other is wrong. Compelling arguments can be made for the benefits of each style mentioned above. Critics can also find weaknesses in each approach. 
  
Because we are not all alike, different styles appeal to different people. That means we need churches that use organs and orchestras and we need churches that use guitars and drums. We need churches that sing southern gospel and churches that sing praise choruses and churches that sing hymns. We need churches that concentrate on immediate decision and churches that focus on nurture. 
  
The apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). That is a wonderful model for the church. God empowers the church to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in a variety of styles so Christians might be nurtured in a style that speaks to their hearts and that some might be saved. 
  
It is not a question of one style being right and one being wrong. It is a question of presenting the gospel in ways that all people — not just those whose style preferences reflect our own — might be able to hear it and respond. That is something to celebrate, not something to fight about.