American Idol has a distinct church connection–Most of the show’s winning contestants have hailed from the “Bible belt,” and many of them having been trained by singing in evangelical or Pentecostal churches.

This season’s top contenders were the exception, as Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze are from the Midwest.  However Aaron Kelley, Michael Lynche and Tim Urban got their “singing legs” by performing in their churches, the LA Times said.

In season eight, half of the top 10 were worship leaders in their church.  Churches also became a big part of the contestants’ fan bases with congregations launching viewing parties and vote drives for their favorites, the LA Times reported.

Danny Gokey got serious about music when he was 19 after attending FaithBuilders, a nondenominational church in Milwaukee.  Mandisa of season 5 also has church roots and is currently recording under EMI Christian Music.  Jason Castro of season seven used to sing at Lake Pointe, a suburban Dallas mega-church that’s known for its sophisticated musical performances.

Jordin Sparks performs on American Idol in 2007. She got her start singing in church. Credit:Wikimedia Commons.

Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks and Taylor Hicks, all Idol winners, also got their training largely by singing in churches before they became famous through the show, the LA Times said.

The fact that many contestants honed their vocal skills at black churches and suburban megachurches is also one of the reasons why “Idol” has been embraced by Christian communities across the nation.

The show has projected to an audience of tens of millions an image of heartland youth driven by faith and strong family values, which has become an important source of appeal, according to the LA Times.

All of the winners from the previous eight seasons came from the Bible Belt states except for Arizona native Jordin Sparks of season six.  Of note, “Idol” ratings are highest in such southern cities as Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala. (which produced “Idol” winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks); and Winston-Salem, N.C., according to the Nielsen Co.

Music is a huge part of modern American church culture, particularly in its praise and worship services.  According to Mandisa, “There are always so many Christians that go on ‘American Idol’ and I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” the LA Times said.

Churches provide a natural training ground for prospective “Idol” contestants, and have gained even more importance as school boards have slashed budgets for arts programs in recent years.

During Season five, Mandisa made a gesture pointing to her heart, head and the sky that she took from the work of the evangelist Beth Moore. “A lot of people recognized that and were rooting for me,” she said.

She performed the gospel song “Shackles (Praise You)” for the Top 10 week. She even cited the example of Jesus’ life in telling judge Simon Cowell that she had forgiven him for making cruel on-camera remarks about her weight, the LA Times reported.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

British pop star Adam Ant checked into a mental health facility in the UK recently, after an offensive outburst he made during a comeback concert in a church recently, according to the Daily News.

Ant, whose real name is Stuart Goddard, was the lead singer of Adam and the Ants.  He suffers from bipolar disorder and was sectioned under the UK Mental health Act of 1983, Spinner reported.

He is now at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, from where he released a statement that said, “Ant fans — please send me postcards at the Chelsea & Westminster hospital, Fulham Road.”  He discouraged fans from coming to the hospital because “it may upset the staff who have been really pleasant,” according to Spinner.

Ant’s treatment followed several controversial appearances, but the most discussed incident was an intimate show at a Christian charity event at a church in Hampshire on May 10, Spinner reported.

Goddard opened the show with the Rolling Stone song, “Symphony for the Devil.”  When the crowd jeered, Goddard told the audience to “f— off” and then walked off the stage, according to the Portsmouth News.

The event was partly to promote Ant’s new album, ‘Adam Ant Is the Blueback Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter,’ and partly to raise support for the Philippines Community Foundation the Portsmouth News reported.

Following the debacle, Ant in an interview called the locals “gangsters” and said the place was “worse than Birmingham or Manchester,” according to the Portsmouth News.

In Ant’s statement from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital he said he hoped to be back in good form later this year. “I am having a well earned rest at Her Majesty’s Pleasure and am painting and continuing being an art student,” he said. “I have a great view and am considering gigs later in the year,” the Spinner said.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

The fastest death rate of churches in America is happening in the Bible belt, said a southern US pastor at a 3-day convention that was held recently, according to Christian Today (CT).

Churches are dying fastest in the so-called Bible Belt/Credit: klsmith77/sxc.hu

At Advance10: Contextualizing the Gospel in the New South, Pastor Tyler Jones of Vintage21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina said churches are dying rapidly in the Bible belt. He and several other pastors blamed the churches themselves for the decline, CT reported.

According to Jones, churches don’t understand the gospel and how it applies to people’s lives. They are being taught “quaint moralism over the Gospel.” Jones said, adding “Moralism is the greatest form of self worship. It robs us of our need for God,” CT reported.

Jerome Gay, lead pastor of Vision International Church in Raleigh agreed, saying, “Christianity has been presented as a list of don’ts. Don’t go to the club, don’t join the frat, don’t do this, don’t do that.” As a result, people leave the church, disillusioned, without actually knowing Christ as he is presented in the Bible, CT said.

The conference was held by Advance the Church, and co-sponsored by The Summit Church and Vintage21 Church. They seek to help local churches become more responsive to the changing culture without watering down God’s Word, according to the Christian Post (CP).

CP quoted Pastor David Platt of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, who said many churches need clarity on the Gospel. “A lot of people who [grew] up in the church need to hear the Gospel as it’s presented biblically,” said Platt.

Other scheduled speakers were Matt Carter of The Austin Stone; Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle; J.D. Grear of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham area; Johnny Hunt, who heads the Southern Baptist Convention; and Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham and pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, according to CP.

Be Sociable, Share!

•