PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

most human needs can be met in a variety of ways, they can be best met in God, i.e. through His
presence and ministry in our lives.
One criticism sometimes laid against Renewal Churches is the lack of hymns in their
worship services. Although some Renewal Churches incorporate older hymns into their worship
services, most of the music sung in these churches has been written since the sixties. Actually,
this criticism reveals the strength of the Renewal Churches as a revival movement. One of the
historic marks of the church in revival is the emergence of new music. The thousands of new
songs which have been written and widely used in renewal movement may be one mark of the
reality of the revival experience they are claiming.
THE WEAKNESSES OF THE RENEWAL CHURCH
Even with its emphasis on revival and experiencing God, the Renewal Church is not
without its weaknesses. Perhaps the most noticeable and most often mentioned weakness of this
movement is the shallowness of their experience. This shallow experience is reflected in the
constant shifting from trend to trend within the Renewal Church due to a lack of commitment to
doctrinal focus and teaching. Over the last twenty-five years, a number of movements within the
renewal movement have quickly risen, gained popularity, then passed off the scene as another
movement rose to prominence.
Perhaps the most dramatic illustration of this problem in recent years is seen in the recent
break between two recognized leaders in this movement, John Wimber and John Arnett. When
Arnett and his Toronto Airport Vineyard became involved with what has become known as "the
Toronto Blessing," their continued involvement with the unique signs and wonders of that
movement including laughing in the Spirit and animal sounds led Wimber and the broader
Vineyard movement to ask Arnett and his church to disassociate from the Vineyard. Wimber
argued the Toronto church had moved outside of the worship model of the Vineyard movement.
Ironically, critics of the Vineyard action argue it was a similar controversy between Wimber and
Chuck Smith that resulted in the original Vineyard Christian Fellowship being asked to leave the
Calvary Chapel movement.
Some leaders within the Renewal Church movement recognize this problem and argue it
will resolve itself in time. The movement is young as are many who pastor these churches.
Also, many members of Renewal Churches are first generation Christians who have not had the
benefits of being trained in Christian homes and Sunday Schools. As the focus of much
preaching in Renewal Churches is on principles relating to specific life skills, little doctrinal
teaching exists within these churches. As the movement continues, some leaders see a time
when expository Bible teaching will be more common in Renewal Churches leading to a greater
level of maturity and doctrinal stability. Certainly the example of some Renewal Church leaders
like Chuck Smith suggest an expositional Bible teaching ministry is not incompatible with this
worship style.
TAPPING INTO THE STRENGTH OF THE RENEWAL CHURCH
While all six worship styles identified in this book worship God in their own way, many
churches can learn how to enrich their worship experience through the Renewal Church approach