Can We Still Enjoy the Music of “Fallen” Christian Artists?

I suppose that for most of us who are Christians, music has played a role at least to some degree in our faith. For me, that was true when I came to saving faith at age 20. I had heard some of Amy Grant’s music at college through a friend of mine. By that time, she already had three albums, and her third one, Never Alone, came out the same year I became a Christian (1980). Her song “So Glad,” where she sings about having built her life on a “kingdom made of sand,” but then how the Lord had “torn it all away,” was foundational to my own faith. Then there was “If I Have to Die,” where she concludes that we have to die for Jesus–“That’s the struggle, don’t you see?”–meaning that we have to die to ourselves so that we can live for Jesus. Five years later, on her Unguarded album, she sings “Sharayah,” about a friend she loves who doesn’t know the Lord yet. “I care about you, I don’t wanna push you,” but “You can have life that’s everlasting.” I mention these three songs by Amy specifically because they were formative in my own faith, but I enjoyed many others as well.

In 1999, Amy received a great deal of backlash after she divorced Gary Chapman, her husband of 17 years, even moreso because Chapman had wanted to stay married. The criticism intensified when she married Vince Gill a mere 8 months after the divorce; later, she said that there had been no adultery during her marriage to Chapman. Regardless, some churches that had previously incorporated some of her music dropped it; in addition, some radio stations stopped playing it, and some Christian retailers stopped selling it. Over time, some churches, stations, and retailers brought it back. Much more recently, in 2023, Amy received backlash for hosting her lesbian niece’s wedding. Her response: “Honestly, from a faith perspective, I do always say, ‘Jesus, you just narrowed it down to two things: love God and love each other.’ I mean, hey — that’s pretty simple.”

Sandi Patty is another Christian artist whose music I started listening to a few years later. I especially loved “Hosanna” and “Unshakeable Kingdom” on her Morning Like This (1986) album. In 1993, she initiated a divorce from John Helvering; two years later, she married Don Peslis, her backup singer. She admitted to having had an affair with Peslis during her marriage to Helvering. To her credit, she confessed her sin to her church congregation, but that didn’t stop her from remarrying. As would happen with Amy Grant a few years later, some churches and radio stations pulled her music, and some Christian retailers stopped selling her albums. I noticed that Sandi is coming out with a new album this year; I might listen to a track or two out of curiosity.

Ray Boltz is a name that is probably less well-known, but the year I got married (1988), he came out with his Thank You album; the title track “Thank You” instantly became one of my favorites. 20 years later, he came out in a different way, as gay. Once again, some churches, retailers, and Christian radio stations dropped him like a hot potato. He had four kids in 33 years with his wife before divorcing her in 2008, and last year, he married a man.

A few years ago, I heard a few songs by Hillsong, including the remarkable “Man of Sorrows” (2013). The song begins with Jesus’ suffering on Good Friday and takes the listener through His glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. Particularly since 2020, Hillsong Church has been experiencing fallout from various scandals. Without going into detail, there has been sexual immorality, most notably by former NYC pastor Carl Lentz and former “global” senior pastor Brian Houston; financial mismanagement and misuse of funds; and a toxic work environment. As a result, the number of Hillsong church “campuses” has shrunk dramatically worldwide, including dropping from 16 to 5 in the U.S.

So, what are we to make of all of this? I know that different Christians will respond differently, but here are my responses. Regarding Amy Grant, I was sad that she divorced her first husband, but I’m glad she has remained married to her second husband. I’m disappointed with her response to the criticism regarding hosting her lesbian niece’s wedding; as I’ve written elsewhere, I don’t celebrate sin and will never attend a same-sex wedding, let alone host one. Regarding Sandi Patty, I feel the same as I do about Amy regarding her divorce and second marriage. Regarding Ray Boltz, I have prayed for his salvation because the Bible is very clear about the sin of homosexuality, despite how some try to justify it. Hillsong is a more complex matter because there are so many different people involved in sin of several different kinds; I have prayed for the repentance of those involved.

In the title of this post, I posed the question of whether we can still enjoy the music of “fallen” Christian artists. I trust it’s clear by this point that when I say “fallen,” I’m referring to the Christian public’s reaction to the sin of some Christian artists; I am not saying that Amy Grant and Sandi Patty, for example, are unbelievers. For myself, I can and most certainly do still enjoy some of the music of the four artists I’ve written about, particularly the specific songs mentioned. When I listen, I don’t find the songs “tainted;” to the contrary, I still worship the Lord through them. Perhaps your experience of such music is different than mine. As always, I’d be interested in reading any comments you may have.