I have been attending a local church for several months. During that time I began to stand up, come forward, and lead a song at the invitation of the congregation. Every first Wednesday of the month all men are invited to lead one song during services. I began the song and immediately the congregation went into different speeds which were not mine. I read your thoughts on how a congregation should submit to the song leader while leading and I agree. But this question has to do with membership. I was leading the song, stopped the song to restart and get everyone back on track. As I was moving on I was interrupted by an outspoken member. After the brief altercation and after I finished the song it was said I did not have the authority to “correct” the congregation because I was not a member of that particular church. Is this a correct statement? I have been baptized, not at this particular congregation, but one I was a part of for more than ten years and lead many song services there. Does anyone who has been given the opportunity to lead in worship, whether that be singing, prayer, or leading the lesson, not have the right to give any type of correction because of their “visitor” status? \u00a0The Bible states that there are many parts to one body, does this make a person who has not officially become a member excluded from making corrections? For full disclosure, I have stopped this particular congregation before for similar reasons and had no one spoke out against the action.<\/p>\n
Please give me any Scripture that will answer this question. I appreciate your help.<\/p>\n\t
There are actually two issues being presented here, so I’m going to start with the one you might find more difficult.<\/p>\n
I’m puzzled how a Christian can justify “visiting” a congregation for several months. I don’t find such a concept in the Scriptures. Visitors are those who are passing through. What we see, by the example of Paul, is that when he was in an area for even a short period of time, he sought to join the local congregation. “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out<\/em>” (Acts 9:26-28). The delay, in this case, was not in Paul’s desire, but in the church’s acceptance that he was truly a Christian. It appears to me that you placed a stumbling block in your fellowship with this congregation by holding yourself apart as a visitor while at the same time attending services there.<\/p>\n The second problem is that the congregation, or at least a few of its members, were not acting in a decently and orderly fashion. In speaking of the worship service, Paul begins, “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification<\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:26). He then selects a few of these activities to emphasize a point. “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret<\/em>.\u00a0… Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged<\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:27, 29-31). Paul is making a point that each person takes a turn allowing the other to speak. A person who is leading the group at the moment should do so without interruption, but with the understanding also that he is not to dominate the assembly so that no one else has a chance to speak in turn.<\/p>\n If a brother notes that something is said in an assembly that is not correct, it would be proper to indicate in some quiet fashion his desire to speak and when he is acknowledged to make his point. However, rudely interrupting someone is not permitted. In this case, the interrupt was two-fold wrong because the point brought up was a matter of opinion — the interrupter did not like the\u00a0way<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0the song was conducted and not whether the song was scripturally appropriate.<\/p>\n As to whether someone outside a congregation’s membership can correct an error being made by the congregation, it is clearly possible. “For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed<\/em>” (I Corinthians 5:3). Though it is true that Paul was speaking from his authority as an apostle, it is evident that being a member of that congregation or even being present was not a requirement to rebuke the Corinthians. In your case, the congregation invited you to lead singing by opening the service to any Christian man present to lead if he so desired. While that man is leading the congregation he has been given authority for that period of time — that is why we refer to it as song\u00a0leading<\/strong><\/em>. If non-members of that congregation are not invited to lead, then they should make it clear, but that doesn’t appear to be the case since you have led for them before.<\/p>\n (And if it makes any difference, I have stopped congregations in the middle of leading a song in order to correct a problem several times. I don’t do it often as I’m a bit loud and can usually get people singing together simply by the strength of my voice, but in large groups that doesn’t always work.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: I have been attending a local church for several months. During that time I began to stand up, come forward, and lead a song at the invitation of the congregation. Every first Wednesday of the month all men are invited to lead one song during services. I began the song and immediately the congregation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[253,573,84],"class_list":["post-15915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-fellowship","tag-singing","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37380,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-about-a-congregation-using-a-praise-team-to-lead-singing\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":0},"title":"What do you think about a congregation using a “praise team” to lead singing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good morning!! I recently visited a congregation that had a \"Praise Team\".\u00a0 There were 8 adults in front of the congregation (4 males and 4 females). Each one facing the congregation holding a microphone.\u00a0 They were singing a song (acapella), with the words appearing on a giant screen up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15104,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-should-be-done-when-everyone-doesnt-follow-the-song-leader\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":1},"title":"What should be done when everyone doesn’t follow the song leader?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 17, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've been reading several of your comments with interest and ran across one that I myself have seen. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been baptized for 22 years. I have been leading songs for around that same time. I have a background in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7524,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-use-of-a-praise-team-scriptural\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":2},"title":"Is the use of a “praise team” scriptural?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 3, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Have you heard of this idea of having a \"praise team\" in the song service of some churches?\u00a0 This is confusing to me because it would seem that it would place women in a leadership role if they were part of the \"team\" leading the congregation.\u00a0 What are your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19809,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-stay-with-a-congregation-that-pays-its-song-leader\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":3},"title":"Should I stay with a congregation that pays its song leader?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 8, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I attend a small church of Christ.\u00a0We have no elders or deacons.\u00a0We\u00a0pay a man to lead singing, which obviously is wrong.\u00a0What should I do?\u00a0 Will this cause him to lose his salvation?\u00a0Will I lose mine if I continue to worship there?\u00a0He is the only one among the men capable\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24414,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/thank-you-for-the-tips-on-song-leading\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":4},"title":"Thank you for the tips on song leading","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Thank you so much for the tips that you\u00a0have displayed\u00a0on the site about\u00a0Song Leading\u00a0in the Church. I have been part of the church of Christ as far back as I can remember.\u00a0 I am very thankful that my parents raised me in this church. I was inspired by my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37919,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-woman-lead-a-song-while-giving-testimony-in-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":15915,"position":5},"title":"Can a woman lead a song while giving testimony in church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi sir, Is it right for a woman to raise songs when she is about to give testimony? I am asking because this issue is bringing confusion among us. 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