...”I believe this with all my heart... whatever style of music we sing when we praise God... our worship in our churches... it should be the best we can do. There is no reason why church music should be second rate”.....
I ‘might’ agree if the object is to lift up Christ among the Worshipers. But this has not been my observation in most of the contemporary services I’ve been to. The Worship “teams” are focused entirely ‘on entertaining before an audiance’ rather than leading the congregation in worship via music and song.
There is a stark difference between those who are focused on their “mission of leading in song worship” and those who are there for their own glory and “entertainment”......and that is always revealed through how they project themselves in their stage presence to the congregation....or lack of in being self-absorbed.
As a “worship team” the work is to raise the hearts of the people from whatever they walked in with to that of “seeing Jesus” among them and worship of Him in song rather than being entertained as so often the case. This is not to say there isn’t a time for such entertainment....many churches have special evenings of entertainment where the music is intended to do that and as well reveal Christ. But what I’ve seen in contemporary churches is mostly entertainment.
The second thing a successful worship ministry does is prepare the hearts of the congregation to receive God's word from the appointed speaker. To bring the congregation to the throne and prepare them for God's word. A lot of people come to church with all sorts of things on their minds. With heavy hearts. Beaten down through the week etc. A successful worship ministry reaches in and grabs their heart with relevant music, performed well. (yeah I said performed) Like it or not when musicians play music they are performing. There is no way around that. They can perform in church for God's purpose, or they can perform in a bar for other purposes. Either way, playing music in public is a performance. A successful music ministry reaches hearts. Because music done well creates emotion. If your music ministry isn't creating emotion and preparing hearts to hear the word of God, then it is failing.
So it is two fold in today's churches. Lead worship, and prepare hearts. If we want music to be solely about worship..... I mean I do that everyday at home with a guitar in my quiet time.
This isn't anything new. Your pianist and organist knew their purpose was to "set up" the congregation for the preacher. Its been that way all of our lives. Today because music is so diverse.... a piano and organ doesn't get it done for most people under the age of about 40. That's just the way it is.