Posted on 02/02/2024 7:31:17 AM PST by Morgana
In the summer of 2011, Senior Pastor and Founder Brian Smith launched the First Heavy Metal Church of Christ. Branded with hard rock and metal messaging and ethos, it’s clear he’s targeting a very particular audience:
According to the church website, “(We are a) bible-based church for those that would probably never step foot into a traditional church building because of snooty self-righteous, judgmental, legalistic so-called “Christians”… You know, the kind that tells you that you will go to Hell for drinking a beer, but yet Jesus turned water into wine! The kind that tells you that you will burn in Hell for smoking a cigarette because it is “harming the temple” while they are 150 pounds overweight and double-fisting McDonalds every day… Please do not blame God for these imposters… They are NOT accurately representing Jesus plain and simple.”
Like many themed churches before it, there is a focus on us-vs-them mentality, along with a distinct lack of maturity and learnedness, exemplified by the casual cussing and crass humor that permeates the content and the sermons (which are based on heavy metal song titles and bands and are really bad) Worship is eclectic, but usually involves a metal band doing hard rock or metal worship.
Smith, who is part of a secular metal band, Saint Hellion, describes himself as a “Rebel Evangelist for Christ” and a “rocker” through and through. He says “I’m not your stereotypical preacher. That is not my call. I am inked up, bald and prefer an Iron Maiden tee shirt over a dress shirt any day!”
His church leans into the ‘metal’ image. Visiting the church site for the first time gets you this message:
Their Facebook page is, in a word, grotesque. Along with posting pictures of tattoos and status updates like this, it is interspersed with crude, coarse, and frankly disgusting content.
Furthermore, it regularly features pictures of nude men and women, including a series of senior citizen nuns in skimpy bikinis for no discernible purpose other than to shock and titillate.
Sadly, this ‘church’ is growing, and recently announced church plants in New Jersey and Paintsville.
What a shame.
IMAGES ON LIKE but you are better off not seeing them.
Agree
“Sacred music can come in many forms and still remain sacred. Metal is not one of those forms.”
I disagree, for example Metalica is a form of traditional classical music, I know you might not agree with that, but I offer you proof below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfyF-jfbUjs
Your opinion, some people understand the music and the words quite easily.
And the most rebellious person in his time was Jesus.
I mean they crucified him for it.
I know of no churches that teach this. I’m sure they exist but they are not your typical Bible believing church.
You know, the kind that tells you that you will go to Hell for drinking a beer …Kinda mixed up there, aintcha? Those are Mahomentan clerics who say that.
I have to agree. At least they’re not hypocrites.
The kind that tells you that you will burn in Hell for smoking a cigarette because it is “harming the temple” while they are 150 pounds overweight and double-fisting McDonalds every day…
He has a point. Some of the most religious are severely overweight and put their nose up if you don’t follow their rules.
Are you serious? I attended a friends wedding in Tennessee where they didn’t allow drinking or dancing. We had cake and punch. Boring. Give me a good Catholic wedding anyday.
The sanctimony is insane. But they don’t have the proper red hymnbook. They have drums.
They’re not our kind of Christians o they must be bad.
Whoever wrote this is an idiot.
When I was in college, I led a group that organized and promoted a Mike Warnke show. I picked him up at the airport and got to know him a little bit.
He was a great guy with a real heart for people and the message. I’m sure they lost money on us and we had absolutely no idea what we were doing as promoters.
It’s sad that he fell though.
the sermons (which are based on heavy metal song titles and bands
Does not sound like it and they are probably fine with lesbian pastors who have sex with dogs. It is a, rules are oppressive man, sort of place.
wow- cool experience- Yep- even Christians are susceptible to sin just like everyone4 else is- being saved doesn’t render us incapable of falling or of sinning-
Someone needs to get out more and broaden their horizons.
hypocrites abound in the saved as well as the unsaved world- nothing new under the sun
It’s one thing to refuse things at a church event and another to say a single instance of that behavior outside church events will result in damnation. My wife is Catholic and they don’t provide alcohol at wedding receptions they organize either.
Abusing the gospel as a license to sin is called Antinomianism.
It has a name because it is a real thing.
Is that what this is?
There’s a whole genre of heavy metal Gospel music
HolyName - Fall On Your Knees
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3AOQQfMrQ
Metal singer rendition of Amazing Grace
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=89g9yMGFGlM
In the summer of 2011, Senior Pastor and Founder Brian Smith launched the First Heavy Metal Church of Christ. Branded with hard rock and metal messaging and ethos, it’s clear he’s targeting a very particular audience:
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In case anyone gets the mistaken notion that this group is some subset of the traditional Churches of Christ - forget it. Not even close.
The Church of Christ defines a pastor in completely different ways and they don’t have instrumental music. Much less heavy metal.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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