"Work harder to avoid it.", Or is it better phrased, "Easier to get out from under it?" At first glance, I'm encouraged by this decision. This meets today's growing 'missional' movement, one that desires to be relevant in the market square.

Sure, we'll still have CCM music/artists as we know them (and I love them, I'm a huge fan of today's CCM worship style). What CCM Mag is discovering is what a majority of the post-modern generation is discovering...went it comes to spiritual questions, the marketplace is full of hungry people who like Jesus, but don't like the church.

If we can join this generation (culture) at their well, draw from their water and drink together, we arrive at a relationship that shares the grace of Jesus for their thirsty lives. Bring on the change...warning, it will be messy at time, so it goes when you deal with ragamuffins, that would be true for ALL of us.

Eric Hogue
www.erichogue.com

Interesting, the same Mary J. Blige who sings these lyrics on her latest disc: "Yeah, nig, what makes you different from the next nigga ..." Read the rest of the lyrics to "What's the 411", very enlightening.

In a sense, what we're doing now at CCM Magazine is returning to our roots--our very early roots which were more inclusive. When John Styll started our magazine in 1978, he featured artists of faith such as Donna Summer, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan (twice!) on the cover prior to the mid-eighties. However, during the past 20 years, no artists have appeared on our cover unless their music was distributed to Christian bookstores.

As far as why artists have been choosing to dodge the "Christian band" tag, I've discovered in my friendships with many of them over the years, there are a number of reasons. To give you perspective, prior to joining CCM Magazine in 2003, I spent 10 years working for Christian record labels who specialized in marketing to the mainstream: R.E.X. (Sixpence None the Richer, Fleming & John), re:think (Sarah Masen, Switchfoot), Squint (Sixpence again, Chevelle) and Gotee (Relient K, GRITS). And while some of these artists of faith sometimes had different reasons for sidestepping the "Christian band" tag, it was usually because as a general rule, music fans perceive Christian music as being music recorded by Christians for Christians. If you're an artist making music for the world at large, why would you want to send that inaccurate message?

Now, about the Mary J. Blige song, "What's the 411," which was cited in Eric Hogue's second post...I need to offer a correction on his behalf. While it is indeed a troubling song, Blige actually recorded it 15 years ago--it appears on her 1992 album by the same name. In other words, "What's the 411" was recorded many years before Blige's dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ--an encounter which resulted in her being freed from heavy drug use and completely changing the direction of her life. Additionally, Blige's latest album, the Grammy winning "The Breakthrough," is a faith-influenced collection worth checking out.

Respectfully,
Jay Swartzendruber
Editor
CCM Magazine
www.CCMmagazine.com

P.S.

My apologies...the Mary J. Blige comment was originally made by "Howard," not Eric Hogue.

Jay,

Thanks for the correction...I'm with you guys. Let me be the first to congratulate your efforts and direction. Time for all of us to reach the creative, artistic "icons" of Abba Father, with a welcoming grace.

Eric

This is actually the second time this has happened. Back in the 80's as I recall, Contemporary Christian Music magazine became "Contemporary Christian Magazine". Then they switched it back.
But hey. I've always enjoyed the magazine...and I was on the cover once! :D

"As if the genre weren't confused enough, this is going to clarify things?"

About the only confusing thing about this situation is why CCM (the magazine) hasn't made this change sooner. Thank goodness they have done so now! As Christians, we're way too accustomed to "clarification;" we label and exclude when we should be engaging and embracing. This, to my mind, is taking the easy way out.

Jay, I applaud the decision you and your colleagues have made. "Christian" has never been a genre; let's stop pretending it is one! Moreover, it seems like the best artists are those who resist being boxed into the "Christian music" label, and I'm glad you'll be spending more time covering such artists. This exposure can only help Christians think more deeply and with greater nuance about music and culture. Thank you!

Matt

"As if the genre weren't confused enough, this is going to clarify things?"

About the only confusing thing about this situation is why CCM (the magazine) hasn't made this change sooner. Thank goodness they have done so now! As Christians, we're way too accustomed to "clarification;" we label and exclude when we should be engaging and embracing. This, to my mind, is taking the easy way out.

Jay, I applaud the decision you and your colleagues have made. "Christian" has never been a genre; let's stop pretending it is one! Moreover, it seems like the best artists are those who resist being boxed into the "Christian music" label, and I'm glad you'll be spending more time covering such artists. This exposure can only help Christians think more deeply and with greater nuance about music and culture. Thank you!

Matt

Not sure what Rob Moll's point is in the last statement, and I feel like other poster's (Matt/Jay/Eric) have already pointed out that "CCM" shouldn't be considered a genre. CCM suggests the nature of the lyrical content, and in that manner, only to some extent.

That a musician should have to be limited to the contracts of *particular* record labels (those in the CCM industry) to be identified as Christian is absurd, almost as absurd as the thought that Christians writing music should only cater their music to other Christians.

How many people have I met that love listening to the music of Sufjan Stevens et. al.? Strangely, if I play a short clip of mainstream, well-produced CCM (say, Newsboys or DC Talk), those same people will say "yeah, that sounds cool." It's the marketing that prevents people from giving the artist a chance.

I'm in the camp of people like David Dark (husband of Sarah Masen) who believe the CCM "Industry" is a blemish to the Christian community and must either adapt or, eventually, lose its market. We'll see...

PS - A note to the CT web designers. Putting a line below the post then giving the name/date info makes it look like the post was made by the person above, rather than below, the line. Do some reformatting plz.

As a long-time CCM consumer and general supporter, I think the editorial change for CCM Magazine will be good. CCM, as an industry, has always been a genre of content, not of musical style, which is why I started listening and buying (and writing) Christian music in the early 70s. It was about the content--good music that strengthened my faith and provided a quality alternative to the secular bilge of the day. It started out as a ministry and a movement, but then institutionalized into an industry, and finally became the marketing machine it is today, complete with labels, distribution, and media. Personally, I don't always like what the CCM industry has become, and yet I have no problem allowing that there is and always should be a place for "Christian music." Perhaps the CCM industry is in need an "Extreme Makeover: Music Edition," but CCM is not in need of being burned to the ground, as I have heard some suggest. It needs renewal and new direction. That could happen someday by default if the big secular labels who own most of CCM decide it's no longer the profit center it used to be, and they cut their CCM divisions free.

CCM Magazine, in its new Christ-Community-Music incarnation, can help provide a path for all kinds of Christian artists as they navigate the still uncharted waters of future music: those who want to minister musically exclusively to the church, those who want to reach a broader audience with a more faith-based music, and those who just want to make music because it's what they do. Perhaps I'm just musically naive, but I cannot understand why these various musical movements of Christian or faith-based artistry cannot find a way to co-exist and actually affirm one another's contributions. With the rise of Indie music and the internet, everything's changing anyway, so it's right that CCM Mag should, too. I look forward to following the changes through a trusted periodical. I hope they do great. The world needs faith-based music and artists, and a magazine to report on them.

Yes!! So glad to hear of the switch with CCM...altho' am not sure it will help...
My teen daughters, their boyfriends, my 44 yr. old husband and I (51) probably encompass a smattering of musical opinions representative of most ages and genders of middle-class American Christdom and we are ALL heartily tired of what is termed "mainstream Christian music"..or, at least, what our local Christian Radio plays over and over and over and over and over and over. (Is same-sounding repetition glorifying to the ultimate Creator-God? Just asking...don't know.)
Thank God for creative musicians like S. Stevens and many others!

Expanding the mix of music is a wonderful way of reaching out to those outside of the Christian community and gaining their ears. My local Christian station (under the umbrella of the Fish network of stations) already plays a wider mix of artists, which is appealing and inclusive, and I think, sure to catch the attention of casual station-flippers. For an interesting if somewhat uneven look at this approach in play, see Relevant magazine, which features secular bands such as Arcade Fire side by side with TobyMac.

On a side note, I was turned off by Christian music for many years; as a Catholic, I found it sounded nothing like the music involved in my worship services and consequently was uninteresting to me. But when I began attending a Protestant church that used music with a much more modern sound, the Christian radio scene began to seem relevant to me.

I'm glad that a respect for artists in other genres is finally being realized, and I wish the best to CCM with their ambitions, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned the biggest reason for avoiding a Christian label. I'm in a band (Benjamin Rush) that's ambitiously setting out to play in front of bigger and bigger audiences, and without the help of a Christian label. (Although, tooth and nail'd be cool ;) We play music that we love, and want to share it with others. Jesus' love and our returned love to Him is reflected in the lyrics we write, and hopefully in our lives, and that's exactly why we avoid a Christian label. I know, it sounds strange, but bare with me - If the only people we're sharing Christ's love with allready have it, then we're doing a terrible job of "Go ye into the world and preach the gospel". You get immediately shoved on the gospel rack in CD stores, and your outreach is just as quickly squashed. You're preaching to the choir! We want to hang out with the kids who need to hear some good news. And not just so we can give them good news. They're some of the coolest kids you'll ever meet.

I take back my earlier statement: "...no one has mentioned the biggest reason for avoiding a Christian label". I'll blame it on how early it is as I write this (4:10 am if anyone cares to know)
Erica mentioned the idea in a slightly different way - my apologies for not paying attention.

Christian music today is in need of a reality check. There are so many Great artist that have been taken by worldly standards. CCM is a record lable seeking to sell records. Their focus is clowded by money. There is a great expectation for christain artists to be spiritual in their lives but many have left their first love--JESUS for the sake of record sales.
I have a band called Center Cross we play locally in the area that we live. We never really get paid because our mission is that we are just looking for someone to turn their hearts to Jesus. This is payment enough. In the Bible it say that a man is worthy of their hire.CCM should start promoting the artist as a ministry and take time to display what God is doing. They need to let people know how the Christian artists of today are changing lives regarless of the money. I believe that this would chages the view of what CCM is all about and JESUS would be the #1 sales man!!!!! The word Christain is not in reference to a genre but a way of life. They will know we are Christians by our love
Listen to voice of GOD when HE says Well Done Good and Faithful Servant. I am thankful that Christian music has a place,but please realize that we are in the world, but not of the world.

God be abundantly on CCM and all the artist. Lord I pray that your grace will show the way that is right.

God Bless!!!!

Carl D.Therriault (Center Cross)CBD Music Ministry

Um im sorry to say but im not a christian and i dont see what the point of christianity is. People talk to me all the time about god but i just dont see the point. I went to a chritian boarding school for about 2 years and i think that that just pushed me further away.