Favorite Worship Albums of 2008 - Christianity Today

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Whenever we put these best-of lists together, it’s always interesting to note any trends that may be reflected in the selections. For example, past lists for worship albums have unintentionally celebrated the growth of alternative worship music styles or confirmed who the most popular worship artists are in music today.

In selecting our favorite worship albums from 2008, released between October 2008 and September 2008, we ended up with a list that champions the work of the lesser-known favorites in modern worship—songwriters and artists who have toiled for 10 years or more in some cases, but haven’t quite earned the recognition of a Chris Tomlin, Chris Tomlin, or Darlene Zschech. As far as creative expressions of worship, it’s been a very good year for these unsung heroes, so we celebrate their work here (listed unranked and alphabetically) with hopes that they will become more sung in the years to come.

Twitter / EshuAssyrian3

Deluge: Live from Bethany World Prayer Center

Bethany Live (Integrity Music)

Read the original review here.

Russ Breimeier:

With so many live worship albums resembling Hillsong in style and energy, it sure is a pleasure to find some like this from Bethany Live’s youth ministry. It’s similar enough for fans of United and Jami Smith to embrace, yet different enough in key tracks to set it apart as something special. From the drumline that joyfully opens and The Police riff that carries “I Believe,” to the rowdy Green Day styled shuffle of “Make It Loud” and the frenetic guitars that help “Crazy” live up to its title, it’s great to hear this worship team doing something different with their God-centered praise, and thus making a more memorable worship album to him.

Andree Farias:

All of the songs you mention are indeed highlights, and their left-of-centeredness makes me hopeful about what the future holds for this group. Granted, they’re still developing, as evidenced in some of the ballads in the second half of the disc, which stick much closer to worship music conventions. But Jonathan Stockstill is proving himself a rising and versatile worship leader—he can be a soulful piano man one minute, only to turn into a consummate youth worshipper the next. The more he and his teammates remain committed to place artistry over accessibility, the farther Deluge will go.

Is Christian media a better tool for discipleship or evangelism? A new study released at the 2015 NRB convention examines just who exactly engages with Christian books, radio, TV, and movies.

“Christian media delivers teaching, music, and entertainment to a predominantly Christian constituency,” said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. “Not surprisingly, those who embrace Christian teaching will value and consume these the most.”

However, approximately one-third of the audience for Christian media qualifies in LifeWay's eyes as "unchurched." The study found:

35 percent of those who saw a Christian movie last year are unchurched.

31 percent of those who watch Christian TV frequently or sometimes are unchurched.

28 percent of those who read Christian books frequently or sometimes are unchurched.

26 percent of those who listen to Christian radio frequently or sometimes are unchurched.

26 percent of those who listen to Christian podcasts frequently or sometimes are unchurched.

Compare that to weekly churchgoers and those who identify as evangelicals:

64 percent of weekly churchgoers watched a Christian movie in the past year, as did 74 percent of evangelicals.

22 percent of weekly churchgoers frequently watch Christian TV frequently, as do 26 percent of evangelicals.

29 percent of weekly churchgoers read Christian books frequently, as do 34 percent of evangelicals.

27 percent of weekly churchgoers listen to Christian radio frequently, as do 33 percent of evangelicals.

11 percent of weekly churchgoers listen to Christian podcasts frequently, as do 15 percent of evangelicals.

Christian media's biggest supporters (by demographic): African Americans.

About one-quarter of African Americans (21%) frequently watch Christian TV programming, while only 8 percent of Asian Americans, 7 percent of whites, and 3 percent of Hispanics do so. One-fifth (20%) of African Americans frequently listen to Christian radio programs, and 9 percent say they frequently listen to Christian podcasts.

Nearly one-quarter of African Americans (23%) frequently read Christian books; only 9 percent of white respondents, 8 percent of Asian American respondents, and 2 percent of Hispanic respondents said they do. More have watched Christian movies in the past year: 59 percent of African Americans, 44 percent of Hispanics, 43 percent of Asian Americans, and 36 percent of white respondents.

However, whites still comprise the biggest share of the Christian media audience by sheer numbers. Those who frequently or sometimes tune in to Christian TV or radio are 58 percent white, the podcast audience is 45 percent white, book readership is 60 percent white, and the Christian movie audience is 59 percent white.

While the LifeWay study doesn’t delve into reasons for media consumption, researcher Eric Jones found in a 2011 study that media use among black churchgoers in a Baptist community was shaped by social, theological, and personal factors. TV shows featuring evangelists such as T.D. Jakes and Eddie Long and gospel music by black musicians were particularly popular in the community Jones studied.

The results of the full study can be found here.

Today Is the Day

Lincoln Brewster (Integrity Music)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

High time Lincoln Brewster finally showed us what he’s capable of as a worship leader. While his profile has risen as of late thanks to a high-carting cover of Brenton Brown’s “Everlasting God,” Today Is the Day finally asserts Brewster not only as a radio artist, but also a creative album maker, an accomplished worship writer, and an ace guitarist. With his virtuosity on full display, Brewster has crafted his most complete, versatile effort yet, one that really takes advantage of his rapport as a rocker (“Everywhere I Go”), a bluesman (“The Arms of My Savior”), a fingerpicker (“The Love of God”), and even a soulful leading man (“Give Him Praise”), while still keeping his youthful praise side firmly in check in songs like the title track and a spot-on cover of Hillsong United’s “Salvation Is Here.”

Breimeier:

I think Brewster’s somewhat low profile on the music scene in recent years has allowed us to forget just how good he is as a worship artist. In my opinion, he’s on par with Chris Tomlin and Paul Baloche—not to mention one of the best guitarists in Christian music, period. With this, his first studio recording in 6 years, Brewster shows how his musicianship can inspire and enhance worship, rather than distract from it. I also love how he steps outside of formulaic worship conventions by embracing a range of styles, most notably songs like “This Love” and “The Arms of My Savior,” which resemble the soulful and bluesy guitar pop of John Mayer. In short, Brewster draws us into worship by making the music fun and memorable—ain’t nothing wrong with that if it inspires people to praise God.

Courtesy LifeWay Research

Fearless Now

Sheri Carr (Varietal Records)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

Records like this give me renewed hope in Vineyard Music. The church-based worship label is nowhere near what it used to be in the ’80s and ’90s, but its recent foray into more artist-driven projects through Varietal Records has injected new life into its contributions to congregations. For her part, Sheri Carr is something of a novelty in that she’s one of a very few women singing a new song unto the Lord in a mostly male-dominated collegiate market. But don’t think for a moment she lags behind in terms of energy and conviction. Carr is a fierce, fearless vocalist, and while her style may not always lend itself to congregational singing, she surely commands attention as she worships.

Breimeier:

She certainly does, and for all the attention that artists like Sarah Kelly have received for their strong, passionate worship vocals, Carr deserves the same. It really is the first thing that pulls you in when listening to this album. But from there, she offers a varied range of musical styles, shifting between guitar rock (“Sing Your Praise”), Euro-pop (“This Heart of Mine”), and stripped down balladry (“Take Me to the Cross”). No, most of these songs probably won’t become church standards, but they’re still good and certainly in step with Vineyard’s previous work. In terms of songwriting and performance, Carr is engaging enough to draw listeners into God’s presence.

Courtesy LifeWay Research

The Bright Sadness

Charlie Hall (sixsteps/Sparrow Records)

Breimeier:

Can I just start by saying how much I love this album? I’ve been waiting for Charlie Hall to break out with an anthem for the worldwide church, but I think he’s finally figured out that he has more in common with David Crowder as a worship artist than Chris Tomlin or Chris Tomlin. This is probably is most artful and alternative sounding effort yet, perfectly matched to his passionate outpouring to our Savior. So while it’s unlikely for these songs to be used in any but the most modern of worship services, as an album for private worship listening, it’s dynamite from start to finish.

Farias:

Part of it has to do with his collaboration with Michael Hodges, better known for his work with Evanescence. Together, they create some of the coolest ideas and sounds to arise from the ranks of modern worship—frenetic drum patterns, quirky synths, and otherworldly guitar parts are only some of the adornments that spice up the mix. The mood is certainly conducive to the thematic strains Hall wants to communicate: that some of the most awe-inspiring moments of worship come from the least becoming of places—beauty from brokenness, light from darkness, sanctity from depravity. Well done, through and through.

Change the World

Martha Munizzi (Martha Munizzi Music)

Read the original review here.

Breimeier:

Not to take anything away from Martha Munizzi‘s obvious gifts as a singer and worship leader, but this album’s strengths owe much to the unmistakable contributions of producers Israel Houghton and Aaron Lindsey—they weren’t kidding when they titled their previous collaboration The Best Is Yet to Come. This is as wild and funky as anything they’ve produced, and very similar in tone. Yet as gospel based and eclectic as it all is, the arrangements are considerably tighter and efficient, despite the jams, vamps, and reprises. This album may be 73 minutes long, but it never meanders in its worship—not even when Munizzi leads and speaks between tracks.

Farias:

Yeah, it’s taken a little bit for Munizzi to hit her stride, but she finally did with this recording. She still has a slight tendency to overexert herself—for nearly half of the Change the World, the disc is a nonstop praise workout, but she keeps the excess to a minimum, cognizant that there’s an audience to lead into God’s presence. After fluctuating from gospel praise to funk-laced R&B to Latin with ease, Munizzi then embarks on one of her most worshipful stretches yet, for a second half that’s as churchy and classical enough to make Richard Smallwood smile.

Courtesy of the National Religious Broadcasters

Counting on God

New Life Worship (Integrity Music)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

New Life Church has had its share of trials in recent years, but make no mistake—it’s only made the congregation stronger. Look no further than their worship team, since Counting on God is easily their strongest live offering yet. Collectively, worship pastor Ross Parsley and Desperation Band’s Jared Anderson, Jon Egan, and Glenn Packiam is just as prolific as Hillsong, if not more so, but their output is yielding high dividends. The songcraft and usability of their worship choruses is at an all-time high. At its core, the disc is yet another big-church production, but when appreciated in context of the flock’s recent tribulations, the lavish festiveness is certainly a marker for their endurance in faith.

Breimeier:

Yeah, it’s not like New Life does anything radically different with this release—they still have a strong Hillsong influence, and it’s similar enough to previous Desperation Band releases. But the point is that they’re doing it better with this album than any before. It comes down to strong songwriting made more memorable by arrangements that help give each song an identity. Some of the youth worship tendencies have been toned down for this album, effectively giving previously released Desperation Band songs broader acceptance. And the optimistic message of overcoming adversity through God is expressed in such a way that it’s not uniquely specific to New Life, but applicable to all who are weary and in need of hope and restoration.

The founder and director of one of the world’s largest advocates for persecuted Christians has resigned after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in his office on Valentine’s Day last year.

Trustees of Barnabas Aid International were "saddened" by Monday's verdict by a British jury against Patrick Sookhdeo, who had disputed the charges. The board told CT: "Whilst [he] would have been able to continue as a trustee … he has asked to resign from this post and the board has accepted his resignation."

The Western Daily Press first reported the conviction, which was picked up by the BBC.

Sookhdeo, a married 67-year-old, founded the Barnabas Fund, a United Kingdom-based charity which focuses primarily on supporting Christians living in the Muslim world. He currently serves as international director of Barnabas Aid International, which encompasses the United States-based Barnabas Aid. In 2013, the UK branch reported income of US.5 million (significantly larger than Open Doors, though behind Voice of the Martyrs).

Raised as a Muslim in Guyana, Sookhdeo converted to Christianity as a young person and has subsequently written over 20 books on Islam and advised the British military on Muslim culture and Iraq.

“You are a man with an exceptional background,” Judge Peter Blair told Sookhdeo at his trial. But his assault left his victim “very distressed and made her unwell” and “the witness intimidation makes the matter that much more serious,” the judge said.

The victim told the court that Sookhdeo placed his hands on the inside of her thigh, then later groped her breast. (The UK defines sexual assault as intentionally sexually touching another person who does not consent to the touching and where that individual does not “reasonably believe” that he or she or has offered consent.) Sookhdeo admitted that he touched the victim’s breast, claiming it was an accident that occurred while pulling away from a hug.

According to the Western Daily Press, the victim also claimed that Sookhdeo told her of his concern that women might accuse him of sexual assault after reading something about that in the media. He asked if she was aware of the impact a sexual assault claim would have on a career and said that it would ruin his, she said.

After Sookhdeo was first accused, the Barnabas Fund investigated and "expressed 'full support' for [him] after internal inquiry did not uphold allegations," noted the Church Times.

After his reinstatement, Sookhdeo frightened two witnesses, the attorney for the prosecution told the court. “It would seem this meeting was an ‘I’m back’ kind of affair, but to others, they were intimidated by the manipulative language he was using,” the attorney told the court.

Sookhdeo denied the charges but was convicted of one account of sexual assault and two counts of intimidating a witness. He was ordered to pay attorney costs of £3,500 pounds (,400) and will be restricted to a 16-hour curfew for three months. The charges were the lightest possible, said David Virtue, editor of Virtue Online, a news and commentary website from a conservative perspective.

The international board plans to review Sookhdeo's situation in May. "During the next three months, he will be considering his future but has agreed to be available in his personal capacity if requested," the board told CT. "His curfew prevents him from travelling overseas during this time, so he has had to decline to attend certain engagements."

“Our work to support suffering Christians is in no way impacted,” Julian Dobbs, a board member for Barnabas Aid USA, told CT. “The important thing to note is that the work of Barnabas Fund remains strong. We’re involved in over 60 countries around the world. The work is much bigger than one man." He emphasized that Sookhdeo was not placed on the sexual offenders register.

"He has never been employed by Barnabas Fund," Dobbs told CT. "He’s the international director, and that’s his official capacity. … I think the important thing to say is he’s not involved in any capacity with Barnabas Fund UK. He’s not a staff member of Barnabas Aid in the US. But he is the founder of the organization, and the organization has been greatly enriched by his ministry over the years."

"The work of the Fund is strong, and we want to say to people: We continue to support the suffering church," Dobbs told CT. "That really is the big story."

CT has previously covered Barnabas Fund’s advocacy work, including its airlift of Christians out of Sudan and assistance in resettling Iraqi refugees.

Overcomer

Alvin Slaughter (Integrity Music)

Read the original review here.

Breimeier:

Here’s another impressive album that benefits from producer Aaron Lindsey’s genre-defying approach to gospel and worship. His sound proves very complementary to gospel veteran Alvin Slaughter, who is in fine voice as always, but stretches it into new territory with Overcomer. Now I must say it’s a little strange to hear two songs (“Tell Me Again,” “Our First Love”) from Michael Olson‘s 2007 release here—good pop songs, but they’re not exactly worship music, nor do they fit neatly with the album’s other tracks. Still, it’s a great project overall that somehow sounds effortless in its fusion of styles, not to mention of old with new.

Farias:

Those songs you cite are in the back half of the disc, which is admittedly more performance-oriented than the front. Through it all, Slaughter makes an effective transition to rhythmic contemporary gospel, especially the same sort of congregational stuff championed by Israel & New Breed, Fred Hammond, and John P. Kee. For the most part, Slaughter funnels the worship experience from celebratory to worshipful, reaching a peak with the to-die-for “Loving Kindness.” From there, Overcomer settles into a lull a little bit, but as it’s always been the case with Slaughter, the worship leader still succeeds at ushering saints to a special place, even if they’re not always necessarily singing along.

Faith in You

Jami Smith (Spring Rain Ministries)

Read the original review here.

Breimeier:

I’ve long admired Jami Smith as a worship leader who is equally comfortable with writing for the church and the radio, with an earthy pop style reminiscent of Jennifer Knapp. But this album pleasantly took me by surprise, not only because of the album’s decidedly more folk/country sound, which really suits her, but also as a thoughtful example of the effective use of lamentations in worship. Written in response to grief, the songs are very simple and plainly stated, yet say so much—almost like a mantra to remind us of God’s faithfulness and remind us of his comfort when he may seem far away from us.

Farias:

Faith in You is one of those quiet wonders that take careful listening before they can be truly affecting. Smith is a forceful, commanding worship leader, but here she scales things back and creates something so sparse and unassuming that it’s almost an antithesis to her explosive rock-chick output heard on past efforts. That’s precisely the point: these are songs of worship to be sung over the people—warm, reflective pieces that help worshippers ponder God’s supremacy and constancy even in times of trouble. “Let Your Kingdom Come,” in particular, is the type of comforting piece that fits the uncertainty of the times like a glove, reminding us of ways we can still pray and have hope even when things look bleak or uncertain.

Great God Who Saves

Laura Story (INO Records)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

My fiancé e can be just as picky and selective when it comes to worship music, so the fact that we’re both deeply moved by Laura Story’s national debut is a telltale indicator about its efficacy. At first glance, Great God Who Saves does appear more inspirational and understated than your average modern worship entry, but Story’s strong sense of melody, unassuming simplicity, and ear for the corporate render her something of a quiet storm. There are at least six songs here that could be adapted congregationally, if not by a megachurch—definitely more for organic, stripped-down worship teams or Wednesday-night minstrels. An all-around lovely recording.

Breimeier:

It’s a little too much of a pop album for me, but there are definitely worshipful moments for church congregations to embrace, particularly “There Is Nothing” and the title track. I find Story’s voice to be very inviting, and with the simplistic-but-beautiful arrangements, she’s very much like Twila Paris, another singer/songwriter who doesn’t always write with the congregation in mind, but is very good at it when she does. In that light, I’d say Story is off to a very promising start here, and as you note, Andree, six potential songs for a church repertoire makes for a successful worship album. That’s precisely my point for another worship album tangentially related to Story …

As campus rape gets widespread scrutiny at America’s elite universities, top Chinese Christians in China and the United States are debating a Princeton incident from 1990.

The alleged rape involves two prominent activists associated with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests who converted to Christianity and now have international platforms. The alleged victim says she is attempting to live out Matthew 18 and has taken her case to the wider church after years of private appeals. The accused pastor allegedly argues that the two engaged in “sexual immorality,” but that he isn’t culpable for his pre-Christian past because they are now both “new creations in Christ.”

Four years ago, Chai Ling, a leader in China's 1989 democracy movement, accused Yuan Zhiming, a dissident and a doctoral student at People's University, Beijing, in 1989, of raping her in her Princeton, New Jersey, apartment in 1990. Neither was a Christian at the time of the alleged assault, which occurred while Princeton University hosted them under an initiative for Chinese student dissidents.

Chai Ling is a two-time Nobel Prize nominee and one of the world’s most prominent critics of China’s one-child policy through her organization, All Girls Allowed. Yuan Zhiming is a well-known apologetics figure among the Chinese Christian diaspora as the founder of China Soul for Christ Foundation and producer of an acclaimed documentary, The Cross: Jesus in China.

Since the initial accusation, Chai has continued to seek a confession from Yuan that he raped her. But he has denied the rape allegation. After first contact with Chai, Yuan reportedly said, “Chai Ling, you are a young Christian, and you don’t understand. When a person comes to the Lord, all the past is gone; he is a new creation.”

The comment comes from a private 2012 letter in which Chai recounted a phone call with Yuan in 2011. She rejected his interpretation of 2 Corinthians 5:17. Instead, she says, she is following the 3-step procedure that Jesus outlines in Matthew 18 for reconciliation of sin between believers.

As more pastors learned of the allegation, reports emerged of more recent sexual misconduct. A group of 18 well-known Chinese pastors launched an independent committee of inquiry.

“If not properly addressed and resolved,” they said, “this incident and its related consequences will continue to flame ongoing debates and confusion, and leave long-lasting damage in the church.”

Their February 23 statement explores Yuan’s conduct in all three additional episodes, but focuses on eyewitness accounts of a two-day encounter in September 2013 between Yuan and a potential intern for China Soul.

According to the report, the two were in Paris at the time. Yuan invited her into his hotel room and asked her to sit on the bed with him. They watched a Korean film Belly Button that included sexual situations. On the second night, he asked her to sleep with him because he was lonely. She refused. Yuan hugged her tightly for two to three minutes. After that, she left and later told a friend of the encounter. Her friend then informed a teacher of what happened.

CT contacted China Soul for comments on the report and for an interview with Yuan, but received no response. CT has not independently corroborated the report from the 18 pastors.

On Wednesday, China Soul’s board chair, Xie Wenjie, said that Yuan would spend the rest of 2015 on “sabbath” and would not preach, teach, or accept invitations to preach in person. There was no further elaboration.

Xie also dismissed the report from the 18 pastors as improper, saying any person who accuses Yuan of misconduct should directly contact China Soul because its board has set up its own inquiry committee.

Has the Matthew 18 Process Failed?

Late last year, Chai says, she took a polygraph and urged Yuan to do the same. Her attorney said the examiner found the test data “supported her statements regarding the sexual assault” in 1990. So far, Yuan has declined to undergo a polygraph exam. (Polygraph results are not admissible evidence in many US courts, but are still used by many law enforcement and defense departments. Their use outside the United States has grown.)

During an interview with CT, Chai said all attempts at private, personal reconciliation with Yuan failed. A second attempt with Chai, Yuan, and two Christian leaders as witnesses in June 2014 was also unsuccessful, according to Chai. She said she is now at the third stage of “taking the case” to the church as spelled out in Matthew 18.

In November 2014, Chai released a lengthy public letter, saying she was seeking “to bring to the church the situation of Yuan Zhiming raping me in the autumn of 1990 and continuing to lie about it to this day.”

In 1988, Yuan was a key scriptwriter for River Elegy, a controversial film broadcast in China that helped spark student-led protests for democracy. In 1989, China sought to arrest Yuan for his role in "inciting" those protests. After fleeing China, Yuan converted to Christianity in 1992 and produced The Cross: Jesus in China in 2003. The three-hour documentary traces Christian mission from the Boxer Rebellion martyrdom to the rapid growth of Christianity in recent years.

Many Chinese church leaders consider Yuan, now based in California, one of China’s most prominent religious leaders as his films and sermons disseminate online. He has more than 224,000 followers on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform. He has also become a kind of spokesman for Chinese Christianity, with interviews in The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and other outlets.

Competing Claims

In June 2014, two Christian leaders witnessed Chai's attempt to reconcile with Yuan over the alleged rape. Each of the two wrote a report of their observations and thoughts.

The reports agree that Chai and Yuan tell dramatically different narratives of what took place in 1990.

Yuan says Chai invited him over to her apartment. Dressed in a nightgown, she let him in, and the two eventually had sexual relations in her bedroom.

Chai says Yuan invited himself over to her apartment to show her a film. She said the film was pornographic and she stopped watching it. Yuan allegedly pushed her to the floor, covered her face with cloth, and raped her.

The two reports conclude:

Chai may have flawed memory. “Even when she passed the polygraph test, it is still possible that there could be errors in her memory.”

“Yuan’s narration is closer to the truth.” He is sincere in his efforts to resolve the accusation from Chai. “He has been transformed.… The nonbelieving Yuan and the believing Yuan—they are not the same people.”

Chai is “worthy of our compassion and support.” Yuan sinned against God and man, and he should repent, apologize, and seek reconciliation.

Yuan believes Chai willingly had sexual relations with him.

In January, Chai issued a letter criticizing the June 2014 investigation and its reports. “I have a very good memory about important things,” she said. “The whole process of rape is unforgettable. How can I not remember it clearly?” She said the polygraph examiner was a skilled professional and she rejected any idea that she had committed adultery. She said she had no opportunity to review the reports and did not give permission for public release.

“My motive in making this issue public,” Chai said, “is simply to stop any sexual violence and sexual harassment that still may be going on.”

In a November 2014 open letter, Bob Maginn, Chai’s husband, linked his wife’s case to the renewed focus on sexual assaults on campus, as the number of universities with pending Title IX sexual violence investigations nearly doubled from 55 to 95 last year. “The time to keep silent is over,” he wrote. “But the cost to speak out is high.” At one point, some church leaders accused Chai of demanding money from Yuan as compensation. But she denied doing so and told CT she believes that the Matthew 18 process worked.

On February 18, board of All Girls Allowed and members of her faith community publicly released a letter sent to the board of China Soul. (Chai and her family are active at Grace Chapel, Lexington, Massachusetts.) The letter said the efforts to determine the truth had stalled as China Soul refused to respond and Yuan refused to submit to a polygraph. “We have no other course than to declare publicly that we believe Sister Chai Ling’s account to be true.”

Tom Colatosti, a signatory and a Grace Chapel elder, told CT, “The way to bring closure is for Reverend Yuan to take the polygraph. If he passes, end of story. If he fails, he confesses.

“We want to be supportive of Ling. Yuan has a vibrant ministry. We don’t want to destroy him. But the world is watching to see if we fight among ourselves or let things slide.” Colatosti said the new allegations clearly show Yuan's harmful pattern. "Yuan and his board have offered no claims of his innocence, only indignation over the process of public disclosure."

Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on February 28, 2015.

Hello Love

Chris Tomlin (sixsteps/Sparrow)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

Admittedly, this is not my favorite album by Chris Tomlin. Nothing against him—he’s the most sung modern worshipper for good reason—but Hello Love is derivative of his far superior Arriving album. That said, Tomlin still has a remarkable knack for memorable, sing-able refrains, and though they’re not always thoughtfully composed, they’re all otherwise quickly adoptable and easily learned by congregations. The music is mostly on autopilot, but then Tomlin doesn’t compose with highbrow music critics like me in mind; his sole desire is to see the church sing.

Breimeier:

Which is exactly why I think this album deserves to be here. Tomlin’s sound and style is often imitated, to the point where it’s made him sound derivative of himself, but that’s hardly all his fault. I’ll readily admit, not all these songs are destined to become classics—but then neither were all the songs on Arriving. And besides, how many worship albums are truly great from start to finish? The fact is, many of the songs on Hello Love will find their way into churches around the world—I’d guess “Love,” “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Jesus Messiah,” “God Almighty,” and “Praise the Father, Praise the Son.” Tomlin’s a pioneer, not an innovator, so we shouldn’t expect him to be something that he’s not. He’s good at what he does and he’ll always be offering more of the same … with varying results, of course.

I Have a Hope

Tommy Walker (Maranatha! Music)

Read the original review here.

Breimeier:

Tommy Walker is one of the best when it comes to writing worship songs that are accessible without compromising musicianship, and he was reviving classic hymns with new worship choruses well before Chris Tomlin was. So how great to hear him team up with Tomlin’s award-winning producer Ed Cash for his first nationally released studio project. The amazing part is how it all sounds as spirited as a live recording, yet any of it would be perfectly suited for radio. With an engaging vocal, masterful guitar work, and congregational songwriting focused on God, this isn’t only the best worship album of 2008—it also deserves a place alongside the all-time best in contemporary worship albums. Thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting.

Farias:

I honestly don’t know where to start. There are so many unforgettable moments on this album, it’s almost obligatory to list them all. For one, Walker is in tip-top lyrical shape, but he doesn’t do anything unusual. Most of his lyrics come straight from Scripture, yet they’re set to such a killer, soulful sound, at times it’s the closest thing to a Motown worship disc you’ll ever hear. Whether it’s pop-soul (“I Have a Hope”), piano jazz (“Speak to Me”), or Andraé Crouch-styled gospel (“Holy Spirit Come”), Walker presents one of his most cohesive projects to date, a stunning work with biblical grounding that renders it prophetic, exhortative, and worshipful. I Have a Hope is an instant classic.

Alex Wong / Getty and Yuan Zhiming / Weibo

In Christ Alone

Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt (Sparrow Records)

Read the original review here.

Farias:

We seem to be the exception among critics who believe this collection belongs on this list, but I think a lot of those reviews missed the point of this album. This is not meant to be a corporate recording showcasing two popular recording artists as worship leaders. Instead, it’s an album that re-imagines modern hymns in artful, left-of-center ways. Producer and arranger John Mark Painter does a great job evoking the alternative pop of his own group, ’90s rock duo Fleming & John, while also recalling the chamber pop stylings of Over the Rhine, the wistfulness of Sixpence None the Richer, the orchestrated side of Smashing Pumpkins, and even the idiosyncrasy of a Joe Henry. When approached from this artistic vantage point, In Christ Alone is a spellbinding, worshipful listen.

Breimeier:

Dillon and Hammitt sing beautifully, but they’re really beside the point. “Sing a new song to the Lord,” and that’s first and foremost what this album is about—songwriting that, like the great hymns, go deeper lyrically than typical modern worship. For this, contributing writers like Keith Getty, Stuart Townend, Tim Hughes, and Vicky Beeching deserve commendation. From there, credit Painter with casting these modern hymns in a new light, demonstrating they’re just as applicable to traditional churches as they are to more modern and inventive worship styles. It’s the power of arrangement on full display. For people tired of modern worship music that needlessly and lazily follows a set pattern, give this album a chance and revel in the limitless artistic expression with which we can praise God.

Honorable Mentions

More than 90 years ago, Gordon College was given 7,000 rare books and artifacts by the family of Edward Payson Vining, a railroad executive and amateur Shakespearean. The collection included early parchments of the Greek New Testament, the first edition of Martin Luther’s German Bible, and copies of the first Bibles printed in the Americas in a Native American dialect.

Unable to properly care for the large donation (proper facilities and security would cost between 0,000 and million), Gordon has decided to put about 500 books up for auction. Two of the items are first and second editions of a Bible printed in the Massachusett language in the mid-1600s, according to Gordon spokesperson Rick Sweeney. The news has drawn coverage from the Boston Business Journal and the Associated Press.

“The college has always lacked a proper facility to care for and protect many of these items. And since we are not a museum or a research institution, we also lacked the staffing and facilities to host external researchers,” Sweeney told CT. “As the total cost for building and staffing such a facility was explored, the college’s leadership determined that restoring and preserving the rarest items in the collection would be prohibitively expensive, and drain resources from the core educational mission of a liberal arts college.”

The Boston Globe reported that Vining’s great-granddaughter and some Gordon faculty oppose the sale. It also reported that a key donor, Dale Fowler, was threatening to withdraw a million donation. (The college's Wenham campus was renamed for Fowler and his wife, Sarah Ann, in response to the gift.)

"It's absolutely not true," Sweeney told CT. "I spoke to Dale Fowler directly about this."

Fowler told Sweeney that he spoke with the Globe about financial matters, but didn't know anything about "these books" until he saw the article.

"It didn't even come up," Sweeney said. Fowler told him "there are no plans at this time to withdraw the bequest," which the school will receive after Fowler and his wife pass away.

Neither the college nor the Vining family can find the original gift bequest that might record any restrictions regarding sale of the books. But the exchange is documented in a 1953 book by then-president Nathan R. Wood. A School for Christ notes:

The Gordon Trustees made it the Edward Payson Vining Memorial Library, the gift of Charles and Annabel Vining Otis of New York, by the following action on October 7, 1921: "Voted to accept the library on the understanding that the library shall be retained intact as a memorial to Edward Payson Vining and that no material change shall be made in its contents which would affect its material or sentimental value."

Because of these meeting minutes, the auction requires approval from the state attorney general’s office, Sweeney said. “The administration is not seeking a change in the intent of the gift, simply a reallocation of a portion of the resources in order to maintain the rest of the collection.”

Last fall, Gordon trustees authorized the college to explore the sale of approximately 10 percent of the collection, said Sweeney.

“We do not know the total amount of the proceeds that the sale will generate, but it is our hope that the proceeds will cover the essential costs that the collection's care will require—now and in the future—through an endowed fund," he said. There are no plans to sell additional items in the future.

No date has been set for a sale, and the college is not under any deadline.

Selling 10 percent to be able to “preserve and maintain the larger 90 percent” is the “best way to honor the larger intent of this collection,” Sweeney said. Gordon will sell the books that it cannot appropriately care for, he said, noting that some of the books have “languished in boxes” in Gordon’s library for nearly a century. “[Proceeding with the sale] is much more in line with our educational mission and what we believe is ultimately better stewardship of the collection.”

Gordon College

When it comes to immigration reform, American evangelicals want it all.

Nine out of 10 want more border security. Six in 10 support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. More than two-thirds favor both. And they want Congress to take action soon.

Those are among the results of a new survey of evangelicals from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table and World Relief, found widespread support for immigration reform.

“Evangelicals are united in their desire for significant immigration reform,” says Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research.

A number of high profile evangelical groups have promoted immigration reform in recent years, including the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. Many evangelical pastors also support reform.

A November 2014 LifeWay Research study found many pastors want a mix of justice and mercy when it comes to immigration. More than half (54%) support a path to citizenship. Most (91%) evangelical pastors also say the government should stop illegal immigration.

In the February 2015 study, researchers found similar views among all evangelicals.

Nine out of 10 say reform should respect the rule of law and secure the national borders. They also want to protect the unity of immigrant families (72%) and to respect people’s God-given dignity (82%).

More than two-thirds of evangelicals say it is important for Congress to take action on immigration reform this year. And half are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports border security and citizenship.

“Evangelicals care about immigrants and want immigration reform,” says Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. “We pray for Congress to stop waiting and start legislating."

Evangelicals' worries about immigration

Researchers found some differences by age and ethnicity among evangelicals. Those over age 64 (84%) are more likely to want Congress to act than those 18 to 34 (59%). Those 18 to 34 are more likely (72%) to say reform should include a path to citizenship.

Hispanic evangelicals (79%) are more likely than white evangelicals (54%) to support a path to citizenship.

Some evangelicals are uneasy about the number of recent immigrants to the US, according to the survey. Almost half say immigrants drain the country’s economic resources. About a quarter say immigrants are a threat to law and order. One in five believe immigrants threaten traditional American customs and culture.

Other evangelicals view immigration as a chance to love immigrants (40%) and or to share Jesus with newcomers (42%).

An average of about 600,000 Christian immigrants became permanent US residents each year, Pew Research found in a 2013 report. "From 1992 to 2012, an estimated 12.7 million Christians received green cards. By comparison, the total Christian population in the US was about 247 million in 2010," it noted.

Few connect faith and immigration

Few evangelicals say their faith directly shapes their views about immigration.

Researchers asked evangelicals to list which factor has most influenced their beliefs about immigration. About one in 10 chose the Bible, and only 2 percent named their church. Among other influences: relationships with immigrants (17%), friends and family (16%) and the media (16%).

LifeWay Research also found many churches don’t talk about immigration, and few take action on this issue. Two thirds of evangelicals say their church has never encouraged them to reach out to immigrants.

Still, evangelicals are interested in what their faith says on this topic. About half are familiar with the Bible’s teaching about immigrants. Two-thirds say they’d value hearing a sermon about the Bible’s views on immigration.

"The sad part of this research on immigration is that American evangelicals are more influenced by the media than by their Bibles and their churches combined,” says Anderson. “We need to turn off our TVs and open up our Bibles.”

Bob Smietana is senior writer for Facts & Trends magazine.

Methodology:

A demographically balanced online panel was used for interviewing American adults between February 17-27, 2015. Quotas were used to balance gender, ethnicity, age, region, and education. Respondents were screened to only include those who consider themselves an evangelical, a born-again, or a fundamentalist Christian. This report refers to these as “evangelicals.” The completed sample is 1,000 surveys.

LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect the church.

[Photo courtesy of Britt Selvitelle – Flickr]

In addition to the terrific worship albums mentioned above, there are four others that earned serious consideration from us, but just fell short of our final list. Three of them are indeed excellent and highly recommended: Joel Augé ‘s On the Blue, Sarah MacIntosh’s The Waiters, The Watchers, The Listeners, The Keepers & Me, and Delirious’ Kingdom of Comfort. But even though these albums offer some great additions to modern church music, we felt the albums weren’t consistently worshipful or congregational throughout. We also highly recommend The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts as One from Hillsong United, an exhaustively comprehensive 2-disc collection that demonstrates the worship team’s popularity with congregations around the world. It’s a lot of music and a great summary of their musical contributions, but it ultimately plays like a live best-of collection. We felt the more original albums deserved priority recognition in our list.

Check out our “Best-Of” Archives to see other lists from previous years.