Jars Of Clay speak of CCM "monster" on a fan web board

THE CONTEMPORARY Christian music (CCM) industry has been called a "monster" by a member of one of its best known groups. Jars Of Clay lead singer Dan Haseltine wrote in a posting on a fan web board that the industry has "created a monster and now they do not know how to kill it gracefully. And even though it is a monster, most times, its motives are to become a very good monster."

Haseltine's comments were made after fans posted messages on the website expressing disappointment that Jars Of Clay's 2003 album 'Who We Are Instead' received only one nomination for the 2004 Dove Awards. In the past the group have been nominated for 22 Dove Awards and taken home six. Wrote Haseltine, "We, too, were disappointed. Ultimately, the reasons for making music and engaging in the arts have nothing to do with winning Dove Awards. It is nice to be acknowledged, but in an industry that still has a long way to go in supporting true artistry and not simply perpetuating a 'cultural Christianity,' we must not get discouraged."

Haseltine also said there was a tendency to tell people "what they want to hear" in popular music, a stark contrast to how the singer views Christianity. "This presents a great problem when my understanding of the Gospel is that it is not what we want to hear," he wrote. "It is ultimately offensive and revealing in the most violent of ways."

The comments drew disapproval in America's Christian Retailing magazine from Sonja Moore, a music buyer for Cedar Springs Christian Stores in Knoxville, Tennessee. Said Moore, "As Christians, we're not creating music for awards but to win souls."