#340: Kelsey Kramer McGinnis On Music, Money, & Profits in the Worship Industry (And What That Means For the Rest of Us)

Kelsey is a brilliant thinker. She is a musicologist and educator based in Iowa, holding a PhD from the University of Iowa.

Currently, Kelsey is a regular contributor to Christianity Today, writing and reporting on worship and church culture. She is also an adjunct professor at Grand View University in Des Moines, where she teaches on music and social justice.

As as a graduate student and adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa, she taught a variety of courses on music history, social justice and the arts, and human rights. She served on the staff of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights from 2010-2019, where she was the academic advisor for undergraduate students pursuing a Certificate in Human Rights. 

Kelsey’s dissertation research explored the use of American music in the reeducation of German POWs during WWII. Other areas of expertise include contemporary sacred music in the United States, 19th century choral music, Evangelical subcultures, human rights and the arts, and the intersection of art and ecotheology. She is an active presenter at academic conferences and accepts invitations for guest lectures and workshops on her research and on human rights education in higher ed. 

Topics Covered:

• More about Kelsey and her journey into musicology and journalism
• Our over-dependence on tools in worship ministry
• Why having conversations with our congregation is important
• Why we think all worship music sounds the same
• The complications of Christian celebrity and worship music
• Facing the music of money and profits in the worship industry

Resources Mentioned:

• Show Sponsor: Planning Center
• @kelseykmcginnis
• Kelsey’s Website

Topics Covered:

• The changes in Christian music from the 90s to now
• The worship music boom of the early 2000s and 
• The story behind Third Day’s Offering worship record in 2000
• Why leading worship in a local church is harder than leading a worship concert
• The importance of self care for artists and worship leaders
• What the transition from band to solo artist has been like for Mac

Resources Mentioned:

• Show Sponsor: Planning Center
• I Love Jesus by Mac Powell

Show Sponsor:

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The post #340: Kelsey Kramer McGinnis On Music, Money, & Profits in the Worship Industry (And What That Means For the Rest of Us) appeared first on Beyond Sunday Worship.