“From Christian Country To Inspirational Country”

Dan Cowart

Inspirational Country Music Week, I like the sound of that. Leo Johnston with Cross Country the Band has been challenging us for some years now to quit calling our music “Christian Country Music” not because we’re ashamed but because we have allowed the enemy to put a warning label on our music. By calling our music “Christian Country Music,” we are warning the very people we seek to reach with our music that this Country music really does have a hook in it.

James Robinson with Life Outreach International in Fort Worth, Texas, said to me, “If we let the world label us then the world can cancel us.”

In the past, it has always caused me concern that we can sing a Country song about anything under the sun and the world calls it Country. But the moment we start singing about faith in God we are pressed to put our Christian label on it. I think that in the past our motives have been pure and that we simply wanted there to be no doubt that our music has a message and we wanted God to be glorified with this new brand of Country music. However, regardless of our motives and intent of the past, I believe that God is pouring out new wine in the earth and the world and mainstream America continues to embrace this new brand of Country music which is opening up major opportunities for us to reach multitudes in places where only a few years ago would never allow Christians a platform.

I say if moving from Christian Country Music to Inspirational Music, Positive Country or just calling it Country, allows us to reach more people and markets with the Gospel, call it whatever we need to, lets just keep sending our message of hope and our new brand of country around the world to reach as many people for Christ as we can while the doors are open.

Thank you Christian Country Music Association Staff, Gene, Brenda, and Jason Higgins for your continued leadership and for not being afraid to embrace change in order to open new markets for our music and message.

Dan Cowart (President)
Audio-Outreach International