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THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN SERMONIZING AMONG SELECTED 

CHURCH DENOMINATIONS IN NNEWI METROPOLIS, 

ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA 

 

David Sopuluchukwu Umeojiaka Ph.D. 

 

Abstract 

his study investigated the role of music in sermonizing among 

three selected church denominations in Nnewi metropolis, 

Anambra state, Nigeria. The research focused on the 

perspectives of selected preachers from St. Paul‟s Anglican 

Church Nnobi representing the Anglican Church, St. Mary‟s Catholic 

Church Nnewi representing the Roman Catholic Church and Save the 

Lost Mission Inc. in Nnewi representing the Pentecostal Church. The 

study explained why sermonists irrespective of church denomination 

use music in their sermons. The method of data collection was based 

on interview and observation. The subjects of the study comprised 

two preachers and selected congregation members of the concerned 

churches cutting across gender and age brackets. The researcher in 

his findings arrived at the fact that the use of relevant music (songs) 

in church sermons plays vital roles in motivating and arousing the 

minds and emotions of listeners prior, during and after sermons. In 

summary, he concluded that sermon preachers of all denominations 

should endeavor to use relevant songs in their sermon deliveries for 

reaching and winning of souls for Christ. The study recommends that 

further studies should be extended to other church denominations 

like the Cherubim and Seraphim, Celestial Church and other white 

garment churches as well as other indigenous and orthodox churches 

to authenticate the outcome of this research hence the study did not 

T 

Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 14 2020 



 
159 

necessarily exhaust the whole truth intended to emerge in the 

subject matter discussed. 

 

Introduction 

The positive role of the use of music in preaching Church sermons has 

been doubted over the years among scholars especially amidst 

preachers of various church denominations. The need to prove or 

disprove this controversy prompted the researcher in carrying out 

this research. Some preachers have also disputed the extent to 

which music in sermonizing can affect the spiritual lives of Christians. 

The perspectives of preachers and congregations of three selected 

Church denominations in Nnewi metropolis have been ascertained in 

this paper to specifically arrive at a reasonable conclusion. It is 

hoped that the preachers of today through the outcome of this study 

will understand that effective Church sermons could be preached 

using relevant music. This means that a goal set in a particular sermon 

could be achieved using good songs at its delivery.  

 

This study has also been considered to be very important in 

Christendom because it helps to explore the role of music in Church 

sermons among Church denominations hence it will increase the body 

of Christian knowledge generally. In consideration of music as a 

powerful means of preaching the word of God, preachers of various 

Church denominations will benefit from the outcome of this research, 

if convinced and thereafter, may decide to give music its rightful 

place in their various sermon deliveries. The study concentered on 

the perspectives of preachers and congregations of the three 

selected Church denominations in Nnewi metropolis namely; St. Paul‟s 

Anglican Church Nnobi representing the Anglican Church, St. Mary‟s 

Catholic Church Nnewi representing the Roman Catholic Church and 

Save the Lost Pentecostal Church Nnewi representing the Pentecostal 

Church.  



 
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The study observes that music could be utilized in all spheres of life; 

in sports, in teaching, in preaching/sermonizing and so on. The basic 

joy of Christian faith makes music an important ingredient in 

preaching the word of God. The status of music as a universal 

language offers an outstanding vehicle for communication of any 

message, and more particularly, the message of the eternal gospel.  

  

Concept of Sermon  

According to Homby (2015), “sermon is a talk on moral or religious 

subject, usually given by a religious leader during a service.” (p. 1011). 

The researcher sees sermon as “an admonition on a text of the bible 

delivered as part of Church service from the pulpit or any other 

platform in a Christian gathering from where the congregation could 

be preached to.” Sermon in this study is used synonymously with all 

kinds of speeches by preachers of all denominations using bible texts 

made in the Church and any other public place. In this study, the 

following words are synonymous with sermon; “preaching”, “the 

gospel”, “homily” or “the word of God”.  

 

Concept of Sermonist  

The term sermonist is defined as a person who delivers sermons, a 

person who adopts a preaching attitude. Accessed 2nd September 

2020 from https//www.thefreedictionary.com In this study the term 

Sermonist is used interchangeably with “preacher”, “priest”, “Rev. 

Father”, and or “Pastor” as the case may be.  

 

Concept of Congregation  

Merriam-Webster‟s Dictionary, online edition defines the word 

congregation as “an assembly of persons: gathering especially: an 

assembly of persons met for worship and religious instruction.” 

Retrieved 2nd September, 2020 from https//www.merriam-

webster,com 



 
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 In this study the term congregation is used synonymously with the 

words “audience” “listeners” and “learners”.  

 

The Concept of Music 

Defining music, Oshionebo and Akazue in Umeojiaka (2015) opine: “a 

simple definition of music is any agreeable sound. A more technical 

way of defining music is that music is the art of combing sounds into a 

composition, having structure and continuity.” (p. 70). This implies 

that music consists of tones, and also has pitch. It is the quality of 

this tone and pitch that gives each sound a distinct quality, 

distinguishing it from another sound. This simply means that not 

every sound is musical. Music consists of tones, and that it uses these 

tones to communicate to its audience as opposed to literature which 

uses its language to communicate to the listeners. In his own view, 

Agu (2008) sees music as “the expression of man‟s deepest self. “(p. 

216). Ibekwe (2010) states “music is an age-less tradition which cuts 

across all generations. Its longevity is sustained by its unqualified 

relevance to life of the people.” (p. 34). Ojakovo (2010) notes “music, 

is one of the most important means of disseminating information on 

human thoughts, ideas, emotions, traditions, norms and values. It 

raises several issues of social importance within a given society.” 

(p.104). Ibekwe (2010) further explains “music in African context can 

be summarized as „human intent expressed into action to communicate 

ideas, portray culture, symbolize events, socialize people, and 

stimulate emotions and other related functions.” (p. 35). Agreeing 

with the above, Gaston in Mbanugo (2009) says “music has 

penetrating powers that strikes a common chord in the hearts of all 

human beings irrespective of country or state of origin. Music is 

nearly always an expression of goodwill reaching out to others, 

powerful expressions of interdependence of mankind.” (p. 120). The 

above explanation categorically portrays that the use of relevant 

music (songs) in church sermons can aid in deepening the thoughts and 

emotions of Christian worshippers to feel the presence of God during 



 
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church gathering. In theological context, the book entitled „The 

Theological Resource Team of Global Anglican Future Conference 

(GAFCON)‟ (2008) explains music as: 

A vehicle of self-expression in many situations…a 
vehicle for conveying God‟s majesty and compassion, as 
well as the great acts and truths of faith. Music is 
always placed within a wider liturgical context, whether 
it is that of hearing the word, celebrating the 
Eucharist, Morning or Evening Prayer, or some other 
antiphons, the hymns, responsorial, Litanies, 
acclamations, greetings and responses, and even the 
prayers, may all be greatly enhanced by music being 
sung. (p. 80). 

 

In support of the above opinion, Nwokenna in Umeojiaka (2015) 

writes:  

The positive influence of music on our overall well-being 
has been recognized for centuries. Links have been 
drawn between music and our whole development; 
physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual… Music 
is a reflection of our social relationships per excellence. 
It helps us understand those „perceptible patterns‟ in 
life itself having the potential to represent forms of 
human interaction from the most elemental to the most 
complex. (p. 45).   

Considering the above, the researcher is convinced that one cannot 

talk about church sermons as a means of winning souls without making 

reference to human psychology. In human psychology, the aspect the 

deals with learning and memory has a lot to contribute regarding 

music and church sermons especially as it concerns winning of souls. 

Dennis (2015) says “encoding is the process whereby information is 

thought to be put into memory: Storage relates to the methods 

assumed to be involved in the retention of information; retrieval 



 
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relates to the processes of recovering of stored information from 

memory. “ (p. 147). For Church sermons to be effective in soul 

winning, the researcher strongly agrees with Dennis in his assertion 

“encoding, storage and retrieval enhance learning.” For the 

congregation members to spiritually be connected to the word of God, 

the human mind needs to be conditioned to an emotional state that 

will allow for the penetration of the word of God. This means that 

during church sermons, spiritually motivating songs can induce the 

audience to be sober in their reflections. One major thing that is 

needed in sermonizing and winning of souls has to do with being 

connected to the spiritual realm which will lead to soberness, 

penitence and proper internalization of the word of God. The use of 

spirit filled music in sermonizing can help to achieve the above. 

 

Role of Music in Sermonizing: Discussions and Analyses  

Information leading to the analysis of this study was sourced from 66 

people who acted as respondents to the questions of the study. 

Among them were six sermonists, two from each of the three 

selected church denominations. Sixty members of the congregation 

also formed part of the respondents; hence twenty persons came 

from each of the three denominations. The findings were based on 

the research questions as follows: 

 

Question 1: Of the church seasons of the year, which one do you 

feel most comfortable to use songs in your sermon and why? 

The six sermonists interviewed in this study to a very large extent 

agreed that in their sermons irrespective of church season, they feel 

very comfortable to use songs in preaching the sermon. However, 

they added that each season has its special mood. For example, a 

priest from the Roman Catholic Church did say “the Lenten season 

requires penitential songs while that of resurrection demands the use 

of praise songs in preaching the resurrection message”. In addition, 

the two priests from the Roman Catholic Church reiterated “the use 



 
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of songs is seldom employed during homilies in celebrating the mass.” 

To them homilies in the mass do not require much musical 

embellishments because a homily in the mass means breaking the 

word which needs no distraction. Meanwhile, they emphatically noted 

that apart from homilies in church worship there are still many other 

avenues where songs could be used to preach the sermon in the 

Roman Catholic Church. In this case they made mention of the 

“adoration service”. They said “the use of relevant choruses goes a 

long way in making the hearts of congregation fertile to be receptive 

to the messages of the adoration‟‟.  One of them added “adoration is 

normally held on Tuesdays very early in the morning, this is where 

people are allowed to pour out from the depth of their minds their 

various needs in prayer. This means that every Rev. Father on duty at 

every adoration must look for the best way of meeting the spiritual 

needs of the people.” 

 

On the light of the above, a priest from the Anglican denomination in 

agreement with their Roman Catholic counterparts said “music is a 

very important instrument and ingredient in church sermons….to 

preach with effective songs is like putting salt in a food, without salt 

in a food, the food will not be palatable.” In support of the above 

view, another preacher from the Anglican Church said “in my sermons, 

I bring in songs such as hymns and choruses to drive home my points 

depending on the topic of the day”. Having this in mind, the two 

preachers from the Anglican denomination agreed during different 

interview schedules that they use songs in almost every of their 

sermons. But particular reference was made to special revival 

programmes like the mid-week revivals (Wednesday Prayers) and 

during other end of the month programmes as well as during outdoor 

crusades.  

 

When the two pastors from the Pentecostal Church were interviewed, 

they indicated that they do not operate based on church seasons but 



 
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they agreed that there were times in their churches when they 

emphasize on a particular event that happened in the life of Jesus 

Christ, such as Christmas and Easter. Nevertheless, they agreed that 

the use of songs in a no small measure facilitate their congregation in 

appreciating their sermons. For instance, one of them said, “In 1986 

when I answered the altar call, it was the song by the preacher after 

his message that touched me to step forward to receive Jesus 

Christ‟, he added: “that day, I shed tears when the man of God sang 

with a solemn voice which mellowed my heart and made me to be 

under anointing weeping for my sins…”  

 

On the part of the congregation, the two different groups from the 

selected churches that is; the adults and the youths agreed that they 

feel very much at home whenever they were preached to using songs 

that are relevant to the topics of the sermon. To them, music in 

sermons has some captivating force that appeals to the minds and 

souls. During the period of participant observation by the researcher, 

after a revival programme in one of the Anglican churches, a youth, 

responding to interview with the researcher said “You could see the 

mood in which I operated when the preacher was singing during the 

sermon today… sincerely speaking, the message intended for today‟s 

sermon was well assimilated because the song rendered by the 

preacher cut my whole being.” The researcher rightly observed that 

one of the ways to reach souls in church sermons is through the use 

of spirit filled songs by the preachers to minister to the members of 

their congregation. 

 

Question 2: Do you think that music can assist in achieving the 

goal of sermons?  

The six sermonists interviewed agreed that music assists to a very 

high extent in achieving the goals of church sermons. One of the 

interviewees (preacher) said, “It is hard for me to sermonize without 

using relevant songs to introduce, emphasize or draw conclusions 



 
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during my sermons.” In the case of the congregations, most youths 

cutting across the three selected churches agreed that the use of 

songs at sermons goes a long way in catching their interests. They 

reiterated their appreciation of sermon with the use of relevant 

songs irrespective of the church season. The adults however, 

explicitly explained that the use of music to a very high extent make 

them appreciate sermons. Having this in mind, one of the sermonists 

from the Anglican Church emphatically said, “I was able to memorize 

the books of the bible at heart during my days in Sunday schools 

because the books of the bible from the Old Testament to the New 

Testament were set to music or what you may call rhymes. I can‟t say 

for sure what you people call it in music terms but I know we used to 

recite the books of the bible using music because we used to tap our 

feet and sometimes used our fingers to make some rhythms as we 

sang it joyfully”. Still on the use of music to achieve sermon goals, one 

of the Pentecostal pastors interviewed in this research did say, “In 

my house, many a time, I always use cane on my children to force 

them to maintain some silence at home. These children would always 

heat up the entire house and that of the neighborhoods chanting in 

unison all that they were taught in Sunday school. They vocalize all 

these in form of songs. I believe that they do not just enjoy the 

singing alone but one or two points from the lyrics of the songs could 

be registered in their sub conscious minds…” In the opinion of the 

researcher, when the above is done, learning could be said to have 

taken place and as such the message of the gospel would have been 

fully internalized.   

 

Question 3: What kind of songs do you consider favourite for 

sermon delivery?  

The six sermonists interviewed in this study agreed that songs from 

biblical texts were their most favourites in preaching the sermon. 

Nevertheless, one of the adult members of the congregation from 

the Anglican denomination said “songs derived from secular texts like 



 
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one of the songs by late Osita Osadebe impressed him greatly when a 

priest delivered his sermon in a burial service in a particular place. 

“Mak‟ojo ayi g‟ebi…” (Whether good or bad, we shall survive). He 

added that to him “songs sometimes are sermons in themselves… 

issues that bother on socio-political and religious lives of the nation 

may be addressed when they are set to music, especially when good 

preachers apply them in their sermons.” 

 

In a contrast view, some members of the congregation from the 

Pentecostal denomination disagreed totally as to whether secular 

songs have anything to do with church sermons. To them, lyrics of the 

songs to be used in sermonizing must be purely biblical, coming from 

either the Old or New Testaments of the scriptures. However, the 

majority of congregation members from the Roman Catholic Church 

agreed with the view of their Anglican counterpart who said that 

“secular songs can sometimes be appreciative in sermon deliveries.” 

They also agreed that songs from biblical texts have much to do with 

the appreciation level of the sermon with special reference to soul 

winning. Generally however, the congregations of the three selected 

denominations no doubt agreed that music has a lot to do with the 

appreciation level of listeners as well as facilitates in soul winning 

when effectually utilized.  

 

Question 4: Does music play any role in congregations’ 

appreciation to sermons?  

The six interviewed sermonists from the three church denominations 

agreed that the use of music in sermonizing makes people understand 

the message of the sermon better. They agreed that music uplifts 

morale and heighten attention. One of the sermonists from the 

Roman Catholic denomination said “songs in sermons are as appetizers 

in food”. Meanwhile, an adult member from the Pentecostal 

denomination said “songs in sermons arouse interest of listeners 

prior, during and at sermon conclusions”. Yet another youth member 



 
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from the Anglican denomination did say “the use of befitting songs in 

the middle of sermons helps to emphasize or re-emphasize the aims 

and objectives of a particular sermon topic.” Both groups that form 

the congregation in this study unanimously agreed that songs in 

sermons make the minds of the congregations ready for what the 

preacher may want them to understand in the course of delivering 

the sermon. To them music in sermons boosts the interest and morale 

of listeners and at the same time, mellow their emotions to answer 

the altar call. They all agreed that the use of music in sermonizing 

makes points in sermons to be driven home very easily. Apart from 

the points made by the respondents, the researcher in his own 

observation notes that the use of songs in sermonizing appeals to the 

inner minds of the congregations hence it helps to convince the 

worshippers in religious gathering conscientiously to be receptive to 

the messages of the preachers. He observes that music gingers the 

congregation to listen with apt attention during church services. It 

serves as a communicative medium that facilitates the congregation 

to properly digest the messages intended for every sermon.    

 

Question 5: About how many times do you sing in a sermon?  

Although in different interviews, the six sermonists in their 

responses agreed that they sing songs as many times as possible while 

delivering a particular sermon depending on how the Holy Spirit moves 

them. However, there were different emphases made by different 

preachers. For example, one of the Pentecostal pastors in an oral 

interview with him said “I prefer introducing my sermons with the use 

of songs especially the songs which in themselves reflect on the 

message of my sermon topics.” 

 

On the above point, one of the sermonists from the Roman Catholic 

denomination said, “did you see me sing as many songs as possible 

during my adoration homily today…? at least I know that I sang up to 

three different choruses during my preaching … one was before I 



 
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introduced my sermon topic, the other one was when I was trying to 

emphasize on the need of glorifying the name of the Lord in times of 

His blessings, while the third song was at the conclusion of my sermon 

this morning.” In agreement to the above, one of the Pentecostal 

pastors explained “as you could see today, I used a chorus to start 

today‟s sermon, so singing of songs either prior, during or after 

sermons are sometimes spontaneous…” 

 

Considering the above points, the two sermonists interviewed from 

the Anglican denomination in different interviews agreed that songs 

could be used to prepare the minds of worshippers before sermons. 

In their words they said, “This is why in the Anglican Church we have 

what is called the “Hymn for sermon”. However, one of them said “in 

choosing the hymn for sermon, you must read the bible passages 

slated for the day, study very deeply the scriptures before choosing 

a suitable hymn that would reflect on the theme of the sermon.” He 

further explained “even when a preacher does not want to choose a 

hymn for sermon from the hymn books, he is left with the choice to 

sing any suitable chorus (song) that may portray the message of the 

intended sermon topic.”  

 

It may interest you to note here that, the sermonists from the 

Angilcan denomination did not end their points at hymns or songs for 

sermon introduction alone, but they furthered to agree with their 

Roman Catholic and Pentecostal counterparts to say that “songs could 

be used either for introducing, emphasizing and concluding sermons 

as the case may be”.   

 

Question 6: Do you think that the songs you normally use during 

sermons are relevant to your sermon topics?  

The six sermonists interviewed in this study unanimously answered 

“yes” to the above question. Authenticating the above response, the 

researcher succeeded in observing them preach in their various 



 
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churches at least, an hour and half on two different visits.  During 

this period, the researcher noted that each sermonist preached two 

sermons on a different visit using songs. These sermon topics and 

songs used in delivering their sermons served the purpose of 

softening the minds and emotions of worshippers in church services 

and as such makes for effective sermon deliveries and winning souls 

for Christ. 

 

Music as a means of communicating God’s word 

It has earlier been noted that music is indispensable in all affairs of 

man; the Christian church is not exempted. It features predominantly 

in all segments of Christian activity hence music means a lot to the 

Church in preaching of God‟s word. Making contribution on the above, 

Umeojiaka (2015) notes “no activity is performed in Christian 

Churches without a befitting piece of music. Considering music as an 

indispensable tool in reaching souls at Church sermons, preachers of 

all denominations find music as a useful instrument very positive in 

preaching the word of God.” (p. 2). The respondents interviewed in 

the course of this study were of the view that Christian churches of 

all denominations should invest money in training and re-training their 

pastors, choristers, organists and musicians to attain higher levels to 

ensure efficiency and effectiveness in their deliveries. The 

preachers also need basic orientation and training in music to make 

for the required outcome in their sermon deliveries. When the word 

of God is accompanied with relevant songs, the extent of captivating 

the minds of listeners is on a great positive. For example, one of the 

Rev. Fathers from the Roman Catholic denomination points out “music 

being very instrumental in preaching the word of God was the major 

means of evangelism in the orthodox churches that first came into 

Nigeria during the advent of Christianity.” The researcher observes 

that in recent time, music continues to be the sharpest means of 

preaching the gospel and in winning of souls both for the new 

generation churches and the already established orthodox churches. 



 
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Today, some of the fastest growing churches throughout the world 

have their momentum propelled by the atmosphere of good music. 

This means that the effect of music in Church sermons cannot be 

over emphasized owing to the fact that music is the most vital agent 

of effective communication during the church missionary era and in 

the cotemporary church. Having the above in mind, Murdock (2000) 

explains:  

Sometimes a preacher may not be extra ordinary in his 
preaching skills. He may not possess a good personality, 
but his ability to perform good music may create the 
most incredible climate for his preaching. The people 
may want to return again and again, week after week to 
enjoy his services solely because of the role which 
music plays in preaching the word of God. The power of 
music in preaching the word is so enormous that the 
ministry of music preceding the word usually 
determines how the people will receive the message. (p. 
72). 

 

With the above point in view, the researcher is of the opinion that 

“music is a form of attraction that compels the congregation to be 

apt to the word of God.” At this juncture, it is important to note that 

music in church sermons can play active roles in soul winning when 

evangelical/sacred music is indigenized. Orakwe (2019) defines 

sacred music as “that which is being created for the celebration of 

divine worship… endowed with a certain holy sincerity of form.” (p. 2). 

The researcher sees the need to explain that Christianity in Nigeria 

especially in Igbo land spread rapidly when religious (evangelical) 

music got indigenized. 

 

Indigenization of Evangelical Music  

Onuora – Oguno (2004) writing on indigenization of evangelical music 

notes:  



 
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…another group existed who wanted the indigenization 
of Nigeria music…. Churches were reviewing their mode 
of worship to suit the temperament of Nigeria 
worshippers; traditional instruments were integrated 
more into worship in the mainline churches. As the 
Pentecostal Church movement gained prominence, 
singing of choruses and dancing which hitherto was 
forbidden in the mainline churches became fashionable. 
(p. 147). 

 

The researcher observes that the recent freedom in the use of 

indigenous songs or choruses to deliver sermons came into being as a 

result of the efforts made by the indigenous Africans, especially 

those of them from the main line churches in Nigeria. One of the 

priests interviewed from the Anglican denomination in the course of 

this study said “shortly after the independence, the struggle to 

inculcate the Nigeria mode of worship was advocated and later gained 

prominence...” Today, preachers of all denominations benefit from the 

use of employing indigenous choruses in preaching the word of God in 

a divine worship as well as in open crusades. This means that Nigerian 

preachers of today hardly preach without using relevant indigenous 

songs in driving home the points in their sermons.  

 

Music and Evangelism in Igbo-land  

Many ethnomusicologists have from time to time point at music as one 

of the means of propagating the Christian gospel. Starting from the 

bible days to the present day, music has been seen as a veritable 

instrument in preaching the Christian message of salvation. The 

colonial masters did not only see music as a powerful tool in their 

colonial role but utilized music as a serious tool for catching the 

interest of their converts during their missionary works and 

evangelism especially in Igbo-land. Taking the Niger mission for 

instance, the villagers rallied round the missionaries on hearing their 



 
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evangelical songs. This was reported to be one of the major ways that 

helped the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S) to create fertile 

grounds in making their early converts. The Roman Catholic Church 

and other churches that came into the Igbo-land after 1857 also 

used music as one of their veritable tools in evangelization. Before 

the advent of Christianity in Igbo-land, the people had music 

integrated in all their affairs, be it social or religious. Taking the 

religious aspect as an example, music was considered a sine-qua-non in 

all the activities that have to do with worshipping of God. Eventually 

when the missionaries came into the Igbo-land, they knew that music 

will go a long way in helping them plant Christianity in Igbo soil. In 

their bid to actualize this set goal, which was “Christianization of the 

Igbo-land”, Okafor (2005) observes:  

The Igbos have had long contact with the European 
traders, adventurers and missionaries through the 
coast. But systematic evangelization of Igbo-land could 
be said to have begun in 1857 when the Church 
Missionary Society (C.M.S) sent a Nigeria convert, the 
Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, to evangelize Igbo 
heartland and the stretch of country leading to the 
Niger Delta. The Roman Catholics followed with a team 
which landed in Onitsha in 1884. Between these two 
major denominations, evangelization and education of 
Igbo-land had begun. They both used the school system 
to reach the people and win converts. (pp. 253-254).  

In as much as the early missionaries used music as a sharp tool for 

the Christian gospel, yet some scholars are arguing its effectiveness 

in the modern church where the youth see music as a jamboree and 

mere entertainment. Against this backdrop, Morganthaler in 

Umeojiaka (2015) writes: 

Music is one of the most strongly debated in churches 
today, especially in an era where the average church 
membership spans multiple generations, each with their 



 
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own preferences. Debates over the effect of music in 
preaching the gospel more than any other issue… reveal 
such diversity within the church. When seeking to 
reach the lost, Christ commanded his followers to make 
disciples, he did not, however, say only through certain 
means. The scripture shows that music serves an 
important role in worshipping God and promoting the 
truth. Furthermore, Music is commonly known as the 
universal language, due in large part to its prominence in 
nearly every culture. (p. 37).   

 

This means that the role of music in sermonizing has been an age long 

practice which has great effect on the appreciation level of listeners 

to sermons. Even though some people who are not musically 

enlightened might debate the extent of music‟s usefulness in 

sermonizing, yet it is established from the scriptural perspective 

that music serves an important role in worshipping God and it 

promotes the truth of Christian message. Music as a universal 

language in this case comes into play because of its penetrating power 

in mellowing the mind as well as catching the interest of listeners 

during church sermons. 

 

Music as a Means of Sermon Delivery Today  

As history discloses, music has the potential of proclaiming the gospel 

in an effective non-confrontational method, except for the 

traditional controversies that unavoidably arise. When music in 

sermons loses its spirituality, it becomes mere enjoyment, 

entertainment, motivational platform for speakers or noise. Today, 

some preachers see music in church sermons as mere aesthetic music. 

Aesthetic focuses on the musical style rather than the lyrics; it asks 

whether the music is entertaining or not. Some argue that music that 

entertains is too secular for sermonizing and soul winning. However, 



 
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Frame (1997) distinguishes entertainment from amusement in his 

defence of contemporary worship as he writes:  

Music that is entertaining is of a high quality, skillfully 
played and memorable, it brings its text to dwell in the 
heart and mind. This differs from mere amusement, he 
argues, in that entertaining Christian music keeps its 
vertical and horizontal purposes” in the forefront; it 
relates both to man and to God. (p. 60). 

Making reference to the affective role of music in sermonizing today, 

Terry (1997) opines:  

When one thinks of music being affective, one often 
thinks only that it stirs the emotions of the listeners. 
In preaching the word, music is affective when it 
presents the gospel in a way that motivates the 
listeners to respond. They may respond by rejecting 
the gospel, inquiring further about Christ, or accepting 
Jesus in faith, but a response to the gospel is 
necessary. (p. 57). 

 

Making his contribution Jourdian in Umeojiaka (2015) says:  

Three factors must be considered when discussing 
affective music. First, no one song need express every 
aspect of the gospel message. People rarely listen to 
only one song and those that do are generally 
responding to the aesthetics rather than the lyrics. 
Whether in church or an evangelistic event, individuals 
will hear multiple songs, allowing each song to convey 
one or a few aspects of the good news. Second, not 
every song must directly reference Christ. Songs that 
address issues individuals face, such as temptation or 
depression, can be used to convey a message of hope 
that will inspire the listener to inquire about the source 
of hope. Third, the setting of the music-worship 



 
176 

service or evangelistic event-will impact the style of 
evangelism.  (p. 41). 

 

However, Hustad (1981) delineated two styles of evangelism as:  

Impressive or expressive…. If it is impressive, it is 
prophetic; it preaches the gospel just as surely as the 
minister who occupies the pulpit. If it is expressive, it 
provides a medium for a Christian to worship his God or 
to state his Christian faith [emphasis in original]. In 
other words, music will evangelize directly or indirectly. 
The former occurs in evangelistic events, the latter in 
worship service. (p. 80). 

The researcher is strongly convinced that the use of music in 

sermonizing is putting the round peg in a round whole. It will be a 

right move in the right direction if the cotemporary preachers can 

adopt this approach in delivering their sermons in a positive dimension 

not as a mere entertainment or jamboree. When the above is 

effectually followed, church sermons would continue to make great 

impacts on the lives of the church members. 

 

Summary of Findings and Conclusion  

Church sermons should be preached with the use of relevant songs 

because through the result of the findings in this research, it was 

observed that the use of music in sermonizing goes a long way in 

catching the interest of the congregation in appreciating the sermons 

by sermonists the more. In this study, music has been proven to be 

very effectual in preaching of the word of God. The importance of 

music in preaching the word of God was brought to bear. This 

research exposed the efficacy and effect of music in reaching and 

winning souls for Christ during church sermons. The documentation of 

this finding has in no small way added to the literature of church 

music. In the light of the above, the researcher cannot claim to have 

covered every bit of information surrounding the truth of the 



 
177 

subject matter discussed. So, the researcher recommends that: 

Further studies on the role of music in reaching and winning souls at 

church sermons be continued by scholars of similar interest hence 

the researcher concentrated on the selected three major church 

denominations in Nnewi metropolis i.e. St. Paul‟s Anglican Church, 

Nnobi, St. Mary‟s Catholic Church, Nnewi and Save the Lost Mission 

(Pentecostal church), Nnewi. 

 

Recommendations 

1. The research should be extended to other church 

denominations like the Salvation Army, the white garment 

churches, Grail message etc. By so doing, more information 

may either come out with viewpoints supporting or disproving 

the result of this research with a different strand point of 

opinion.  

2. Preachers of all church denominations should embrace the use 

of relevant music (songs) as a veritable means of reaching and 

winning souls for Christ. 

3.     The Church should invest tangible fund in training and retraining 

of her pastors and musicians.  

4.    Preachers of all church denominations should be given the 

required orientation and training on the proper ways to use 

music (songs) in their sermons to enable the church win more 

souls for Christ. 

 

Suggestion for Further Studies  

This study did not necessarily exhaust the whole truth intended to 

emerge in the subject matter discussed. He therefore believes that 

there could be more to be said about the role of music in church 

sermons having in mind some denominations he could not reach. If 

researches are made covering more churches and greater 

geographical areas, more truthful results may be achieved – hence 

the researcher believes that what he has done and said in this study 



 
178 

is not all and all and may not have provided enough information on the 

subject matter discussed. Therefore, he suggests that further 

researches touching the areas he did not trace could be carried out 

by other interested researchers.  

 

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