THE STANDARD MAY 9, 1966 Li A Singing Christian U Potpourri of Church Music • The Church's Indivisible Unity Directory Baptist General Conference Letters relative to missionary matters and all contributions designated for missionary purposes should be addressed to BAPTIST GENERAL CONFERENCE 5750 N. Ashland Ave.. Chicago. 111. 60626 A Focal Point Tel. (Area.Code 312) 275-3590 CONFERENCE OFFICERS TRUMAN E. HALVORSEN, Moderator MAUBICE C. LAWSON, Vice Moderator For Worship BOARD OF TRUSTEES LLOYD W. DAHLQUIST, General Secretary EDWARD J. HALES, Director of Stewardship HOME MISSIONS GORDON H. ANDERSON, Secretary HAT IS the purpose of the church choir? A group HARVEY R. HILL, Assistant to Secretary of talented singers with a competent leader ROBERT E. NORSTROM, Director of Promotion Wform a focal point for expression in the worship serv­ GEORGE SALSTRAND, Church Capital Funds ice. The Apostle Paul wrote that we are to "admonish FOREIGN MISSIONS FRANKLIN NELSON. Secretary one another in psalms and hymns DALE BJORK, Administrative Assistant and spiritual songs, singing with ALBERT J. BERGFALK, Associate Secretary GARNET O. JENKINS. Associate Secretary grace in your hearts unto the Lord" m (Colossians 3:16). The heart of a PUBLICATIONS ORIEL L. HANSEN. church's musical ministry lies in the Business Manager, Secretary close planning of the pastor with DAVID OLSON. Editor, Christian Ed. Publications choir director and organist to give DONALD E. ANDERSON, J Editor, THE STANDARD musical reinforcement to the preach­ BIBLE SCHOOL & YOUTH WORK ing of the Word. LAWRENCE F. SWANSON. Secretary GUNNAR HOGLUND, Youth Director The responsibilities of the wor­ L. TED JOHNSON, ship service are shared by many. Children's Work and Camping Some of us have the inestimable MEN'S WORK privilege of working with faithful and dedicated sing­ LLOYD MATTSON. Secretary ers who desire to praise God and bring others to know WOMEN'S WORK MADGE HILL, Secretary the joy of being in Christ. The message comes strong DOROTHY DAHLMAN, Director of Girls Work and clear from a choir aware of its responsibility. "If you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible . All correspondence related to the educa­ tional program or financial contributions to you will be speaking into the air" (1 Corinthians 14: it should be addressed to 9). Better a simple, dignified psalm in praise of the BETHEL COLLEGE Lord than the elaborate composition performed "al­ 1480 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Minn. 55101 most well." Tel. (Area Code 612) 646-4501 The finest tribute to a good choir is that congre­ CARL H. LUNDQUIST, President CLIFFORD E. LARSON. Dean gational singing improves because of the choir's leader­ ship and example. The work of rehearsal becomes a BETHEL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 3801 N. Hamline Ave., St. Paul. Minn. 55112 joy when the devotional nature of the choir's contri­ Tel. (Area Code 612) 633-6880 bution to the worship service is stressed. CARL H. LUNDQUIST. President GORDON G. JOHNSON. Dean —PAUL A. ERLANSON, choir director, VANCOUVER BIBLE INSTITUTE Trinity Baptist Church, New York City 1601 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver 9, B.C. Tel. (Area Code 604) 736-4505 MORSE ARCHER. President i NEXT ISSUE - Bethel's Year-end Opportunity THE STANDARD In troducing— " Official organ of the Baptist General Conference Rev. Lloyd M. Nordstrom MAY 9, 1966 VOL. 56, No. 10 # I In This Issue: Ever since he was carried to 2 A Focal Point for Worship Paul A. Erlanson church in a horse and sleigh rig The best tribute to a good choir is the improved when just a few weeks old, Rev. singing of the congregation Lloyd M. Nordstrom has been at­ tending and has been active in a 6. What's New in Good Music? Gunnar Hoglund Conference Baptist Church. He was The constant need to guard high standards of church music born into a farm home near Ala- varado, Minn., where both parents 8. A Singing Christian Lloyd M. Nordstrom were sincere Christians. He was sav­ Christianity is a singing religion tvith the music in ed at the age of 10 during evangel­ the major key istic meetings led by Evangelist Dav­ id M. Anderson. His home church 16. Church Music: A Means or An End? . Robert Berglund found him active in the male quartet, choir and orchestra. "There is general agreement that church music should be a means to worship, praise, testimony, prayer and meditation" God used an aged lady of the church to stir his heart regarding the call into the ministry. She had 17. Conference Business at San Jose said in Swedish, "He shall be a Items to be presented by the trustee board preacher," and although at the time this irritated Lloyd, yet God used 20. Speakers for the Worship Services at San Jose Conference those words to draw him into the Plan to hear inspirational messages on important themes place of full surrender. During Bethel College days he was 21. Potpourri of Church Music Bruce Leafblad again active in music and served as Answers to common problems of church musicians assistant pastor at Wheelock Park­ way Baptist, St. Paul, and at Bethel 27. Lakewood's Graded Choirs Dick Anthony Baptist, Minneapolis. A graded choir program provides stimulating additions In 1945 Mr. Nordstrom was joined to the blessings of church services in marriage to Irene Benson of Mi- laca, Minn., and immediately they left for the Eleventh St. Baptist Introducing 3 Bible School 24 Church, Los Angeles, where he Editor's Notebook .... 4 Conference Women .... 25 served as choir director. During the Editorial 5 Conference Youth 26 years in California degrees were Stewardship 7 Conference Men 26 earned at Pepperdine College and Church News 10 In Brief 28 U.S.C. District News 11 TIPS , ... 29 In 1950 he graduated from Bethel Home Missions 12 Church Directory 33 Seminary and was called to pastor Foreign Missions 14 Classified Ads 34 Park Baptist, St. Louis Park, Minn., Bethel College and Seminary . 22 Religious News 35 and served this church eight and one half years. Presently he is pastoring Calvary Baptist, Turlock, Calif. Twin sons were born to the Nord- THE STANDARD Editorial Committee: Donald E. Anderson (Editor), Oriel L. Hansen stroms in 1952. A favorite hobby of (Business Manager), David Olson, Esther M. Larson, Robert Hamiett. the family is camping in the moun­ Department Editors: Robert E. Norstrom (Home Missions), Albert J. Bergfalk (Foreign tains. They have scaled several moun­ Missions), Perry Hedberg (Bethel College and Seminary), Lawrence F. Swanson (Bible tain peaks, the highest being 14,500 School), Gunnar Hoglund (CYF), Lloyd Mattson (Men's Work), Madge Hill (Women's feet-high Mt. Whitney. Work), David Olson (TIPS). Mr. Nordstrom is chairman of the music committee for the San Jose conference and has written the ser­ Published every other Monday by Harvest Publications. 5750 N. Ashland Avenue. Chicago, III. 60626. Telephone 275-3590. Subscription price: one year in U. S. A. or foreign countries, $3.50. Printed mon for this issue of THE STANDARD. in U. S- A. Second Class Postage Paid at Newton, Kansas. MAY 9, 1966 EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK Our Debt to Those With Whom We Differ OR MANY YEARS Christians of a Catholic, gave us All Creatures of when the warning flags of theological F pietistic nature have delighted Our God and King. Theodulf (750- and denominational labels are not in these words of praise to the 821), bishop of Orleans in the court flying, we find that this spiritual kin­ Savior: of Charlemagne, left us the Palm ship is quite a natural course in Sunday hymn, All Glory, Laud, and Christian experience. Can we sing Jesus, the very thought of Thee Honor. these hymns with feeling and sin­ With sweetness fills my breast; cerity in our churches and honestly To Thee, before Thy passion, But sweeter far Thy face to see, say that we would not sing them They sang their hymns of praise; And in Thy presence rest. if we were sitting next to the author To Thee, now high exalted, in his church? If we sense oneness Our melody we raise. The author of these words also of spirit with the saints of the Bi­ wrote 0 Sacred Head, Now Wound­ The fact that we sing these hymns ble while we meditate on their ed, and Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving and are blessed in doing so shows spiritual reflections, then time and Hearts. that we have a spiritual kinship with space should be no hindrance in oui> The writer was Bernard of Clair- the authors (except in the case of sensing spiritual affinity with othef vaux (1091-1153), a French Cister­ the Unitarian, if, in fact, he really writers who have bequeathed to us cian monk. This Roman Catholic was a Unitarian). It shows, too, that these devotional treasures. • was so vehement in his defense of his faith that Will Durant has writ­ ten, "Bernard could hate and pursue, almost to death, heretics like Abe- with abuse, 'Let him call me a dog lard or Arnold of Brescia." Bernard or a devil, I will acknowledge him himself wrote, "The Christian glories as a servant of Christ.' ... A min­ in the death of the pagan, because And In ister of the Synod of Glasgow de­ God is thereby glorified." fended himself for admitting White- Our appreciation of Christians of field into his pulpit in these memora­ varying convictions is enhanced This ble words: 'There is no law of Christ, when we realize that several of the no Act of Assembly, prohibiting me choice selections in our Worship and to give my pulpit to an Episcopal, In­ Service Hymnal were written by men dependent, or Baptist minister, if of with whom we might disagree on Corner .