CCM artist Kirk Franklin has said he's concerned for the future of Gospel music, as he fears it may soon become antiquated - just like disco and rock 'n' roll.
The Grammy Award-winning artist shared his thoughts during a guest appearance at Erica Campbell's syndicated radio show "Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell" late last year.
"It's not only a decline of the music but a decline of Jesus in the culture. Kids are not going to church and they're not listening to the music anymore," Franklin said. "So if music dies... See, my fear is, I don't want gospel music to die like disco and rock 'n' roll. Nowhere in the Bible is God commanding us to do records."
The artist, whose 12th studio album, "Losing My Religion," debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and includes the chart-topping single, "Wanna Be Happy," said that while he hasn't necessarily been affected by the decline in Christian music, he fears for others in the industry.
"I think one of the low points for me is to see a genre that I love so much struggle so hard. And I know that you've got to be careful because you don't want people to feel like you're whining and complaining," he said. "But it is very real that when something gets hit hard that the thing at the bottom sometimes suffers the worst. Gospel music has really taken a hit as far as the industry."
He continued: "We're not trying to compare ourselves to the world, we're just asking you to put yourself in that position. It's really painful to see. It hurts me when I know my brothers and sisters [in the Christian music industry] are having such a hard time."
In a 2016 interview with The Gospel Herald, the Gospel pioneer said that as America becomes more secular, his music is a call to Christians to look beyond the doctrines of religion and focus on a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.
"I believe that one of the reasons there is a decline in churches and why Millennials are no longer professing faith is because the doctrine and the dogma that we place on people when they come to faith is getting in the way of us pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ," he said.
"Instead of allowing the love of God to compel people, we place too much emphasis on trying to control thinking and actions and developing discipline," he continued. "When people fall in love with Jesus and realize how much He is in love with them, that affects how we live and what we do and how we think. So, we begin to read the Word, not as a manual on how to be better, but as a book of love letters. In the spirit of that love, we become transformed."
