CCM artist, Steve Camp, "nailed" the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) with his "A Call for "Reformation in the Contemporary Christian Music Industry" and his "107 Theses". Following the pattern of Martin Luther as Luther nailed his 95 these onto the door at Wittenberg in 1517, Camp "nailed" his "107 Theses" to CCM. Steve Camp mailed out 1,500 copies of his "Call for Reformation - 107 Theses" on October 31, 1997 - Reformation Day to 1,500 people involved in CCM.

Camp readily admits in his early CCM career of compromise and fleshly lusts:

"Early in my own musical journey I wrote songs that neither represented good music or precise theology. My motives were vitiated; my actions were not godly; and my lips were unclean. The thirst for prominence and position made my heart prideful, judgmental and callused."

Steve Camp says of Satan's infiltration of CCM:

"But beloved, THE SERPENTINE FOE of compromise has invaded the camp through years of specious living, skewed doctrine and most recently secular ownership of Christian music ministries. . . The Apostle Paul warns "it takes only a little leaven to leaven the whole lump." (1 Corinthians 5:6) When sin is tolerated ultimately permeates and corrupts the entire church. What is pure today will inevitably be polluted tomorrow if we do not "purge out the old leaven. . . " (Ibid. 5:7) In the past several years, there has been a not-so-subtle drifting away from Christocentric music to an anthropocentric music. Sadly, this has resulted in various visible manifestations of spiritual sedition-where currently, the CCMI finds itself on a slippery slope sliding away at accelerated speeds from the Savior, the Scriptures and the church."

"Contemporary Christian Music originally began unashamedly declaring Jesus Christ as Lord. Within a few years His name was replaced by several generic titles filtering out the name of God ultimately to the non-specific cognomen, "Love." This led to a multitude of pseudonyms: "The Man Upstairs"; "My Higher Power"; "Our Family Values Expert" ad nauseam...ad infinitum. This Biblical illiteracy I've coined as theological ebonics-Biblical language diminished to cultural unintelligible chatter affirmed as profound, acceptable spiritual truth. Os Guinness is "spot on" when saying, "[we have seen a change] from an emphasis on 'serving God', to an emphasis on 'serving the self' in serving God." The object of faith is no longer Christ, but our self-esteem; the goal of faith is no longer holiness, but our happiness; and the source of faith is no longer the Scriptures, but our experience. Christian music currently reflects this. We are producing a generation of people that "feel" their God, but do not know their God."

While we do not agree with Brother Camp's "hanging on" to the rock music roots of CCM, we certainly agree with many of his "107 Theses". Here's a few of Camp's "107 Theses":

6.We fail to glorify Him when we praise the servant through awards and accolades rather than exalt the master. "I was but a pen in god’s hand and what praise is due a pen?" (Baxter) God will not share His glory with another. (Psalm 115:1; Isaiah 42:8)

7.We fail to glorify Him when we speak of God out of our own vain imaginings or recreate Him in our own image; instead of honoring Him by how He has revealed Himself through His holy Word. (Psalm 50:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13-16)

31.For if in our worship we pervert the truth about God. If in our music we distort His doctrine, we distort a right view of Him. If in our song we misrepresent the Scriptures, we misrepresent the Savior. And if in our ministries we twist His truth, we dishonor His character. (2 Timothy 2:15) (DTTM: ditto, Carman-Resurrection Rap, dcTalk - Jesus Freak, Bride-Scarecrow Messiah, et. Al.)

32.Failure here is costly-for it is tantamount to breaking the third commandment: "do not take the name of the Lord God in vain." (Exodus 20:7)

41.Christian music, originally called Jesus Music, once fearlessly sang clearly about the gospel. Now it yodels of a Christ-less, watered-down, pabulum-based, positive alternative, aura-fluff, cream of wheat, mush-kind-of-syrupy, God-as-my-girlfriend kind of thing.

45.Christian music stands separate from the world’s music for by definition it is Christ-centered music. Even the style is not neutral and music in and of itself is not amoral, but it is "the incarnation of the message." (Horton) Both must honor and bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Chronicles 15:16)

46.Therefore, when Christian artists today take the old song of the world, dress it up, modify it and say that it now represents the person of Jesus Christ, a Christian message or describes the character of God, they fortuitously assault the gospel and diminish the gift that has been entrusted to them. This is inappropriate at best and sacrilegious at worst. We cannot pour new wine into old wineskins. (Psalm 137; Mark 2:22) (DTTM: ditto: dcTalk, Amy Grant, Point of Grace, Rez Band, Johnny Cash, Pat Boone, Holy Soldier, Jars of Clay, Mark Farner, MxPx, Petra, etc.)

74.The CCMI has committed spiritual adultery in joining itself with the wayward world in trying to forward the message of the gospel. This has and will prove to be fatal for Gospel music as we know it today. (Deuteronomy 32:22-24; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:5-8)

81.Satan’s number one assault on the church is to infiltrate with error. He doesn’t want to fight the church-he wants to join it. (John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:12-15; 1 Timothy 4:1)

82.Undicerning believers think it a profound ministry strategy to join forces with unregenerate people in forwarding the gospel. Unwittingly, they harness Jesus Christ, the Worthy One, with Belial or Satan, the worthless one, in an unholy alliance-the very essence of being unequally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:15)

83."Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone." (Hosea 4:17)

For the complete text of Steve Camp's "A Call for "Reformation in the Contemporary Christian Music Industry" and his "107 Theses"