Chris Cole was pleased and horrified with the latest issue of Cross Rhythms, as he explains.

Chris Cole

When I read the last issue of Cross Rhythms I was of the opinion that Tony Cummings and the voluntary editorial team had produced one of the best issues in the magazine's three-year history. I still hold that view. But I was also pretty devastated by an error that had crept into our report of Cross Rhythms '93 festival. Because of pressure of deadlines I'd telephoned through the copy to the harassed editorial team. In the process of getting my words onto the printed page one small, additional phrase that I never said was inserted into my piece. Now those readers who've read Cross Rhythms from the beginning will know that occasional typographical and subbing errors are part and parcel of the magazine. I personally don't think they're altogether a bad thing for at least they indicate the earthy reality of a ludicrously overstretched, under resourced, unpaid and overworked editorial team doing the impossible and putting together what has been called "probably the best Christian music magazine in the world." But with the Cross Rhythms festival report misquote I realised that a mere quip in Cross Currents would not rectify the problem.

On page 42 of issue 17 (Oct/Nov), it was reported that I said "...I genuinely believe that Cross Rhythms '94, Touching Glory, will be the greatest manifestation of God seen at any of BRITAIN'S festivals." I didn't say this in my original transcript. What I did say was "...I genuinely believe that Cross Rhythms '94, Touching Glory, will be the greatest manifestation of God seen at any of our CROSS RHYTHMS festivals." To my mind these statements are worlds apart in what they convey.

What greatly concerned me about the misquote was that it conveyed triumphalism and competitiveness. It may be argued that I'm being over sensitive, but I don't think so. What I was being represented as saying was extremely serious to me because I was declaring what I personally believed I was hearing from God. I take that kind of 'prophetic proclamation' very seriously. I have the spiritual and practical responsibility of stewarding the festival and I really sense an excitement in God that the '94 festival will see a greater outpouring of God's grace and spiritual gifts than in other previous years.

If this statement is 'prophetically' from God then it is important that it is conveyed accurately. It wasn't. As it reads now it conveys just the kind of competitiveness and inability to recognise what God is doing away from our particular corner of the vineyard that has continually beset churches and parachurch ministries. Let me here apologise unequivocally to any festival organiser who read the misquote. I am convinced that God's expression of his love and character is as real and valid at Greenbelt, Gosfest, Cross Fire, Kingston, Soul Survivor and every other festival as it is at our own. Any claim that God is going to show up in 'greater manifestation' at our festival than any other festival in England would be immature, arrogant and a totally divisive statement. For those of you who have attended our festival will know that there is a charismatic dimension which is very powerful. But the Cross Rhythms team have always recognised the danger in believing that God is ONLY present when his Holy Spirit gifts are being evidenced within his church. This attitude has already caused great division particularly between the charismatic and the conservative evangelical streams of the Church.

I believe God calls us to demonstrate the Christian faith, naturally, with the same fervour and example of biblical character as we are called to 'seek' God's spiritual gifts. Stewarding our finances and other resources correctly; being sensitive to others relationally; is of paramount importance. I've sadly often encountered believers who are keen on the supernatural giftings yet demonstrate awful blindness in terms of sensitivity to others. To look for the supernatural manifestation of God around every corner can sometimes be unbalanced. It is important that we understand that our motive for spiritual gifts should be founded on sincere love to see other people benefit from our giftings and not fuel insecure egos.

So what can we learn from this particular editorial mishap? When people are paid for doing a job an employer, in theory at least, is able to exert an effective accountability. Ministries motivated out of a commitment to God take time to develop a faithful accountability which produces the same so-called efficiency of paid employees. Are we excusing ourselves? I don't believe so. Cross Rhythms, whether through our magazine, festival or radio programmes, has an awesome responsibility to ensure that what we report, editorialise, review or critique is done with accuracy, character and accountability. If we're ever to see more Godly character developed among the musicians and Christian music industry then the onus is obviously on Cross Rhythms - as a chronicaller of Christian music in Britain -to lead by example. Shortly after issue 17 appeared and the problem of the misquote first surfaced the magazine received a letter from an irate musician complaining most vigorously about Tony Cummings' use of pseudonyms in the review section. Though one might object to its tone Tony has come to see that the letter had a point. Tony saw that pseudonyms were an ethically grey area and where possible should be avoided. So the pseudonyms (including the long notorious 'Tina Matthews') depart with this issue. Similarly on the radio front a year or so back I had to abandon a scheme whereby I would ask Christian organisations to make a small payment in return for having their services publicised on the Cross Rhythms radio programmes as such a scheme contravened ILR rules and was again an ethically grey area. I am grateful to God I was pulled up on the practice.

Arts and media has a huge potential for spiritual and ethical compromise. Not only do we have the potential idolatry of the creative process but we also have the whole marketing maze with its continual pull to forget ethics in the struggle to close down a sale. Cross Rhythms has said before that we must begin to see transparency in the body of Christ, the Christian music world, Cross Rhythms, you and me. Transparency means, when we blow it either by sin or inefficiency, we admit it. And if we have a public ministry that will probably mean admitting our wrong publically.

Another thing we can learn from the misquote is the danger of triumphalism fuelled by a competitive spirit. At the heart of Cross Rhythms is a desire to integrate and harmonise with those who are called to the ministry of sharing their Christian faith through music and the arts. The moment we become exclusive and give the impression that we have the full picture then we've lost it.

There's an expression much used within the Cross Rhythms office which says '...the Devil's in the detail...'. This is why Cross Rhythms needs to be vigilant, diligent and accountable about the things we write and broadcast, and when the Devil sneaks in and we mess up we should admit it. Let's hope and pray we can see more of this transparency in Britain's burgeoning Christian music scene. It would, I believe, begin to break down the protectiveness, PR-driven dishonesty and competitiveness that can so easily entangle all of us who work in arts and media. There are some very encouraging signs around with genuine discussions taking place amongst those who are deeply involved with Christian music and the arts to seriously start to listen and perhaps work together more effectively. The National Day Of Prayer for Christian Music on January 22nd is a sign of what could be achieved in the future. We have to battle self-interest and competitiveness. We need to trust God for his faithfulness and get back to the motive of why we're in this industry-cum-ministry in the first place. As far as Cross Rhythms is concerned it's for Jesus Christ. There is no other reason.