Someone in amen's church was uncomfortable with a pastor who screams. He doesn't think screaming is a sin. He gave it up anyway.
Caleb makes music as amen, and he is on staff full time at his church as a pastor. When the call came, he didn't ask who had raised it or what they said. "All I needed to know is that they were uncomfortable with the fact that I would be in the pulpit." He told us he would have rather never made another song again than lose the ability to pastor the people in that church. Then he tried yelling instead of screaming, and that got him called into a second meeting. What his pastor told him in that room is the rest of the episode.
This is Caleb's second time on the show. amen is a Christian metal project built on scripture, and he told us it turns one year old on October 8. He says he is too Christian for metal and too metal for Christians, and that both sides have a problem with what he does. He also says the conviction was never his: "I do not think the screaming's wrong. I was just trying to be obedient to the other person's conviction."
Stay to the end. Caleb prays for the church and the metal scene to act like one body.
ABOUT THE FORGIVEN
The Forgiven is a community and ministry for artists making heavy music for Jesus. We share their music, tell their stories, pray with them and support the work God has placed in their hands.
The show is hosted by Bill Branstetter, creator of Out of the Depths (a project setting every Psalm to metal, word for word), and Kate Nardone, host of Rock of Ages on AscendFM.
Explore every episode, meet the artists and shop The Forgiven:
https://theforgiven.co
Hear amen and more emerging Christian rock and metal:
https://theforgiven.co/playlist
CHAPTERS
0:00 A call about the screaming
1:33 Why his congregation is not every congregation
2:19 Is screaming a sin? Paul and the weaker brother
3:21 Why the stronger conscience gives way
4:40 The local church comes first
5:33 What it cost him to lay it down
6:46 He tried yelling instead
8:01 Where do you draw the line? Tattoos in the pulpit
9:54 Stop screaming and stay, or leave the church?
10:30 The final meeting
12:04 "Caleb, are you still screaming?"
13:32 What his pastor told him
15:59 The weight lifted
16:48 Too Christian for metal, too metal for Christians
17:09 "This conviction is not mine"
18:52 Sleep Token shirts and the image
19:51 Christianity is sacrifice
20:10 Revelation 2 and his first love
20:53 Elijah's cave, or keep going
21:59 Kate: let the loudest voice be the Father's
24:04 Bridging the local church and the metal scene
25:16 An apology for his first video
27:16 Caleb prays
FOLLOW
amen: https://www.instagram.com/music.amen/
Bill Branstetter: https://www.instagram.com/outofthedepthsmusic/
Kate Nardone: https://www.instagram.com/radiohostkatehartnardone/
#amen #ChristianMetal #ScriptureMetal #TheForgiven