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Is Elevation Worship Christian?

Name: GodlyScore Review: Is Elevation Worship Christian?
Item: Elevation Worship
Rating: 3.6
Author: GodlyScore

Elevation Worship is the worship music ministry of Elevation Church, a megachurch based in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. They have produced some of the most-sung worship songs in contemporary Christianity — 'Graves Into Gardens,' 'O Come to the Altar,' 'Rattle!,' 'Same God,' and many others.

GODLY

Elevation Worship

Spiritually Safe

★★★★☆3.6/5 · GodlyScore 72/100

Musically excellent worship music that is widely used in churches globally. The Elevation Church/Steven Furtick connection raises concerns for some Christians — Furtick has faced criticism for prosperity-adjacent theology, lack of church accountability, and some concerning sermon moments. The worship music itself is broadly sound. 72/100 Spiritually Safe.

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The Music: Excellent and Widely Used

Elevation Worship's songs have become some of the most-sung in Protestant churches globally. "Graves Into Gardens," "O Come to the Altar," and "Rattle!" appear in church setlists across denominational lines. The musical quality is high and the lyrical content is broadly theologically sound for most songs — centered on Christ, the cross, and resurrection.

The Elevation Church / Steven Furtick Concern

Elevation Church and Pastor Steven Furtick have attracted significant criticism from Reformed and broader evangelical theologians. Specific concerns include: prosperity-adjacent preaching, a lack of traditional church accountability structures (Furtick selects his own elders), some sermon moments with unusual theological claims about Jesus, and a cult-of-personality dynamic common in megachurch settings.

Furtick has been defended by many evangelicals as theologically within bounds despite stylistic concerns. The debate is ongoing. See Elevation Church overview.

Practical Guidance

Using Elevation Worship songs in church or personal worship is different from attending Elevation Church or consuming Furtick's sermons. Many theologically careful churches use Elevation Worship music while maintaining discernment about Elevation's broader ministry. Families should distinguish between the worship music (broadly sound) and the institutional church context (warrants discernment).

Find Elevation Worship's music at Elevation Worship official site.

The GodlyScore Discernment Framework

GodlyScore evaluates media and public figures across nine biblical signal categories: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:26-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed. Score: 72/100 Spiritually Safe.

Further Resources

See our Biblical Discernment Guide for the complete methodology. GotQuestions and the Gospel Coalition provide thorough evangelical analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Elevation Worship Christian?

72/100 Spiritually Safe. Musically excellent worship music widely used in churches — broadly theologically sound. The Elevation Church/Steven Furtick connection raises concerns about prosperity-adjacent theology and accountability structures. Distinguish the worship music (appropriate) from the church institution (warrants discernment).

Is Steven Furtick a false teacher?

Furtick has been criticized by Reformed theologians for specific sermon moments and theological tendencies. Whether he is categorically a false teacher is debated. He is not in the category of prosperity gospel teachers like Kenneth Copeland. Discernment rather than categorical condemnation is appropriate.