Why the Church Needs Christian Artists Again: Reclaiming Creativity as a Holy Calling

Allison Bryant
Jun 10
4 min read

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." – Isaiah 9:2

This verse hides a very simple, yet profound word: “seen.” God’s presence can be seen, visually, by those walking in darkness. They recognize it when they see it. This is very true in the realm of the arts.

Over the past 100+ years, something precious has quietly slipped away from the life of the Western church: an embrace of the arts as a vital expression of faith. While churches have often excelled in music and worship leading, the broader visual and creative arts—the painters, sculptors, poets, storytellers—have slipped into the realm of the anti-faith, relativistic atheistic domain.

Yet the church needs artists again. Not as mere decorators or occasional entertainers, but as worshipers and witnesses who reflect God’s glory through the creativity He has given to them.

The Disconnect: Why Has the Church Lost Its Artistic Voice?

The Sacred-Secular Divide

For too long, the church has treated art as something either “worldly” or “decorative.” Art became a secondary concern, separated from theology. The assumption grew that preaching, teaching, and evangelism were the core of ministry, while creativity was a frivolous extra.

This mindset traces back, in part, to the Protestant Reformation. As reformers broke away from the Catholic Church, they rightly challenged the corruption and excesses that had crept into ecclesial life—but in doing so, many also rejected the church’s rich artistic traditions. Ornate cathedrals, iconography, and sacred imagery were viewed not only as unnecessary distractions but as potential idols, symbols of a decadent and misguided spirituality. The result was a new emphasis on simplicity—plain churches, unadorned walls, and a focus on the spoken word. While this shift protected core doctrines and elevated Scripture, it also unintentionally stripped the church of its visual language for glory, mystery, and transcendence. The arts were no longer seen as vessels for truth or worship, but as indulgent or even dangerous, allowing them to be ceded a culture who openly rejects God. This suspicion of beauty has lingered in many Protestant traditions ever since, leaving generations of artists spiritually homeless in their own churches.

This divide echoes a larger cultural separation between faith and culture: when the Western world began to embrace progressivism, relativism, and the ultimate rebellion against objective truths, the church rejected the artwork produced by those movements, and therefore separated itself from the arts altogether. But creativity is fundamental to our image-bearing nature—we are made in the image of a creative God (Genesis 1:1), designed to reflect His glory not only in word and deed but also in beauty.

Why Art Is Essential to the Church’s Mission Today

1. Art Reveals Spoken Truths in New Ways

The Bible itself is full of imagery, poetry, metaphor, and narrative—forms that engage the imagination and heart as much as the intellect. Christian artists bring these biblical truths to life visually and experientially, helping people see and feel the gospel in new, powerful ways.

When words fail, images, music, and story can penetrate deeper, stirring transformation in places logic alone cannot reach.

2. Creativity Is a Form of Worship and Witness

The creative process mirrors God’s own work of creation. When Christians create, they participate in the divine act of bringing order, beauty, and meaning out of chaos.

Artists help the church witness to a world desperate for hope, beauty, and transcendence. Their work proclaims that God is not distant or silent but active, loving, and gloriously present.

3. Art Can Speak Into the Deepest Hurts and Hopes

Especially in at-risk or in-need communities, art becomes a powerful tool to express pain, hopelessness, and longing for redemption. The arts can reach across a cultural divide and bridge a gap; rather than bringing the people to the pews, it brings the presence of God to the people, exactly where they are. The church needs artists who can give voice to these realities with both honesty and hope—inviting healing and restoration.

How the Church Can Reclaim and Support Artistic Calling

1. Recognize Creativity as a Gift from God

Artistic talent is not just a hobby or a side project. Talent in every area of our spiritual walk is gifted by God, and therefore is a valuable outreach in the church’s toolbox. Christians can begin by viewing their artistic talents as more than a worldly side-hustle, but as an ordained calling by God, intended for the edification of the saints and the glory of Jesus Christ.

2. Create Spaces Where Art and Faith Can Intersect

Whether it’s a gallery in the church, art workshops, creative worship experiences, or community mural projects, the church should intentionally make room for God-centered creativity to flourish in worship, education, and outreach.

3. Encourage Artistic Excellence and Theological Depth

Art that truly glorifies God reflects both beauty and truth. The church should encourage artists to pursue mastery of their craft and deep engagement with Scripture and theology—both are necessary to create art that points beyond itself to the majesty of God.

Conclusion: A Call to Embrace the Christian Artists Among Us

The church is the body of Christ, made up of many members with different, God-given gifts. Artists are members of that body, called to reflect God’s majesty through their creative work. When the church embraces and nurtures these gifts, as we are called to embrace each spiritual talent, we are not only reclaiming a fullness of worship and witness, but also reclaiming beauty and creativity as it belongs to God.

The Majesty Project exists to restore this sacred calling—to bring art back into the heart of faith, especially where it’s needed most. Let us, as the church, welcome our artists with open arms and encourage them in their calling, so that through their creativity, God’s kingdom may break into the brokenness of our world with beauty, truth, and hope.