“Worship’s New Power Structure”—Or a New Kind of Gatekeeping? A Global Reflection on the State of Worship in 2025
By Mufaro Chifamba I recently read RELEVANT Magazine’s thought-provoking article, “Inside Worship’s New Power Structure: How the Industry Has Quietly Shifted in 2025.” On the surface, it’s a fascinating breakdown of the shifting tides in the worship ecosystem—highlighting a departure from the era of the “Big Four” (Hillsong, Bethel Music, Elevation Worship, and Passion) and spotlighting new creative voices like Brandon Lake, who is emerging as a central figure in the current songwriting canon. And while I recognize the importance of tracking such movements and celebrating emerging contributors, I also feel compelled to offer a different lens—one that’s both reverent of history and bold enough to challenge today’s structures. Because beneath the surface, what’s being framed as “creative decentralization” is, in many ways, just a reshuffling of influence among a narrower circle. And what’s deeply troubling is what’s not mentioned: the legacy of past movements and the absence of gl...