On Wednesday 21 January 2015 many people within protestant Christianity began buzzing over an article stating that a founder of Newsboys has embraced atheism. It is sad that George Perdikis has come to this decision in his life, but we need to be careful to not overreact to his recent confession. Here are some things to consider:
- He was a founder who did not stay with the band long. In fact, at best he was part of the band for 4-5 years according to this chart. A band that has been around 30 years. So while he was a founding member his long-term influence over the band is only a fraction of its overall influence.
- Also, a lot of the songs people know and love he may not have had a directly influenced. Even if he did it does not nullify the faith and intentions of the other band members over the course of time. For example, most often we remember the voice of Peter Furler singing classic Newboys songs. We don’t remember Perdikis who was a guitarist for only 4-5 years.
- The current members of Newsboys (Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein, and Michael Tait) have no influence from him except for the band’s name. In fact, all of the current band members were not even original members.
- Remember, God can redeem anything for His benefit. So no matter the intention or outcome of any band member, past or present, the Newsboys have been a blessing to many. They will likely continue to be.
- Lastly, we need to be careful to not overreact. Yes, there are lessons to be learned and it’s a travesty he views God this way. But let’s not discredit the current band members for what one founder has stated. Especially one who was not a longterm member of the group.
In contrast, there have been many negative responses from the Christian community. However, some basic research shows that is does not condemn what current or past band members have done. This is mention because one author ranted about how many Christian musicians are gifted, but really spiritually immature. With respect to that individual, I think that is an overly broad generalization of modern Christian music. Also, it is a rush to judgment that does not discredit the current members of the band who are putting out some of their best music and lyrics yet.
In conclusion, I share these basic thoughts on Newsboys from some quick research I was able to obtain. Again, its sad that Perdikis has embraced atheism, but given his experiences and motivations mentioned in the article it does make sense. That said, if you still enjoy Newboys both past and present you can still continue to enjoy them and their songs. Remember, one member does not invalidate the good work of many other band members who had the best of Christian intentions. Oh, and God’s not dead!
