NEVILLE CALLAM from the

General Secretary

Copyright, Copy left & From its earliest years, the church has displayed

awareness of its obligation to share with each other God-given resources that are meant for the

well-being of all. Not surprisingly, we have the example of the Macedonian Christians (2 Corinthians 8:1-7) and the challenge that Paul gave to the church in Colossae (Colossians 4:16).

When it comes to worship resources, and especially hymnody, globalization has contributed significantly to the church retreating from the prized tradition of freely resourcing one another. The ownership of creative projects is increasingly regarded as a means to enrich oneself. We are in danger of a culture based on buying and selling, instead of voluntary sharing, dominating our use of songs and other worship resources. Many writers, performers, publishers and others have recognized and seized the opportunity provided by the commodification of creative output that is part and parcel of the movement for the protection of intellectual property. Some song writers engage in their craft as a means of livelihood and it would be unreasonable to expect that they should be deprived of the benefits that come from their work. Meanwhile, in some contexts, those who compose songs for use in the worship life of the church regard this primarily as an opportunity to share a gift they have received with the community of faith without any thought of material reward. Often, they refuse to have their names associated with their composition, which they regard as belonging to the communities in which they live and serve. If others desire to sing their songs, these writers are encouraged by this development. They believe that what the Holy Spirit enables them to create is thereby put to the service of God, the author of all positive human endowments. These writers estimate the value of their work in more than merely monetary terms.

It seems to me that, while it is only fair to allow the copyrighting of some worship material, based especially on the circumstances of those who create the material, churches have an obligation to lend their support to the free sharing of worship resources as a sign of their understanding of the responsible stewardship this represents. While ensuring that it does not infringe copyright rules, the church should refuse to hold up the culture of copyright enforcement as an unquestioned virtue. The most shameful exhibition of the commodification of songs of the Christian community form monetary gain is the unfair transfer of songs from the Global South to the North. It is unfortunate that some persons go to communities where certain creative products emerge, regarded as belonging to the whole community, reduced these to written forms, secured copyright protection, and raked in monetary rewards for what are essentially stolen goods. Even the original creators of some songs must secure permission for the use of their own works in the churches where they worship. Over the last six years, some gifted creators of worship resources such as Christopher Ellis, Nathan Nettleton, Paul Sheppy, Myra Blythe, Jennifer Davidson and Samson Ayokunle were prepared to develop and share with the entire Baptist World Alliance® family, free of charge, resources we have used in the celebration of BWA Day. What a noble example they provide!

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Churches need to encourage more providers of

worship resources to create and provide “copyleft” material, that is, material that can be reproduced, distributed and used without charge, provided there is no financial gain associated with the dissemination and use of the material.

Another option for worship resource creators is securing Creative Commons licenses for their works, thereby identifying how others may use their works in corporate worship without having to make financial payments, but also without gaining material advantage from the process. One could also contribute to Internet databases with worship resources that are freely available – such as www. feautor.org; www.cyberhymnal.org; and www.selah. com.ar.

Let us never forget that God is the ultimate source

of the creativity reflected in our artistic works. When we make the products we create freely available for use in the worship community, we are making a statement about the relation of charity and Christian stewardship. This statement runs counter to the values that are rooted in globalization and the culture of competition, based on market considerations. Creators of literary and artistic works are entitled to the material interests resulting from their works, as Article 27 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states. However, this declaration does not proscribe a culture of voluntary sharing that may spring from a strong sense of our indebtedness to God. After all, it is God who liberally gives us the endowments that enable us to contribute lavishly to the corporate worship life of the church.

Worship