I'm not going to lie here, I'm both surprised ... and not.
I am a staunch advocate of modern worship styles, and all genres that fall under that umbrella, from contemporary to Taize to African and Latin styles ... It's all good to me - when done well, and when used to actively help the congregation get after the heart of Christ. As opposed to the heart of the worship leader.
I think maybe our larger mega churches might be realizing that they have an authenticity problem on their hands, hiring extremely talented musicians and song writers with no real training in worship leadership. No real training in Bible study. And probably not a whole lot of skill at communicating with a pastor in helping communicate the message for the week. All while building their own album-launching platforms.
That's why I'm not surprised at the trend this author is pointing out ... Though, I'd love to see some real data!
But why am I surprised? The trend for a while has been flash over substance in worship. The more secular the better, the more hipster the better. I realize I'm saying that as a mostly hipster-looking pastor, but hopefully you know what I mean.
On the other hand, to my worship leader friends - go and get yourself that $100k job!
What do you think?