From it's beginnings in 1899, OBI has held daily chapel worship. Today, any visitor to OBI's Friday chapel services will discover something different from the other daily worship services: a full worship service of contemporary praise and worship music. Friday "Praise and Worship" has become the highest rated part of any school year.
Campus Minister Michael Spencer has watched P&W develop at OBI over his ten years leading chapel worship. In 1992, he asked Dr. Moore for permission to add an occasional day of singing only worship choruses to the monthly chapel schedule. Dr. Moore approved, and Spencer picked up his guitar and began to teach worship choruses to the students.
"I knew many of these songs from my years in youth ministry," Spencer said, "and the students knew many from their churches, so in just a few months, we had a large collection of worship songs memorized." Spencer added other musicians and singers, but it was the addition of Mark and Judy Palmieri that really made a difference.
Spencer recalled that "The Palmieri's were gifted musicians and singers, with genuine gifts in worship leadership. By 1995, our kids probably knew a hundred songs, and they wanted to sing them all the time." Bus trips, athletic outings, even free class time found students singing their favorite worship choruses.
When the Palmieri's left in 1999, Spencer was concerned that P&W would take a big step backward, but soon other staff stepped in. "John Saldaris, our boy's dean and David Jaspersen, our work program director, took the main responsibility, and things kept rolling," Spencer said. Other musicians and singers were added over the years, including several students.
Today, the Praise and Worship team is known as "Commit," and is made up of John Saldaris, David Jaspersen, Angela Roberts, Missy Underwood, Tim Cochran, Chris Kendrick, Lance and Sheri Nutter, and James Rouse. All these staff and students have many other areas of responsibility, but they give time each week to rehearsal for Friday.
Is Praise and Worship controversial at OBI, like at so many churches? "I think some of our staff struggled with not using hymns on that day, but we sing hymns four days a week and Sunday morning. And, yes, it is a bit loud for some people, but I remind them our daily worship is really for the students most of all. But the majority of our staff enjoys the music and participates." Dr. Underwood enjoys the music, Spencer noted. "I think he enjoys singing those songs as much as anyone there."
Spencer noted that he is personally more "of a hymns guy than a P&W guy, but I remember that our work is evangelism, and this music is helpful in introducing basic ideas to non-Christians." He noted that on the days Chapel is given over to hymn requests, there are hundreds of hands raised with favorite hymns to request. "It's not an either-or thing with the students. Those who know the hymns love them, too."
"When students leave OBI, they always say that they miss chapel. I think Friday P&W has enhanced the whole ministry we have to students who have never been in church, or who are away from their home church."