More and more, churches are turning toward contemporary worship during their Sunday services, and tuning out the time honored sounds of the sanctuary.
Pipe Organist James Asmus says his church has two different services, one with contemporary worship and one with the classic Pipe Organs. "Now we have the 8:00 traditional service, which the organ is used entirely for that service. And the 10:30 service we do have a praise team, which uses a number of guitars."
Pipe Organs have ruled the Christian realm for centuries. But now, to the dismay of organists like James Asmus, the beautiful instruments are hard to find.
"There's nothing like a pipe organ. You can't get anything better beyond that. There's a lot of electronic organs that simulate a Pipe Organ but the real thing is the best," Asmus said.
Asmus has played since he was a young boy and he doesn't plan to stop as long as he can find the pipes.
"I don't know what it is, there's just a drawing, a calling for me to keep on playing. It's a passion to me," Asmus said.
Unfortunately for him, most of the large Pipe Organ builders have closed shop. Now to get the rare instruments churches have to seek out small manufacturers to have them custom made.
"With Clavenovas you can simulate the sound of a Pipe Organ, and it's cheaper obviously," Asmus said.
Pipe Organs are a tough sell for churches moving toward contemporary worship.
Most churches leave the instruments out of their construction plans completely because it's so hard to find organists and tuners.
"We have a tuner that comes from South Dakota, he comes twice a year," Asmus said.
According to the International Organ Foundation there's only 2,032 Pipe Organs left in the U.S. That number makes up 25% of Pipe Organs left world wide.
While here in the U.S. the popularity is declining, these instruments continue to play a key role in Roman Catholic and Protestant Parishes, a role Asmus wishes U.S. churches would revive.
"I could just never get tired of it," Asmus said.
