Musical Leadership in Worship Ministry
Leadership in worship ministry requires multifaceted gifts and abilities to effectively accomplish all that is entailed with this high calling. Working with people and managing artistic temperaments while organizing and coordinating vast amounts of information are all part of the weekly responsibilities for those in worship leadership. When additional characteristics such as creative expression and biblical knowledge are considered, you begin to understand why there is such a high turnover in worship leadership in many churches.
Pastoral leadership and organizational leadership are both worthy of further study, but for the purpose of this short discussion I am going to focus on the aspect of musical leadership in worship ministry. While worship ministry overall contains many more areas of liturgical consideration other than music, music still at the core of the mission. If we can strengthen our leadership in this area, it will serve us well as give more attention to the other important aspects of ministry that flow from the direction of the worship leadership.
The first source of knowledge when considering music and worship ministry is to look at the Bible. Music and musicians are referenced in the Bible in several areas, but as far as leadership, one name stands apart. “Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful” (1 Chronicles 15:22). In this short verse, we recognize two things immediately. First, there was a leader of the musicians and secondly, Chenaniah was chosen to be the leader because he was skillful. It is a good thing to be skilled at your craft.
For those seeking to be in leadership in worship ministry, partnered with growth in biblical knowledge and discernment, should be a growth in the skill and talents with which you seek to serve. The psalms are filled with directions to the musicians, referencing musical concepts and instruments before the texts. Implicit in these directions is an understanding that the musicians have prior knowledge and competency to accomplish what is set forth. Another consideration found in the psalms is a direction to “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 140:1). In order for the people of God to be able to raise a new song in worship, someone has to be able to play and produce new music. We should not be content with only the old ways of praise, but as an act of worship we should constantly working on new ways to tell the story of God’s redemption. This cannot be done if our music leaders are not capable of growing and learning themselves. The people cannot go where the leader won’t take them.
Another consideration for music in worship leadership is the practical aspect. To lead well in music in a worship setting normally means that there has been a considerable amount of practice and preparation behind the scenes. How can you best prepare your volunteer musicians to succeed? By giving them the tools, time, and training to offer their very best. Well-planned rehearsals with appropriate instruction and correction reap benefits not just weekly in a worship service, but have a cumulative effect over time. Getting your music organized and passed out before a rehearsal may not be a direct command in the Scriptures, but it is a very practical way to honor your band members who are showing up after already working a full day at the office. A strong leader shows respect to their musical team by giving them the practical essentials to maximize their talents as they seek to honor the Lord.
A final consideration for the utilization of music in worship leadership is the philosophical aspect. A worship ministry does not only seek to provide an avenue to facilitate the worship of God’s people, strong worship leadership also seeks for their participants to be conformed to the image of Christ. How does this happen? By being filled with the Spirit and letting the Word of Christ dwell richly within us through our songs. The combination of this life changing truth imparted through the beauty and artistry of music is a powerful dynamic, both for the worship of God and the unity of the Church.
When I sing among others, I hear a voice that is both mine and not mine, a voice that is both in and outside of me. I hear my voice and your voice — and this third thing — our voices together: a sound which has properties which belong to neither your voice nor to my voice alone, but one that is nevertheless shaped and takes its substance from the individual voices comprising it.[1]
An awareness of the power of this spiritual and social aspect, combined with excellent musical skills and practical organization will prepare those interested in worship leadership for many years of fruitful ministry at the direction of the Lord.
[1] Steven R. Guthrie, “The Wisdom of Song,” in Resonant Witness: Conversations between Music and Theology, ed. Jeremy S. Begbie and Steven R. Guthrie (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011), 399.
