Senior Pastors, how’s your Worship Pastor doing?
I coach young leaders, particularly on the worship, production, and communications side of things. Here’s what I see..
Worship Pastors are moving into their roles at ever younger ages. Part of the problem is that they are often hired with an overwhelming focus on the musical side of what they do. They can sing well – sometimes incredibly – so there’s a desire to let those gifts loose in the church (and many times they definitely SHOULD be let loose). They are brought on to the team, and the quality of music goes WAY up. Notice, though, that I said “music” and not “worship.”
The problem? There may be several. First off, being a great singer does not make you a great leader – or a great pastor. A worship team is a TEAM – a group of individuals brought together to get something done. The young leader may be a leader in name only at this point – they have never actually led anything. They are going to need help and/or a plan to grow in this skillset.
Secondly, they may have great intentions, but very limited theological background. Helping them to understand the ramifications of the worship music they select is critical. Notice that I said the music THEY select. It is your job to help them to grow and mature in this area, not to do their job for them. That being said, there are times when it’s a good idea to have the worship leader run song choices past someone with more theological training, gradually giving more independence as their level of experience and understanding goes up.
Lastly, this may be their first real job. They haven’t yet learned how to navigate the dynamics of being part of a church staff, that people (even in the church) aren’t always friendly and supportive, and that real change takes time and sustained effort. This can actually be very traumatic, as many of them feel betrayed or unsupported by the very churches that preach Christ-likeness. Some of this is inevitable – a hard truth of humankind is that we often don’t grow until we experience pain. But – as a senior leader – it’s your job to walk beside them, offering a mixture of compassion and accountability. Help them to see that every failure isn’t fatal and that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
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