Shaun Groves
There was a time when the typical church music minister was overworked. That’s not as common today.
In the olden days (aka my childhood) the music minister oversaw at least one choir, conducted midweek and Sunday morning rehearsals. There were elaborately produced programs every Christmas and Easter. As a teen I was in youth choir. The music minister led our rehearsals on Sunday evenings, took us to competitions and on Summer trips, put together a couple of musicals every year.
In addition to all these duties, the music minister was also expected to be at staff meetings and to visit a portion of the hospitalized and homebound.
A music minister had at least 40 hours of work to get done every week – and sometimes much more. But that’s not always the case anymore.
Church Music Is Simpler
Many churches today have abandoned choirs and orchestras for “praise bands” and a handful of vocalists. Gone are the Christmas and Easter productions too. Leading a band is less time consuming, requiring fewer hours of preparation and likely fewer volunteers to lead and serve. When a church shifts its musical style to simpler and smaller, is there really enough work for a full-time music minister to do every week?
Financial Priorities
And then weigh the salary of a full-time music minister against the most pressing needs of the community. According to payscale.com the range of music minister pay is $14,813 to $61,035 with the median salary being $30,483. With the median church in the U.S. having 75 participants on Sunday morning, that’s a large financial burden for a few people to bear. Does your church or community have an unmet need that is a higher priority to Jesus than music? Could $30,483 help meet that need?
My Experience
I never second guessed that a full-time paid music minister was essential to doing church well until… When it came time to fill our church’s music minister position several years ago, we were meeting in an elementary school cafeteria. The school district repeatedly raised our rent. We realized that soon it would be more expensive to meet there than to build a modest building on land we already owned.
Our church served hundreds in our community through a family assistance center we launched, providing them with groceries, but there was talk of expanding those services to include job training, financial counseling and literacy classes in the future. We couldn’t do that at a school. A building would also provide space for a preschool – our little city’s largest demographic being a three year-old.
But we were a church of around 300 active participants every Sunday. To get out of the school, into a building, and launch such ambitious services for our community would require not only generosity but frugality.
So we didn’t hire a full-time music minister. I stepped in as the volunteer leader of worship leaders. This saved our church a lot of money over the last few years. Preschool in our new building starts next week.
Here’s a post detailing the all-volunteer system in place at our church instead of a full-time paid music minister. Lots of detail.
Cari says:
I Cannot wait for this series, Shaun! We have made such headway since you visited our church in March, but I am so in need of this check in at the beginning of the year! Thank you!
Shaun Groves says:
I’d love to hear how it’s going for you guys. Shoot me an email any time.
Melissa Jones says:
I’ll be very interested to see what y’all have done. Our church still has some choirs and still does the Christmas and Easter productions. I certainly don’t see us firing our current music pastor. But when he moves on on his own (hopefully at God’s distinct leading)? I see us greatly altering that role.
We’re already facing some issues simply by increasing the number of services at our church to include one on Saturday night. As the daughter of a full-time music minister, I heartily applauded the staff in telling those who were interested in starting the service that they were welcome to do so, but that the paid staff would _not_ be involved. But at the same time, the Saturday evening service has frequently been treated like the church’s red-headed step-child. I don’t think it’s on purpose or malicious….but the paid staff doesn’t seem to remember those that I consider to be “volunteer staff” and/or “lay staff” (I count myself as one of those as I lead the music at the Saturday service, often as the sole “stage” musician, but certainly as the sole organizer/leader of the music). It doesn’t seem to remember this service that they don’t participate in. As a result, we are often excluded from “church-wide” emphases among other things that each sound piddly until you put them all together and see the death by 1,000 paper cuts.
I’ll be interested to see how you include the needs/interests/concerns of the lay/volunteer “staff” if they don’t come to the regular staff meetings. Or do you arrange staff meetings so people with non-church jobs can attend too?
I’m also curious to see if you deal with some of your volunteer/lay staff being female which are “supervised” (or whatever you want to call it) by a male who is not their husband? The Saturday evening pastor (who works full-time elsewhere) has no trouble grabbing lunch every week or two with the senior pastor. I, on the other hand, have MUCH more trouble sitting down with our paid music guy (and rightly so).
Having grown up the child of full-time church staff, I’ve always been interested in how church groups do things – either the technical aspects of hardware/software or the managerial aspects like you’re talking here. Like I said. Looking forward to this conversation!
Tracy Edwards says:
I have so many thoughts running through my head on this!!! I will simply say, at this point, that it takes a special leader to use a volunteer music minister (or whatever title you want to place on that person) and still be mindful of the time they are spending at the church. It can quickly lead to being taken advantage of, in my opinion, and experience.
Shaun Groves says:
Agreed. I touch on that a little in the next post..which epic in length.
I feel trusted and empowered, not only to lead and make important decisions but to say no. I’ve never spent more than 5 hours in week volunteering in this role. And I know that’s rare.
Roger says:
How very sad when a church no longer considers a “MINISTER” of music to be needed. Just think of the lives that a fulltime minister of music touches, both within the music groups, the congregation, and the community at large. Just think of the amount of spiritual teaching which has been done through the efforts of a fulltime minister of music.
It seems that many churches today are more interested in a light, “what’s easy” approach to “ministry?” than they are to developing and grounding people in the things of God…..which includes developing the average church member’s God-given gifts of music. How sad. How very, very, sad indeed.
Shaun Groves says:
Roger, you’ve inferred quite a bit from what I’ve written here. Please judge only the written words not the presumed motivations behind them.
Lives can be “touched” and skills can be developed without a full-time salaried music minister. My wife educates three of our four kids while doing a zillion other things that are essential to our survival and health as a family. She’s not paid for that. But she’s still touching lives and developing skills.
It’s a false dichotomy that we either pay full-time ministers or no ministry happens. There was no full-time salaried music minister in the first Century Jerusalem church that grew to many times the size of the largest mega church in the U.S. today. Yet there were lives touched and plenty of development took place.
To say another approach to music ministry is possible (and probably helpful in many churches) is not to devalue music ministry or the great good that has come from decades of full-time music ministers. Switching to email doesn’t mean fax machines are bad and nothing good ever came of them – it’s simply a different way. Not a way that’s best for all people in all circumstances at all times, but for some. Maybe even most.
Shaun Groves says:
I rarely get negative feedback on blog posts. I choose not to write stuff that riles people up unnecessarily. But I’ve gotten some disagreement in my inbox from people kind enough not to take me to task publicly.
I really don’t mind at all if you want to publicly disagree with me here – without saying anything bad about my mama. Keep it kind and we can have a great conversation.
The pushback so far has been fro music ministers. Their concerns can be put into two camps.
1. You don’t appreciate music ministers. That’s disappointing.
2. Hey! Some churches still need music ministers, pal!
So let me address each quickly.
1. I appreciate music ministers. I am one. I’m just not paid. That doesn’t keep me from appreciating music ministers of all kinds though.
2. I think I made it clear in the opening paragraphs that there are still churches with robust music programs today capable of keeping a full-time music minister busy for 40 hours each week…or more. And I make it clear that IF a church can’t keep their music minister busy for 40 hours each week (and a praise band won’t) then perhaps he or she shouldn’t be a full-time employee. That’s fair right?
Now, if there’s a sentence in this post that made you think I don’t appreciate music ministers or that I don’t think any churches need a full-time music minister, let me know. Leave a comment and I’ll fix it. But my guess is the offense isn’t at what I’ve actually written but at what some people fear I meant.
Josh Kelley says:
I really appreciated this article. I read recently that the first position a church wants to hire other than the Senior Pastor is a worship leader. I know of a church that had a worship pastor who refused to do any other ministries other than music.
I lead worship in our church. I am full-time, but I serve at least three roles in our church. I am the Asst. Pastor and Youth Pastor as well as the Worship Pastor. With churches becoming more and more contemporary, there is not really a need for a single role worship pastor in a smaller church. I do believe that worship pastors should be ministers in other areas as well. If they are just band members and song leaders, they do not need to be paid for this.
Then again, if people don’t mind fleecing the congregation…
Shaun Groves says:
Ouch. Not sure about that last line but…
Good to have another music minister here to back up what I’m suggesting. I was starting to feel like I was on a planet all by myself. Thanks, Josh.
Matthew McMahon says:
Definitely not on your own planet here. I’m wearing all three(?) hats you describe, and probably only two of them well. Using your terminology, I’m the worship admin and worship leader, getting paid for the equivalent of 8 hrs/week. Most of my time outside of Sunday morning is spent on preparing the Powerpoint and service roadmap, checking the arrangements (typically custom arrangements which are reused each time, so I don’t have to do too much week-to-week – I cancelled SongSelect because I’m picky and found myself making so many modifications) and following up with the week’s volunteers to make sure they can come and are prepared. I’d like to do more, but my day job puts a hard limit on how much time I can devote to it.
I’m only doing a weak job at this point of 1) facilitating the volunteers who fill in for me when I need to leave town and 2) developing/discipling my team members. You’ve identified several procedural barriers to growing and improving our team, and I thank you for that.
Patrick says:
The answer to your question is, unequivocally, yes.
Now, if your question is “Does Your Church Need a Paid Music Minister?” The answer is vastly different.
There is also the question “Does Your Church that Is Not Located within Ten Miles of a University Full of Music Majors and/or in Davidson, Williamson, Sumner, Cheatham or Rutherford County in Tennessee Need a Paid Music Minister?” which is yet a different answer.
Shaun Groves says:
I do think musicians are more scarce the farther you get from music cities, but I grew up in Tyler, Texas. Not a music city. 90 miles from a major city. And we had some great musicians. Still do.
So, while I empathize? I don’t think you’re off the hook if your church is in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. ; )
I’m the only professional musician at our church. Our other musicians didn’t move to Nashville to be musicians either. They work as moms, teachers, electricians, salesmen, IT guys, web designers. These are not session players. They go to larger churches in trendier neighborhoods. ; )
And let’s say you don’t have the talent to pull off an all-vounteer music ministry (I think that’s what you’re saying). There’s still the question of whether or not your music minister is really busy for 40 hours every week. If he’s not? Ain’t that stealing? So, maybe you don’t go all-volunteer but he goes bi-vocational?
Thomas Dalke says:
In Old Testament King David went to great pains to not only to developed musical instruments for God’s praise, but also he set in order entire ranks of Levites who were skilled in creating and playing and performing worship music to do just that; for that was an essential element of Levite service, both early on and in the latter house of God (consider 1 Chr. 23:1-5, vs. 5, 23:30; 2 Chr. 7:6; 8:14) and throughout the Kingdom era (consider 2 Chr. 20:18-24 and King Jehoshaphat’s unparallel victory over the enemies of Israel; or Nehemiah and Ezra’s and the returned exiles rededication at the rebuilding and completion of the rebuilt Temple, Ezra 3:10-11; where again praise according to the ordinances of King David was kept Nehemiah 12:24; 12:46). That then is worship of God on the “grand scale” where both the resources and the manpower are available to do just that. And thus that model of an individual/s being separated for that specific purpose of creating and or leading worship music of God still has an application today.
In the N.T however as Shaun rightly points out we have a much more “grass roots” approach. Now without delving into all of the reasons for this, essentially because there was a change in the covenant by which we are brought into a personal relationship with God (through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ, and thus our trusting Him as having paid for all of our sins by His having done so, and thus His work, and His Righteous alone as making us right in the sight of God). We who believe in Jesus Christ are now exhorted to declare this incredible grace that was given us by likewise actively participating in worship of God; which not only edifies both the individual believer as well as the congregation, but is essential to teaching great truths about God, fighting spiritual warfare, as well as in reaching the lost in our evangelism efforts (consider Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16). Now this is not something new (Psalm 7:17; 9:1-2; 21:13; 22:22; 28:7; 30:4, 12; 33:1-2; 34:1; 35:18, 28; 40:3; 45:17; 50:23; 51;15 etc.). But rather with our praise now being universally empowered by the Holy Spirit through all of God’s redeemed people, it is becomes one of the many means by which God is now declared and glorified and hopefully believed on here on earth, when we praise and worship God’s Risen and Exalted Son the Lord Jesus Christ in unity, harmony and love. And so that is what the N.T. exhorts that we all do, sing psalms and hymns, as well as make melody in our hearts to the Lord. For this is our just due to sing praises to our King forever and ever (Rev 19:5). Which again is both edifying and Spirit filling and thus essential in strengthening the Body, both corporally as well individually. Therefore if employing a worship pastor can forward this end in helping to equip, instruct and encourage believers into greater faithfulness and fruitfulness for Christ, then it is a valid and valuable ministry and will always have a place amongst God’s people. However that option as Shaun has rightly noted is not always available to every congregation. And may not be necessary where believers can take this glorious duty and fulfill its service amongst themselves. Therefore I would not be too harsh with Shaun for I believe his heart and motives are pure on this, similarly I would never dismiss the role of a worship leader, since such a man can bring much needed guidance and congruency to a congregations worship and praise.
Kit says:
I get your point, but I’m curious about the stats. I highly doubt those “median” churches with 75 Sunday morning attendees are paying full time music pastors. The churches I’ve been to are significantly larger than that and I’ve rarely seen full time music jobs. I’ve attended quite a few different churches (we’ve moved a lot) and they’ve all been different in regards to this. I don’t get the feeling a lot of churches have full time music guys. I think I’ve only been to one church like that. I’ve seen programs that are part-time paid, or are volunteers (maybe several different volunteers for different parts of the programs), etc.
The church we’re currently attending has a part time music guy, who also oversees all the tech work, some maintenance work (as the head pastor does also) or whatever else needs done, and is plenty involved in people/relationships! He’s a valuable contributor to our church! I’d bet this guy would still contribute a lot if he wasn’t paid at all, but I’m glad they pay him. He puts his heart into it “full time,” and I’d rather pay him more, over *some* full-time associate or youth pastors who really are more part-time themselves! 🙂 Some of those CE things can be done by volunteers and “systems” too, I’ve seen it! Each church is different in how they choose to fill these needs.
Shaun Groves says:
I’d love some accurate stats on how many churches have full-time music ministers and what size those churches are. I couldn’t find that info but if anyone can, please share!
Melissa Jones says:
Lifeway/the Baptist Sunday School Board used to have churches submit a “uniform church letter” each year listing stats exactly like that. My mom worked as a temp with them for a couple of years compiling all the data. I’d assume that they still do something similar (although I’d expect that it’s web-based by now). You might be able to track someone down who could get you that data at least for Southern Baptists. And if the SBC isn’t willing/able to share at the national level, I’m positive I could call up the state-level Baptist convention where I am and get a good idea of that from them. Assuming the TN state convention is similar in demeanor, you could probably do the same there.
No idea about other denominations though.
Bryce Boddie says:
Great post! I’d much rather comment on this post than the money one. I got more feedback than I needed on that one.
I am a part time “music minister”, and although it is a huge blessing to me, it is not necessary.
This job has enabled me to go back to graduate school with 900 hours of field school, be with my kids, and get paid for something that someone else can do.
This makes me feel guilty. I know that the money I make could go somewhere else within our community, or even to our pre-school.
I’m excited to see what you post here, because I would love to be able to turn this ministry over to others just as capable as volunteers. I’m excited to see when “permission” is granted for others to step into that role the great things that will happen, and the new creativity that it will foster within our community.
Thanks for the post!
Roger says:
I am a part time “music minister”, and although it is a huge blessing to me, it is not necessary
Bryce – is this why we should be a minister or director of music in a church so that it can be a “blessing to me”? A successful “minister” of music needs to have that special calling from God and sort of a “woe to me, if I do not ‘preach’ the gospel” sense, like that of the apostle Paul…..then being a “minister of music” would indeed be necessary.
Shaun Groves says:
I didn’t interpret Bryce’s words the way you did, Roger. Maybe I’m wrong. I detected humility, not a lack of calling or passion.
Thank you for your words, Bryce. I wrote this for guys like you eager to find the best way to serve the local church you’re called to. Thanks for considering a different way to lead your church in worship and not being threatened by new possibilities.
Sherron says:
I attend one of those churches you describe in your “olden days” paragraph. I am grateful that my church has opted to remain “traditional.” It’s what I love. It’s what I need.
Music is a very important part of my worship experience. It isn’t entertainment. It isn’t something to fill the silence while the offering plates are passed. It doesn’t simply set the mood. Music can reach me like no sermon or person can.
Whenever I’ve visited churches that have worship bands, I have left feeling…empty. The whole thing felt like a show, not like worship – even the sermon. And singing the same praise-and-worship refrain over and over 10,000 times makes me want to slit my wrists. Not even kidding. My experiences have been so bad that I won’t even consider attending a “contemporary” service anymore.
So I’m interested in hearing about your experience as a volunteer worship leader. I’m certain it can be done well (the worship band thing), but I sure haven’t seen it.
Shaun Groves says:
“well” is relative. ; )
I preached a sermon at our church very soon after taking this position. It was about the biblical definition of worship and the lack of importance placed on music in biblical worship. Communicating that early and often has kept conflict over stylistic preferences at bay I think. No one questions the importance of music to me (I’m a professional musician), so I think hearing me say music isn’t as important in worship as we’ve made it out to be carries some weight.
Mitzi Lundy says:
You wrote “There’s still the question of whether or not your music minister is really busy for 40 hours every week. If he’s not? Ain’t that stealing? So, maybe you don’t go all-volunteer but he goes bi-vocational?”
First of all, the role of pastoral musician is a weighty one. It is a calling. I totally understand how a small church might get by with a guy playing guitar who only has one rehearsal a week, leads only a dozen or so people and has no significant pastoral responsibilities. He would certainly be cheaper than a full-time minister.
My church’s large adult choir, vibrant large youth choir, orchestra, and other ensembles are full of people called to serve the body of Christ. They use their musical gifts. They may or may not be professional or even significantly talented, but to deny them their chance to serve is wrong. Here’s what usually happens: lay people who are musical and want to serve the Lord as a choir member will gravitate to the churches that will give them that opportunity. They have much to offer the Lord. Weekly rehearsals and massive amounts of time spent preparing an excellent gift for the Savior are their sacrifices for His glory. It is a spiritually significant ministry in my inter-generational church that utilizes blended worship. Some people think traditional worshipers are to be written off as old-fashioned, irrelevant, and probably over 60. Some think churches like mine must be dead spiritually and just need to get over themselves. In my church we value deference. One worshiper may not care for contemporary choruses, but they sing them in deference to and in love for those who do. The young 20-something couples (and there are a LOT of them in my church) heartily sing the hymns in deference to those who love them. It’s a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.
To facilitate that kind of ministry requires a music PASTOR who pours his life into theirs. He is there at the hospital when they are sick. He goes to his youth choir kids’ ballgames and graduations. He holds their newborn babies at the hospital and prays over them. He calls and visits the senior adults, gleaning their wisdom and showing them respect and honor. He spends WAY more than 40 hours each week being a pastoral musician during normal times, but more like 70 during busy times at Christmas and Easter. He should not feel guilty for getting a salary. Our congregation considers it a privilege to provide for his family. I Timothy 5:18 “…the laborer deserve his wages.” So, no…I do not agree with you. I think full-time music ministers are worthy of the church’s investment.
Shaun Groves says:
I think you have two main problems with this post of mine. Am I right?
1. A music ministry as robust as your church’s can’t be run by a volunteer. I agree.
2. Someone doing as much as your music minister is doing should be financially compensated. I agree.
I never said differently in this blog post.
You’ve come across here, to me anyway, as if you’re feeling defensive about your church’s style of music, upset about negative stereotypes and unfair judgments etc. I hope nothing I’ve said here has come across as an attack on you, your church or anyone’s musical preferences. I don’t have opinions on any of the three. And I haven’t expressed any.
I’m truly sorry if you’ve been hurt in the past by that kind of nonsense. I’m not out to hurt you now.
Have you read the follow-up to this post yet? It details how a volunteer music ministry works exactly. We even welcome babies into the world, go to baseball games and visit the sick.
Here it is: http://shaungroves.com/2014/01/how-to-replace-a-music-minister
Roger says:
Very well spoken, Mitzi!
Megan Hawkes says:
Hey Shaun,
For years, we were members in a small church (avg attendance ~75 at each service). The pastor was the only pastor. At times, he was the only minister too…sad, but a position I may blog about sometime myself. He wasn’t as effective in music as he wanted to be (or believed he was), because he was the preacher, the ex-officio on session, heading every committee, leading the choir at times, the praise band, etc. etc. etc. Not healthy for him or the congregation.
Since then, we happened to have only belonged to churches with at least part-time music ministers. The difference between those who have been paid and those who have not been paid has nothing to do with pay itself. It has to do with their commitment to actually minister through music, and their personal desire to bring their gifts to God, however good (or simply earnest) they are.
One that comes to mind was paid, but his heart had left a long time ago. Another was volunteer, but he ushered my battered, wandering heart into the presence of Jesus like nobody’s business. Interestingly, they both happened to be serving at the same church at different times.
Like most things in the church, and in the spirit for that matter, the wellness is a heart condition.
Hey, thanks for the multitude of ways you serve Jesus. It really matters.
Megan
Phil says:
I have been a bi-vocational worship leader for 12 years at three churches and a church plant. I don’t disagree with the premiss of your post, but in my experience, the full time pastors I have worked with have a fraction of the responsibilities that I have. A sermon and a few counseling sessions/ hospital visits a week compared to planning two services a week, technical planning, stage setup, following up on complaints from the previous services, funerals, weddings, choir, dramas, special services etc. the majority of what makes a service happen at my church is all facilitated by the worship leader, the pastors shows up to preach and that’s it. What are your thoughts on applying your idea to pastors who have no need to be full time and often have the highest salary in the church?
Shaun Groves says:
I try not to express an opinion on things I know nothing about. TRY. I’m not always that self-controlled.
I couldn’t say with any certainty what all the average pastor is doing or should be doing in a given week. So I don’t know if all that work could be left to volunteers.
I was in a church once though – for a concert I think – that had been without a pastor for quite some time. I want to say a couple years? And while they searched for a pastor they put a couple elders through seminary (distance learning). Those elders and a couple other men in the church rotated as preachers. But there’s more to being a pastor than being a preacher. I don’t know how they covered the rest of the pastor’s duties.
Julie Reid says:
It’s nice to see you are still making waves with your posts! It’s all a matter of one size doesn’t fit all……every church is different, each congregation unique, every dynamic including budgets have to be evaluated and as good stewards we have to see if we can accomplish as much of the ministry through the help of the laity. This allows for both the distribution of ministry and gifts and also allows for churches to see if their needs are truly full time or part time for any and all positions. If you can save even 15k by making a position part time and then feed the poor in your neighborhood as a result why not do so? In fact maybe it’s time to look at lots of church positions that used to take full time work and might now be led part time and carried by volunteers the rest of the way, churches just might be able to free up budgets and redirect money to projects like adoptions, homelessness, prison ministries, who knows!
Shaun Groves says:
Waves are extremely rare nowadays. I’ve mellowed with age, Julie. ; )
For those of you who don’t know Julie Reid, she was for many years the big cheese at Worship Leader Magazine…and the first person to pay me to write words. So, her wisdom is questionable at best ; )
But despite that…
In all your years serving churches and music ministers, Julie, what’s your guess as to how many churches have full-time paid music ministers now versus when you started at Worship Leader Magazine? Am I correct that we’re trending away from full-time paid music ministers in the U.S. these days?
Richie says:
Good thoughts Shaun. My biggest problem is when a pastor is paid full-time for his ministry but doesn’t want to pay others for their ministry. There could be some major misunderstanding in those instances.
Chuck says:
A year ago our small church in a small town had our music minister leave to go on staff at a larger church. His family was our whole team. When they left there wasn’t anyone left to do music at all. I’m not kidding or exaggerating even a little. Other than playing a music video without someone to lead it we have nothing and haven’t for almost a year now.
We feel like we have tried just about everything to find someone who could help.
As the bi-vocational pastor myself there really isnt a budget for hiring someone. I have called just about every church in our conference relatively close to our town to see if they could spare a person for a season. No there. So we called and placed flyers at two Christian university’sin the city as well (offering compensation for fuel and provide meal). We have contacted other churches outside our denomination, placed adds in newspapers, and church staffing web sites. We even called the local high schools in the area but so far we still haven’t found anyone. We have prayed and even fasted as a church. My question to you would be any suggestions on what else we may be able to do to find someone? We would love to have a music minister who wants to add their gift to the worship experience.
Scott says:
As a volunteer music director/ team leader, I can see your point. We are a church of 250-300 just East of Dallas. As I read this I started to see just how many hours I really put in making each Sunday mornings music happen. We have only one contemporary service a week, with 8 members plus a “words” guy and the deaf ministry staff. As a general rule my “month” breaks down like this: Practices, service, song selection, charting, printing and sorting usually runs about 25-30 hours for the month. While I wouldnt turn down some compensation, I really dont fret over. Our previous music director and his wife was paid, but they handled many other task, including being an Assoc. Pastor. We only have 6 of them ..lol
Kevin says:
Good article Shaun. The article is clear. Having a paid music “minister” is really relative to the needs of the church. If the church needs one, then so be it. But it’s not an absolute to have one, especially if the church is struggling financially or could use the money to do other things. I have always volunteered my time and will continue to do so, unless God has other plans. Honestly, there just isn’t the need for anything more than that based on the needs of our church and based on the direction the leadership feel God wants our music ministry to go.