I believe everyone from the drummer to the lead singer in a worship band is a worship leader because they’ve been given authority to give a public example of worship (of course music isn’t the only form of worship, but that’s another post).
But time and time again I run into this question: Who should be given authority to lead worship? The answer is often controversial, sometimes leaving the pastor and the main worship leader at odds with each other.
There are a range of beliefs, but I broke them down into four main thoughts:
Who should be given authority to lead worship?
- Anyone Who Is Willing. If someone wants to play on the worship team, who am I to stop them? Can I really judge someone for their lifestyle when I don’t live a perfect lifestyle either? When in doubt, air on the side of grace (versus law).
- Anyone… With Slight Standards. If someone wants to play on the worship team, all I ask is that they are believers. They don’t have to be perfect by any means, but they should have some commitment to Jesus.
- Those Who Are Growing. If someone wants to play on the worship team, they need to have more than a flippant confession of faith. I want to see them moving forward in their relationship with Christ. But I don’t care as much where on the journey they are on, as long as they’re moving on it.
- Mature Believers. If we are going to be leading people into worship, shouldn’t the leaders exhibit the same qualities that we want to see in our followers? Because “spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6) we have an obligation to be pure in heart. Wouldn’t we require the same of our pastor? What makes a worship team different? We’re expecting spiritual maturity (not perfection).
What do you think?
I think I'm an "Anyone... with Slight Standards" "Those Who Are Growing" believer... but I can be swayed. Please share your thoughts and experiences!
I think the leader, for me, is the main singer and leader of the team. I don’t consider the drummer or other members the leader unless they are actually the one leading the songs. I think the lead singer has a higher standard than the rest of the team. I’d think they’d need to be 3-4 range. For the rest of the members, I’d say a 2-3 would be enough for me.
I agree that there is a main leader and think he/she would have a higher standard… but I also think anyone who is given a place in public to be an example (like a person on a worship team) are still leaders.
It’s kind of like a basketball team. There is one leader who is the coach, but there are players on the team who lead as well.
This might be hyperspiritual of me, but I think Jesus is the worship leader. Isn’t he the great high priest who is authorized to lead worship of the Father, both ritually and relationally?
Our worship in church services is a modern descendent of temple worship, which I understand to be a ritual/symbolic representation of Eden – intimacy with God in the cool of the day. If Jesus has replaced the temple, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, who leads worship?
Jesus in us!
And considering that Jesus received worship from… well… murderers, whores, thieves and lepers (not to mention snot-nosed little kids), it strikes me that our standards should create permission for the least of us to initiate worship.
It absolutely isn’t hyper-spiritual of you to remind us who is, not only the worship leader, but the head of the Church– Jesus!
What about people who are not believers? Should they be allowed to participate?
I was in a church once where the music pastor invited a famous opera singer to sing on Easter–but the opera singer was not a Christian. Is that OK?
I know a pastor who started a church in a city, he had no music help and so he advertised in the local paper and paid guys to play the instruments (pastor lead the songs.) These paid musicians could be seen smoking cigarettes in the parking lot immediately prior to service. Is that OK?
Great examples… and now I ask the same questions. Is that OK?
Jay, those are excellent, critical questions. I hope we’re all asking them!
Jay: I think your examples are fine if you add one more category: Anyone who’s awesome!
Shouldn’t someone’s level of talent determine whether or not they play on the stage?
But seriously, we’ve wrestled with this question in our student ministry over the last 4 years as we’ve made the transition to completely student-led bands. Our mission is simple: we want every student to move deeper in their faith. I would say #3 is where we would say our band members are – we want them on the actively participating in the journey of faith. Like Scott said above, I think the worship leader (defined as main singer – person who actually leads the band, prays, gives spoken instruction, etc) is held to a higher standard so I would say #4 for them. Most of our worship leaders are in 11th and 12th grades so there is an aspect of having watched them grow in their faith over a number of years.
In our ministry there is a clear discipleship process that everyone is expected to engage in (regardless of whether they are on the worship team or not). We know that everyone can’t participate in all the opportunities that are provided – mission trips, small groups, weekly worship services, local service projects, retreats, etc – but their level of involvement makes it easier to see who’s around to just be in the band and who’s there to actually grow in their faith.
Thanks for the input Jake– and sweet blog by the way!
I’ve think I’ve seen both the following:
1) Christians on the worship team who later turned away from the faith
2) Non-Christians on the worship team who later turned to the faith
I would probably aim toward mostly mature believers with the possible allowance of one or two people who might not yet be Christians but seem to be headed that way.
I’ve seen both of those things as well. Even within my own ministry! What does that say about the value of our “spiritual standards”?
You actually make it seem really easy along with your presentation however I to find this topic to be really one thing which I think I might by no means understand. It kind of feels too complex and extremely broad for me. I am taking a look ahead to your subsequent submit, I will attempt to get the dangle of it!