BEFORE YOU BEGIN: FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHURCHES SEEKING TO HIRE A MINISTER OF MUSIC OR WORSHIP PASTOR

by Dr. Tony McNeill

Affiliate Professor of Worship & Seminary Musician Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA

Adjunct Professor, Master of Black Sacred Music, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

@drtonymac | www.drtonymcneill.com | @drtonymac.bsky.social | drtonymcneill.com/jobs

There aren’t enough qualified musicians available to meet the growing demands of music and worship ministry in this country. If we were brutally honest, worship ministry is a musician’s market. In many cases, church musicians, regardless of education, experience, talent, and commitment, are commanding salaries and accommodations  that are not in the best interest of the congregation. Churches often acquiesce to these (sometimes unethical) demands to have a human being on the piano or organ.  There are opportunities for clergy and congregations to learn to be more diligent in the ways they discern music and worship leadership.  I want to offer five (5) recommendations to consider before the search process begins.

#1. CRAFT A JOB DESCRIPTION SPECIFIC TO YOUR NEEDS OF YOUR CHURCH

·      Make time to craft an attractive, clear, and measurable job description that reflects the present state and vision (future) of the church and the music and worship ministry.  What are the non-negotiable qualifications your church requires? What qualifications are preferred or optional? Be as detailed as possible in what you desire from prospective candidates who apply. Is there a deadline for submissions or will the job remain open until filled?

·      Articulate what “part-time” and what “full-time” means to the church and for the position. Congregations interpret these terms in different ways. Be integral in making sure a part-time position does not look or feel like full-time work.  Are the demands of the position adequately reflected in the salary being offered? A part-time job post (approx. 18-20 hrs. per week) is usually 1-2 pages.  A full-time position (approx. 35+ hrs. per week) could be 2-4 pages or more.  The look and feel of the job description matters.

·      Include a concise but vivid picture (description) of who you are as a church through a paragraph that includes a vision/mission statement for the church and vision/mission statement for worship. Write an “elevator pitch” that gives a candidate a sense of who you are and what is important and what the role of worship is in the life of your church.

#2. A NECESSARY REALITY CHECK: ACCEPT THAT CHURCH MUSICIANS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

·      Do not assume that all musicians are equal in their musical and non-musical abilities. Some folks are better artists or performers than they are administrators or communicators.

·      How someone looks on paper and how that person performs/leads in person can be very different.  Have systems and questions in place to gauge strengths and weaknesses of candidates.

·      Do not be intoxicated by talent alone. Leading a music/worship ministry is more than weekly performances. Professionalism, communication, punctuality, collaboration, hospitality, and social interactions are just as critical as being “on stage” every week. Create ways to measure these skills.

#3. ESTABLISH COMMUNITY & TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE PROCESS

·      In my experience, a search anchored by a small team of trusted ministry stakeholders yields better results than a search initiated and controlled by a 1-2 persons. Get different folks with the appropriate gifts and insight involved on your search team.

·      The search team can also serve as ambassadors to the congregation, helping to keep them informed of the progress of the search.

·      There should be at least 1-2 people (or more) on the search team with experience in music, worship, and the performing arts. If needed, solicit the help of respected musicians/worship leaders from the community. A search team with no

#4. ASK FOR OR INVEST IN GETTING GOOD HELP FOR YOUR SEARCH, IF POSSIBLE.

·      A search for a minister of music or worship leader should be viewed as a ministerial hire. This is not a casual assignment. The intention and focus used to hire a senior pastor or clergy member should be employed here.  The person hired for this position will facilitate the worship life of the congregation-–that responsibility should not be taken lightly. It may be necessary to solicit the expert help of a consultant or experienced church musician to assist.  I would be delighted to speak with you to see how I may help your church.  Send an e-mail to jobs@drtonymcneill.com to set up a free 30-mins consultation.

·      An experienced musician or consultant and assist with crafting good questions to ask and providing direction in what to look and listen for in a candidate.

·      Resist the temptation of equating a ministry search with a search done in corporate America. There are similarities but there are nuances that must be taken into consideration. An experienced music ministry practitioner can assist with navigating these dimensions of the search process.

#5. BE WILLING TO TAKE YOUR TIME: A RUSHED SEARCH = A FAILED SEARCH!

·      Pace the process to allow time for adequate marketing of the job description, assessment of application materials and other necessary components for a thorough search.

·      Putting your job description on your church website is not enough.  How will people know it’s there?  If possible, invest in advertising the position in various places on the internet/social media.  Contact me at jobs@drtonymcneill.com for marketing and consulting options to help get the word out about the position you have available at your church.

·      Do not hire out of desperation.  If the quality of candidates does not meet the needs of your congregation and music/worship ministry, be willing to reflect, re-evaluate, and continue the search until you find what is needed.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: What other recommendations do you want to add for churches to consider before they start the search process? Place your response in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you.

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CONSULTING & ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING APPOINTMENTS:

If you are interested in setting up a mentoring/consulting appointment, send an e-mail to drtony@drtonymcneill.com. Be sure to sign up for THE CALL 2 WORSHIP NEWSLETTER by clicking here.

Music Ministry and Worship job postings can be found at www.drtonymcneill.com/jobs. Be sure to bookmark the page and check back for updates.

CHURCHES/SEARCH COMMITTEES SEEKING TO HIRE:

If your church (or if you know of a church that) is currently seeking a Minister of Music/Worship, Choir Director, Musician, or any worship arts-related position, contact me at jobs@drtonymcneill.com to learn how to have the position(s) posted to the job board. Consulting services are also available for search committees needing help discerning appropriate processes and candidates for music and worship arts positions. Let us help you!

CANDIDATES SEEKING JOBS:

If you are looking for a full-time or part-time position in music and worship arts ministry, send your resume to jobs@drtonymcneill.com to be added to the database of available candidates. Please include your most current contact information in the body of your e-mail: first and last name, telephone number, e-mail address, website, and social media handles; and of course, your attached resume/CV.