Is it time to leave?  That’s a loaded question.  As Minister of Music, my position and skills are two different things.  My music ministry to some is often regarded as “the extra” in church while to some it’s the very reason they come to my church.  Well, the truth is: no music, no worship.  However, I feel it’s time to leave when the church is “governed” by a group of lay leaders who want complete control and remain close-minded about ways to grow. 

Currently my church is awaiting a new Senior Pastor--starting 10-24-2004, after almost 3 years of Interimship.  Our three pastors and my choir director have all left during the last three years (at different times).  I have been left to holding up the congregation-I simply could not leave when the church was going through the pastoral losses.  I put my personal feelings aside and extended a sense of continuity to and constancy for my congregation.  However, when my visions and goals for church growth are ignored again and agian by this group of controlling lay leaders--none of them is a musician nor does any of them understand the theology and impact of music (performing arts) in worship.  They are more concerned about which brand of light bulbs to buy to save on utility bills! 

After fifteen years of being the “wall-paper” and constantly trying to reach out to the comunity with music ministry without the support from the church administration and the recognition from the lay leaders, I believe it’s time for me to find a church that is pro-growth and understands the importance of music ministry in the congregation and community, especially to our younger generations (all others as well) in the community with MUSIC!  Blessings to all church musicians!  I truly believe in God’s Greatest Commision--spreading the Gospel to the four conners of the world--which in my case--through music ministry because music is a universal language and can cut through all cultural and ethnical barriers.  When it is well chosen, prepared, and “performed” during services, it touches and heals the soul deeply, along with God’s spoken words through the pastor.

Dr. May Tuan Tucker

Dr. Tucker,

You frustration is indicative of what many staff pastors experience during a time of change and transition.

Is your new Senior Pastor that the church has called a strong capable leader who can cast vision and move a stagnant church forward?  Does this individual understand the importance of worship as a vital ministry of the church?  If you can say yes to these questions then maybe you can give this individual a chance to provide the leadership that your church needs.

One comment struck me. Your comment of “no music-no worship” clearly leads me to believe you probably do need to move on, but good luck finding a church that will subscribe to that theology. If you remember the story of Matt Redman’s church, so much emphasis was put on music that the church forgot that worship is not about the music, but about our love for Christ and expressing that love. They did away with all music for a season and when they finally brought music back, Matt received that song, The Heart of Worship. All of creation can praise God, but only us, with hearts, can offer worship. Worship is a lifestyle of affection to Jesus, not exclusive to music. Maybe the lay ministry has more to offer in advice than you give them credit for.

A lot of our programs close down during the summer months because like in your situation that is when everyone wants to get away. 

Sounds like you are trying to get creative with signing them up for a quarter at a time but that will only last for so long.  I think the key is vision.  If they understand that their volunteer work is more valuable than their vacation schedules then they will be more apt to volunteer long term. 

Another idea would be to employ a team concept of ministry which would allow for flexibility of peoples schedules who want to be gone some weekends.  If you have a rotation or multiple people working together to serve in different areas then you can afford to have people gone because others are available and ready to pick up the slack.  Of course they would have to be willing to coordinate their vacation schedules to make it work.

If you find some answers please share them with the rest of us.  This is a common problem and I surely don’t have it all figured out with my church.

I can’t seem to find the book online to buy anywhere. Any help?

Our church has just hired an interim pastor who had served as our vice pastor for a time and was asked to return. His leadership and compassion is just what we need to rebuild our congregation. He will continue with us until we are ready to call a full-time pastor as long as we hold up our side of the bargain in accepting responsibility for running the programs of our church.

We were also lucky, or should I say “blessed”, to have the services of another interim to guide us through a time of understanding the conflict our church had gone through.

Our new church council has really stepped up to the plate and instituted a new mission for our church, with the approval of the congregation, which will be in place in the next few months. They are also taking responsibility, along with the congregation, for heading up different outreach programs. They are very open to suggestions and input from others and keep all communication between them and the congregation open. We still have a long way to go, but feel the time we spent without a full time pastor has equipped us to carry on and realize everything cannot be done by one person, namely the pastor. We must all do our part or the church will fail to grow or even continue. Our new music director also contributes her talents to coordinate with the pastor new forms of worship that we are doing twice a month. I believe our lay leaders are doing a great job in supporting our church and interim pastor.

I left my position as a youth minister 5 months ago. My mind set was always to equip believers to do ministry. I was very successful at this, but it was at a trmemdous personal cost to me and those who volunteered. Here is a conclusion that I have reached since I left paid ministry (21 years):
Equipping the saints to do the work of ministry in today’s organized, structured, and program driven Church has to be almost completely inward focused in order to keep the organization, structure, and programs alive. In other words when equipping the believer for ministry is talked about in the Church it is mostly likley talked about in terms of performing the tasks to keep visions, goal, and stratagies of the programs afloat. Most of the time, the time committments are at a huge cost to those you love the most (your family and close friends) and often people find themselves trying to serve in areas that are not natural to them or they find themselves under apprecaited and burnt out. I believe every Christian because they are a new creation and have the mind of Christ should desire to serve. This is a natural desire of Christians. I also believe that the most natural way to serve (be a minister) is to our husdands, wives, children, parents, neighbors, and to take advantage of those oppotunties that God alllows us to encounter every day. I also believe that Church Leadership should be teaching believers how to minister in this more natural way. To many families suffer because they spend so much of their time fulfilling their duties (ministries) at the Church (building) that there is very little left of themselves to give to those God has naturally place around them. I can truly say that since I made the decision to leave my paid staff position, that I have been living in a more natural ministry enviorment. It has simply been amazing to me the ministry I have been able to be apart of.  Recently (in the last 3 weeks) my 23 year old son, who has been living a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol has come back to God. That is just one of the many many ministry opportunities that I have had a part in. In fact I feel like more of a minister now than I ever did when I was on staff. Please don’t read the wrong message from my thoughts. I believe in the local Church and I believe in equipping believers to be ministers but I believe there is a more nautral and effective way to do it than is presently being done in most Churches today.