In context of the article, the relationship looks like a husband/wife situation.  They are supposed to be a team, one.  Yet you get stories like “What husbands want their wives to know,” etc.

...Bernie

What a load of selfish eccentric crap!

how about some things pastors want to say to the musicians.
1. Playing louder than everyone else doesn’t make you more Godly.
2. You may be talented, but no one wants to listen to a ten minute drum solo.
3. Don’t treaten to leave.  It’s just as selfish as the pastor asking for a raise or treatening to leave.
4. A 7-11 song (the same seven words sung eleven times or for an eternity) is not always worship.
5. We greatly appreciate your talent, but the rest of us tone deaf people also want to worship with a joyful noise, put up with us sometimes.
6. Lead us in worship, don’t make it a personal concert of your talent.

Music is a valuable part of the worship experience.  It can be a valuable part or even the entire service.  But when it becomes about us, it is no longer what God desires.

Wooah...this sounds like there might be a pot boiling out there that needs to be addressed before it explodes all over the kitchen!

I’ve been leading (I use this term VERY loosely) a worship team for about 3 years now.  I have to say that we “artists” are definitely a bit on the “colorful side”.  It can be very easy to have these types of confrontations with artists using their gifts in the church.

I can say (and this is NOT a kissup as my pastor does not surf the blots, that I know of anyway) that my pastor and I have a great working relationship.  He, as pastor is given the vision of where God wants our church to go, I as worship leader support that vision in my role through worship.  If there’s a problem that I have with the pastor, I will GO to him, not post my complaints on a blog site.  We’re really big on using Matthew 18 as a reference to dealing with disagreements.  But who knows, maybe Billy Cox is not writing about his current experiences as a worship leader but just attempting to speak out for us worship leaders from past experiences of his and others. 

If I were to add to the list it would be this…

1.  It is EXTREMELY important that pastors define the role that you want your worship leaders to play in creating the services. Please tell us if the worship is really ours to lead, or will you be pulling every string from backstage.

2. And to the worship leader...YOU are NOT that important.  Get over yourself! God could just as easily bring a different person to fill your role as he brought you. It’s the role of worship leader that is important, not you. 

I love it that there’s another worship leader out there blogging on these types of issues.

And we need each other to accomplish the vision.  We also need to be able to communicate with each other and discuss our concerns about our positionas without feeling threatened. 

Ben,

You may have taken my comment in the wrong light - I have no conflict with my musix director and it is a joy to share in the planning and preperation of our worship services. The center of the service is proclaimg of God’s word. 

I appreciate your comment about the worship leader - it also applies the pastor as well.  It is the message of God’s word that is to be the focus - not the messenger.

Thank you, Bart!!!  I’m a worship leader and I SOOOOO appreciate your perspective!  Those things (I’m speaking as a melancholy, moody artist) may be tough to hear, but I wholeheartedly agree!

Thanks to you, too, Todd!  I don’t identify with the article’s perspective, but it sure reminds me to keep my ego in check.

Yes, when I went to MondayMorningInsight.com this morning, I saw a title that looked very familiar. For the record, the original title is ‘Top 6 things that musicians want their pastor to know’.

Yes, I was writing from present (but soon to be past) experience. My final day in this assignment is October 2.

The pastor actually asked me to stay on when I resigned, but I declined because sometimes a ‘divorce is better than a bad marriage.’

I’ve got a great one I’d like to add…

-Musicians feel ill-used when you have someone who can barely sing… AND they use an accompaniment track… AND the worship band could’ve played the song and it would’ve been better.

And here’s a reality check for all you church musicians.

-Every piece of positive feedback you’ve ever gotten from a friend has been useless. Some of the negative feedback is useless, too. Your friends are your fans, that’s their job. Go find someone who doesn’t know you real well and get feedback from THEM!

AMEN, Matt!

Sometimes I think when we make the Sermon the absolute central of the Worship “experience” we dilute the power of those other elements you mention, and in the process we inadvertently give license to those people who never enter into worship, even scheduling their drive to church in such a way that they arrive late enough to skip the music/prayers/etc.

here’s something we started doing. We don’t put the lectern in place till the sermon actually starts. That lets people know that the musical worship time is not just “preparation for the sermon” but has an importance all its own.

BeHim,

Although it may not be true of everyone, every Worship Leader I’ve known REALLY understands the principle of Serving God, not yourself.

And maybe that’s one of those things Worship Leaders want to tell Pastors. “We understand that!”

But here’s a thought… maybe if there are a lot of things under the skin that are festering that I’d like to tell my Pastor but don’t, maybe there’s a communication problem! Maybe I should start saying these things. But that’s another thread for another time…

Worship leaders and preachers are both guilty here.  The scripture has quite a few “one anothers” as you know.  So, how we treat each other on our personal issues really does matter to God.  Relationships do matter.  It would be a shame to accuse and point the finger in any direction without looking at our own hearts. 

If any pastor has issues with his worship guy, I do hope he denies himself and shows grace.  Ministry is indeed about grace.

Here are another 6 things to add to things to say to your senior pastor:
1-"Please lead me by example as well as your words.”
2-"Please be fair and not hold grudges when I overreact”
3-"Please do not be jealous of sharing the platform with me.”
4-"Please do not be envious if people love what I do.”
5-"Please be my friend...for real!”
6-"Please tell me your heart’s desire for this ministry, not just numbers, issues and practicalities.”

Blessings!

After reading all of your comments regarding pastor/worship leader relationships, I am encouraged to continue God’s call on my life to the “church at large”.  Let me just encourage you to submerge yourself in the message of the Beatitudes.  There is provision in that scripture for the self-sacrificing, the servant leader, the self-denying worshiper.  We have allowed ourselve to become empowered by our title of Worship “Leader”.  God calls us to be worshipers in spirit and in truth, not “worship leaders in spirit and in truth”.  Submit to your senior pastor and receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit released by your act of obedience in your worship.  We serve a God of order, and He places the senior pastor in the position of shepherd.  He/she is place in authority over the body of believers.  To whom much is given, much is required.  Pray for your pastor and serve him/her as you would serve the Lord.  That is our calling, brothers and sisters.  Let’s not be leading worship to the wrong god.  It is my prayer that God will continue to inhabit the praises of His people.  Let us continue to bring that sacrifice to the altar and thank Him for the privilege of one more opportunity to lift Him up in a corporate setting. Thank you.  Keep praising Him! Nancy Lyle - HeartSingers Ministries

This is a late addition to all the comments posted here. Maybe someone will read this. I am a Senior Pastor and have been a Worship Leader in the past. I am not a very musical individual, but could lead with my wife’s musical ability. We were a team, working with other musicians.  I dearly love the modern contemporary “praise and worship” that is so popular. I also have been listening to praise and worship music over the past 30 years and have seen a frightening trend. The focus of the music has shifted over the years from “leading” and “involving” congregational singing and worship to a “Praise and Worship Show”, where the congregation has to show more attention to complicated chord structures and rythms than to the singing. Even though these are beautiful songs, they are mostly the “leader” or lead singer doing all the worshipping with the congregation standing struggling to keep up. I have found a few songs that are useful in congregational worship, but not many. I believe this is a trend in entertainment, not strictly praise and worship. This focuses on the talent of the band and singers rather than leading the church into the realms of Glory.
I also detest Senior Pastors who like to hear themselves over allowing the worship to carry on. They like to keep a leash on the service rather than allowing for the sensitivity of the leader. If you can’t trust the worship leader you have brought on the team, something is either wrong with you or you wisdom in hiring staff.
By the way, teaching of the Word of God is also considered worship. How else can we learn how to worship more effectively than by hearing and learning the Word. Otherwise, it is just an exercise in experientialism with no true foundation in Truth.