8 job qualifications of a worship pastor

Richard Frazer Oct. 16, 2020

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

iStock

Is your church looking to hire a worship pastor? Are you yourself a worship leader looking to grow and improve?

I want to offer you 8 job qualifications I proposed to my church when we were looking for someone to lead worship. Feel free to adapt this list for your own church.

1. Mature

It is my hope that our next Worship Leader will be primarily a Worship Pastor. By that I mean someone who has a track record of shepherding congregations as a mature and maturing spiritual leader.

One cannot pass on what one does not possess. To fully tap the potential of making disciples in worship will require that our Worship Pastor is already a disciple and a disciple maker!

Our next Worship Pastor should not only have a robust spiritual life, he/she should be able to lead our church family, by example and word, to trust and follow the One who ultimately leads us.

2. Leader Within the Worship-Arts Culture

I hope our next Worship Pastor has an appreciation for and makes room in worship for expression of the artistic skills and gifts of the congregation.

Though music is primary in our worship programming, there are many talented visual artists, painters, dancers, videographers, writers, poets, songwriters and those of other artistic disciplines that could creatively express their worship and gratitude to our Lord in social and worship contexts that would draw congregants to our Lord.

3. A Disciple-Maker

We are on a trajectory in fulfilling the Great Commission that will impact our region and the world for decades to come! One person discipling one other person will change a family and a community.

I am imagining with joy what will happen when hundreds of maturing disciples are, in turn, discipling others. I hope our next Worship Pastor is already making disciples and doesn't need to be brought up to speed once they get here. I hope he/she will easily step right into the role alongside the rest of our disciple-making staff and even provide greater leadership to the movement.

I hope our next Worship Pastor considers themselves a Pastor of Discipleship, Overseeing Worship Ministries. I hope they are a discipler of the Worship Team, too.

Christian musicians often get a pass on personal spiritual disciplines and development because expectations of them are less than of other staff leaders. I have interviewed many Worship Leaders, as well as Worship Team Members who have no expectation placed on them to be growing as a follower of Christ.

They are only valuable because of their prowess on their instruments or clarity of their voices. Our next Worship Pastor should insure our Worship Team members are gaining the full benefit of their position in Christ as maturing disciples of Jesus Christ.

4. Intentional Leader

I hope our next Worship Pastor has a firm definition of what he/she considers worship in Spirit and truth, for it is worshippers with these priorities that the Father seeks (John 4:23-24).

He/she will have a firm expectation of what should be happening 1) in the lives of those in our church family who are worshipping together; 2) in the lives of the worship team, and 3) in heaven. Their life and leadership will radiate this expectation.

I trust our next Worship Pastor will give clear direction to musicians before and during rehearsals. A pre-rehearsal meeting to instruct the band when instrumentalists should come in, what dynamic level is expected, whether singers are singing in unison or harmony, what harmony is to be sung, what is appropriate attire and stage etiquette, and other expectations.

In short, this leader will grow our worship teams by providing a solid vision for what can and should happen in our worship environment and how each player/singer/production person, etc. contributes to that intended outcome.

5. Authentic

I hope our next Worship Pastor is free to be him/herself by rejecting competition with or comparisons to others in their same position. Our church is big enough, and is becoming strong enough, to be an example for other churches in all areas of ministry. Leadership and authenticity should abound in this arena as well.

I hope our next Worship Pastor exegetes our congregation honestly (demographics by age, cultural background, preferred musical styles, etc.) and promotes a style of worship that reflects both our existing and targeted community.

I hope they challenge the norms of the contemporary worship industry (overuse of tracks, decibel levels, lighting, "bells and whistles") and has the freedom and courage to lead in a way that invites our unique worshipping community into the presence of God.

6. Musical Skills

Sometimes the more important areas of maturity and leadership skills are overshadowed by a Worship Leader's musical abilities and stage presence.

I hope our next Worship Pastor/Leader has enough musical skill and knowledge to gain the respect and following of skilled musicians, while encouraging other budding and talented musicians and leaders. His/her value as a leader will be in discovering, developing and utilizing skilled and maturing musicians (including vocalists) to lead us before the throne of God. I hope he/she is a respected promoter of others and that the church leaders will value this ability above musical skill.

7. Community

I hope our next Worship Pastor promotes a strong and loving sense of community among our church members. The early church "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).

This leader should promote ways to strengthen our fellowship with one another beyond the "Meet and Greet." This could be accomplished in a number of ways: a song ("I Need You To Survive," by Hezekiah Walker: "Is He Worthy," by Chris Tomlin); guided conversations; or directed prayer, among other means.

I hope he/she also builds a stronger bridge between the platform and the pew – the stage and the seats. Impersonal greetings like, "Good morning, [name of church]," and "How is the 9:30 Service doing today?" clump people into an impersonal collection.

The use of pronouns in comments like, "We're so glad youcame to worship with ustoday," "Wewant youto know wereally love you," and "Our staff is working hard for you" promote a dissimilarity in the Body of Christ that detaches the congregation from the professional staff.

(As an aside, I am aware of the professional staff position and responsibility in churches. I was on church staffs for more than 30 years. Every member of the Body of Christ has a part to play. The tendency, especially in larger churches, is to present the staff as the visionaries and planners and the congregation as the volunteers and doers of what the staff has planned for the rest of us. I hope we can eventually dissolve this divide.)

I would rather hear something like this: "Good morning, my brothers and sisters. It is good to be togetherto worship our Lord as one voice. For those of you who are our guests this morning/evening, I invite you to join this journey we are all on to know Christ more fully and to experience the benefits of being loved and pursued by God."

8. A Pastor/Leader

I hope our next Worship Pastor will be a strong and respected Christian leader. He/she should have the vision to see our church become healthier through their contribution to the leadership matrix. They should be a contributor to the holistic church vision and specific strategies our church will pursue to fulfill our calling in our unique context.

That's a start! I hope we will diligently and prayerfully pursue a qualified Worship Pastor who possesses and exemplifies these qualities and who demonstrates maturity in all areas of life and ministry.

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

Rich Frazer is President of Spiritual Overseers Service (SOS) International, a global training ministry equipping indigenous ministry leaders. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry with an emphasis on training ministry leaders to upcycle declining churches. Learn More »

• Leaders: stop trying for perfect. Start getting things done. (by Christian Muntean)
• Strong in spirit: the kind of leadership the church truly needs (by Mike Bonem)
• Success Unlocked: The Transformative Power of Questions (by Bob Tiede)
• What unforgiveness does to your brain (by Charles Stone)

Free eBook

Success Unlocked: The Transformative Power of Questions

This isn’t just another leadership book—it’s your invitation to discover how Christ-centered questions can transform the way you lead and live. Packed with real stories and timeless wisdom, it shows you how to grow your influence, deepen your faith, and lead with the same life-changing impact Jesus did.

Download Now