Leadership Roles in Music Ministry

by Ben Ditzel

Many churches find there is confusion among roles of leadership within music ministry. Vocal leads begin to make song choices and worship leaders feel they are automatically in a position for vocal lead. These types of cross overs are fine if qualifications exist for the members and leadership has appointed them to these roles. But, when this has not occurred, issues may arise. These are a few clarifications for those seeking them.

The worship leader (or music director) is generally responsible for nurturing relationships with church members, fellow leaders in the church, and, of course, the worship team. They:

perform tasks not limited to solely the musical, and are often seen as shepherds within the church body.
research worship music, composers & artists' backgrounds, music themes, and the theological content and accuracy of music.
study the sermons of the church and hand pick each song (or portion of a song / hymn) sung in service to tie into the sermon theme or other associated theological aspect of the Sunday service.
decide on which songs are sung on a given Sunday as well as order, style, stanzas, and arrangement.
work with the team to decide on keys and ranges to fit their needs.
are responsible for assembling all content and preparation notes for the team such as lyrics, chord charts, sheet music, addendums, & spoken transitions.
evidence by their duties and conduct that they are intent on serving the Lord and His people rather than seeking to gain a position of authority, prominence, or power.

take Biblical constraints for the Christian life seriously by ordering their lives, in both public and private, in a way that is Christ exalting and beyond reproach. This includes being an active (Hebrews 10) member of the church in which they are serving (Hebrews 13, Romans 12). A Christ-like life is evidenced by holy living (1 Peter 1), non-conformity to the world’s pursuits (Romans 12), and an exemplary standard of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as well as being quick to forgive one another graciously by loving, not with a worldly self-serving love, but with a Christ-like love. (Colossians 3)

The rehearsal lead is generally responsible for co-ordinating & supervising the rehearsals during the Sunday morning. It is within their responsibility to:

ensure that the worship team members are positioned well, know their parts as assigned by the worship leader, and they work with the worship leader to ensure that the members all have the tools they need to rehearse successfully (charts, lyrics, music sheets, etc).
be responsible for distributing all content and preparation notes from the worship leader for the team such as lyrics, chord charts, sheet music, addendums, & spoken transitions.
know the song being sung exactly as the worship leader has arranged or demonstrated it in the preparation notes. This enables them to lead the entire team in the same song and arrangement for a unified approach.

consistently lead the worship team in intentional prayer before and after the rehearsal time each scheduled week.
evidence by their duties and conduct that they are intent on serving the Lord and His people rather than seeking to gain a position of authority, prominence, or power.
take Biblical constraints for the Christian life seriously by demonstrating a life lived, in both public and private, that is Christ exalting and beyond reproach. This includes being an active (Hebrews 10) member of the church in which they are serving (Hebrews 13, Romans 12). A Christ-like life is evidenced by holy living (1 Peter 1), non-conformity to the world’s pursuits (Romans 12), and an exemplary standard of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as well as being quick to forgive one another graciously by loving, not with a worldly self-serving love, but with a Christ-like love. (Colossians 3)

The vocal lead is generally the member of the worship team that leads the other members of the worship team through a strong vocal example for both members and congregation to clearly hear and follow. They:

are depended upon to know the song being sung exactly as arranged or demonstrated it in the worship leader's preparation notes. By knowing the song as it is directed, they can represent the song by leading the other vocalists and the entire congregation in the arrangement for a unified approach.
avoid improvised or accompaniment roles (such as harmony).
study the lyrics and melody of the song and memorize much or all the lyrics in the song so that natural voice projection & eye contact with the congregation during the song is possible. This also provides an opportunity for personal worship when studying to gain a solid understanding of the song’s lyrical content.
evidence by their duties and conduct that they are intent on serving the Lord and His people rather than seeking to gain a position of authority, prominence, or power.
take Biblical constraints for the Christian life seriously by maintaining a life, both in public and private, that is Christ exalting and beyond reproach. This includes being an active (Hebrews 10) member of the church in which they are serving (Hebrews 13, Romans 12). A Christ-like life is evidenced by holy living (1 Peter 1), non-conformity to the world’s pursuits (Romans 12), and an exemplary standard of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as well as being quick to forgive one another graciously by loving, not with a worldly self-serving love, but with a Christ-like love. (Colossians 3)