Worship Leaders and Our Pastors

(I am writing this as someone who leads people in worship. So when I use pronouns like we and us, I am refering to worship leaders. I just thought I would make that clear.)

Pastors of our church are just as much worship leaders as those that lead music. Now, not all pastors have any idea of musical theory, but worship is so much more than just the music. Worship is how we live our lives in a God-honoring way. It is the job of the pastors of the church to equip the people with biblical wisdom and knowledge of how to live that life. With that said, God has placed us in the churches we are in so that we can best serve our pastors and their plan of leading people into Salvation.

We must realize that no two pastors will be the same. It could take us a great deal of time and prayer to be able to coexist with some pastors. The key is to know that you need to be on the same page as they are. We must be on board with the leadership plans. It is not healthy for us to have our own agenda that opposes the lead pastor's. Hebrews 13:17 says worship leaders should be an asset and a joy for their pastors. After all, it is his church to lead; we are only leading them in a certain aspect. The pastor is there to train and bring up his people in the Word. It is important to know that regardless of the pastor, he is a gift to you and the church. 

Ephesians 4:11-12 says, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry..." Paul was telling the church in Ephesus that God sent all these different people to fill these different job roles to train and equip us with what we need to accurately proclaim the gospel. And God has given the pastor, not the worship leader, the responsibility for the direction of the church. If we disagree with the pastor, because we have sinful reasoning, we are the ones who need to submit according to Hebrews 13:17. 

Proverb 18:2 says, "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." We need to listen to whatever correction or encouragement our pastor makes toward us. His leadership lets the church know that they are in good hands. And if we blow off everything he has to say about how we do our part, then we are tearing apart the church body. It is important to watch and listen for a pastor's theology, his heart, his understanding of his role, the way he relates to his wife and children, the way he relates to his staff, and so much more. If there are sketchy areas in him that you might think are unbiblical, they should be addressed. For all you know, you could be the one being unbiblical. 

It is crucial for the pastor/worship leader relationship that we be willing to initiate and communicate any good or bad issues we might have. Ask him what he thinks of how the music went and what he thought could have been done differently. It’s good for him to know that you respect his opinion and his leadership. Both the pastor and worship leaders will grow if there is open communication between the two of them. It will build a foundation for a strong partnership. Because we are part of the same team and our goal is to bring people into God's glory.

We need to be able to learn from our pastor. He is not only teaching the people in the congregation, but he is also teaching us as leadership. The church will take notice when we grow as leaders. They will appreciate it and it will honor God that we are growing closer to Him. And when we grow, our pastors will appreciate it as well. When we grow musically, we will have more to offer in leading our team. We     will have a greater to play any song suggestions the pastor might have for us. Pastors aren't generally aware of what it takes to play some songs, so it is important that we take the initiative in progressing here.

Worship leaders need to have a heart after Jesus' heart. That is the heart of a servant. We must be willing to serve our pastors and make their tasks a joy. A church with leadership that is never on the same page is destined to fall apart. For the sake of the church, and for the love of the Father, we must be in partnership with the pastor and know that he is the one God has place in leadership over the church.