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When I started working at the SBTC in June 2014, one of the first things on my to-do list was to get a clearer picture of the churches we serve. What I gleaned from available data was that 76 percent of SBTC churches have bi-vocational or volunteer worship pastors. Just as surprising to me was that bi-vocational worship pastors are serving at churches of all sizes.
Additionally, I have also come to realize that many churches in our convention have no consistent worship leader week in and out. Churches often rely on recordings or YouTube videos to provide music for congregational singing. While this is a great use of technology to meet a current need, it is missing the pastoral presence a church receives from a minister, whether bi-vocational or full-time.
This data convinced me that we have an incredible need for bi-vocational music ministers. At the same time, our supply, bi-vocational and volunteer worship leaders need resources and training opportunities that do not fit conventional methodologies. Armed with this information, I feel I have a clearer lens to look through when developing programs and resources to help SBTC churches.
In light of this, I am grateful for the bi-vocational and volunteer worship leaders who serve our churches. You are giving your time, talent and resources to serve the bride of Christ, and this service cannot be underestimated. Your sacrifice and service have not gone unnoticed and are to be greatly commended. Thank you for serving churches like you do.
I am grateful for the bi-vocational and volunteer worship leaders who serve our churches. You are giving your time, talent and resources to serve the bride of Christ, and this service cannot be underestimated. Your sacrifice and service have not gone unnoticed and are to be greatly commended.
Lance Beaumont
The SBTC Worship Ministries is here to help you do ministry more effectively. Some of the ways we can assist you are in worship technology training and optimization, locating musical resources and songs for worship, music and worship leadership training, and having a person to call when you have questions about worship ministry. We also have training resources, music and worship related, on our website (sbtexas.com/worship). Using this platform we can cover a narrow topic in three to five minutes.
I also believe we need more bi-vocational worship leaders, plain and simple. For this reason, we are working to create mentorship opportunities throughout the state for college students. Many college students are involved in worship ministries while they are in school—serving on college praise teams or playing in praise bands at the churches there are attending in college. We should be mentoring these college students in the areas of discipleship, worship leading and theology, pastoral care, and musical skills so when they start their careers they are equipped to serve a local church in worship ministry. This is not a quick-fix solution to the issues I see in worship leadership, but it just might be a solid long-term one.
Students need to have opportunities to serve in worship leadership. A church’s next worship leader might be a junior in high school. The primary resource we have to equip high school students in this way is LEAD Camp. LEAD Camp is a one-week intensive summer camp where students are taught Christian leadership principles, worship theology and planning, instrumental lessons and master classes, how to run rehearsals and build worship teams. We should think of our high school students like a baseball farm team, giving them an opportunity to “do the reps” of worship leadership. In this way, we will equip and train the next generation of church leaders.
Without bi-vocational and volunteer worship pastors, worship in our churches would suffer. My goal at the SBTC level is to serve, resource and equip our churches for dynamic worship.
