Adler Ministry Group: Resources/Blog

Worship Leader Wanted - 

Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to spend time with leadership from three major Christian universities to give input into their current academic curriculum as it relates to Church Music Majors. The common dynamic with these three great schools was that the "product" that was graduating under the umbrella of Church Music Degree was NOT in many ways prepared for the expectations of today's church.

My first experience was with the University of Mobile where Roger Breland, (a huge influence in my life since I was 19) was asked to take on the position of Dean of the Center for Performing Arts. As founder of Christian recording group TRUTH in the early 70s, Dr. Breland has made his calling to invest in young Christian talent and in my opinion, he is unparalleled in that quest. The call to retool the scope and vision of this fine music program was the singular act of one man, University of Mobile President, Dr. Mark Foley, who backed Dr. Breland completely thru every major decision involved in this quest. In just a few years time this division of music has shown exponential growth and now features many premiere performing groups including their stunning brass and percussion group, RamCorps and the powerful vocal ensemble, Voices. In addition, Dr Breland has brought to this campus some of the finest academic and musical talent in the country including Integrity Music's Dr. Pete Sanchez, Don Wolf, Dr. Al Miller. 

My second experience was at Liberty University where Dr. Vernon Whaley invited me to teach at their Liberty Center for Worship. Here again, Dr. Jerry Falwell stood with Dr Whaley in the reshaping of their current academic program; not jettisoning the current structure, but adding and broadening the options for today's prospective worship leader. One of the Liberty University Center for Worship strong points is the consistent exposure of their students to real world application by bringing in adjunct faculty members to teach. Current large church worship pastors are invited to teach on a short term basis, but to bring to the classroom real world experience.

The third and most recent was at Trevecca University in Nashville where I spent some of the more stimulating hours I have spent in recent days with five other men from around the country. In attendance for this intensive 36 hours was Chuck Fromm, Editor of Worship Leader Magazine; Howard Rachinski, founder of CCLI; Jim VanHook, Christian Music Industry Veteran; Carlton Dillard, Worship Pastor from Riverbend Church in Austin; and Dr Dan Boone, President of Trevecca University.

The common element to each of these appointments was the desire of these institutions of higher learning to deliberately train up a new generation of worship leaders for the local church. Each of these schools had a strong history of excellent music programs and graduates who entered the work force with excellent music skills. But the shared sentiment among all three was that the needs of the local church were not matching the profies of the graduates coming out of these music programs.

Being given this opportunity has expanded my perspective in some ways, but also has confirmed many of my long standing beliefs in others. 

I think most would agree that the worship / music expectations of today's local church are profoundly different than they were in generations past. The plethora of styles alone makes the expectations for a single local church music program quite mind boggling. Add to that the sense of entitlement felt by today's lay person and you have created a formula for failure in many cases. 

What is a prospective worship pastor to do with a church that asks for a contemporary-blended-mosai