P&W Song selection by our Pastor...HELP!!!

[Rezlifer]

We ran into a little snag with our Praise & Worship...We have an amazing Worship leader but his song selection wasn't really in tune with the direction of our church.He likes to play Jeremiah Bowser a lot,in fact someone made the comment,are they a Jeremiah Bowser cover band...Eeek! Anyway,Pastor wanted a little Hillsong played...After all they do know what they're doing...So this wasn't happening and Pastor sat him down and and said he was going to help select each set list...I do believe our Worship leader hates (for a lack of a better word) Hillsong...But since then our P&W has come ALIVE!!!The congregation loves the music and they sing and dance and they used to just stand there doing nothing so I know the song selection is right on... But,now theres the tension and the lack of enthusiasm on his part...The rest of the band loves it and really gets into it but not the Worship leader...
Being a small town, Worship leaders are really hard to come by and now there are a couple other leaders from other churches talking about how Pastors are dictators and its their way or nothing at all...I don't look at it that way...For me being the sound tech,if Pastor asks or even tells me to do something I will do it...Pastor is in charge and we have our Chain of Command...
This weekend is big for us as we have Andrew Ironside,P&W Pastor from Hillsong Church in Sydney Australia coming and will be preaching Sunday morning and then doing Worship Encounter that evening to a sold out crowd...We are having dinner with the band Saturday night and just chilling out with them and he isn't even planning on being there which to me is just a slap in the face...
When it really gets right down to it its not about our Worship leader but if we lose him we lose out on our Praise & Worship....
Please everyone share your thought...

[MediaGuy]

Your God is bigger than that problem, for sure. Do you think He can't find another person to lead your music? Quit thinking like a human!

On a related note, though... From your description (and it is only through your eyes that we see this problem), it sounds like your worship pastor has some internal problems. He's not leading worship from the soul, but from the heart - if you get the difference; Everyone likes certain types of music more than others. But in order to lead worship, you have to relax that a bit. His job is to lead the church in worship - and they are not all going to worship the same way as him. The fact that your pastor had to start choosing songs, well... in many churches, that worship guy would have been fired already.

You need to pray for your worship leader right now, because he's struggling with things internally: Pride, doubt, responsibility, and certainly personality conflicts. Pray God leads him out of this time - and your church out of this, too... Hopefully with your worship pastor still intact. He's hurting, but so is the church... and God can fix them both (seperately, or at the same time!)

[rePete]

Sorry to hear about this.

There is so much that could be said but the bottom line, in my opinion, is that the pastor has the vision for the church ministry and all the rest of us are there to support him (her) in that vision.

How the WL could not be thrilled about the congregations reaction is beyond me. I lead our worship band. I help pick out the songs and introduce new ones. There is a reason that Hillsongs, Tomlin, Baloche etc. are very popular with a lot of churches. For the most part they are theologically sound, have memorable melodies and are easy for the congregation to sing. Because of those characteristics people find it easy to worship with them.

I pray that you find a good solution for all.

Pete

[[Admin] osborn4]

Originally Posted by Rezlifer

...but if we lose him we lose out on our Praise & Worship....

No. If you lose this guy, God will provide what your church needs. We are blessed in our small (~250) church to have several that can lead worship. In fact, we rotate through and the actual Worship Pastor (that's only part of his job) only leads about once a month. If any one of them leaves, including the Worship Pastor, the others will step in and cover.

From what you've written here, this man is out of line. In our church it is very clear that the Lead Pastor has final say on everything that goes on during the worship services. He delegates most of it out, of course, but he is the final decision maker. His is the responsibility and the authority. Staff under him are to make his vision happen.

[Rezlifer]

Thanks guys...I really struggle with this...I really want our Church to do Gods work but we're so small that any disruption has a huge ripple effect...I know God has a plan but its hard from the Sound boot where my family and I spend so much time...We feel like we're sometimes the only ones that care enough to really sacrifice...I mean come on people!!! Step up to the plate,this is GOD we're talking about!!!

[[Admin] osborn4]

From where I am sitting, this is the main Pastor's problem.

This guy reports to the Pastor, so the Pastor needs to decide if he is doing his job. You can't fix that.

[Rezlifer]

Yeah Pastor and I have been tight for sometime now and I'm in charge of "Creative Expressions" which oversees P&W so Pastor and I have been dealing with this for a while...I simply wanted outside advice and so far it backs how Pastor feels...

[jksbc]

Well, we just went through a very similar situation in our church. I promise you God will provide. I don't know who Jeremiah Bowser is but our WL was leaning toward Israel Howton. The Tomlin, Brewster, Hillsong stuff got much more response from the audience but he insisted on doing more soulfull stuff. He was leading more based on his own desires and not the church's. The pastor didn't get involved at the time but would have if God hadn't just stepped in and taken care of everything in His own time. It turns out this guy got a job in another state and resigned. He left on good friendly terms and is happy. The church had a huge void and we were concerned but again, God took over. Our pastor's wife who was already in the worship band stepped up and took the lead. It was a huge leap of faith since she had only done back up vocals and very few solos. It turns out she is doing a wonderful job and our worship is greater than ever. We do mostly Hillsong but mix in some Church of the Harvest, Tomlin, Brewster, Fee, etc. We have a couple of men in the band that lead songs now and then. They're not the greatest vocally but it works. Just trust God. It sounds like someone needs to lovingly go to your WL and find out where his heart is. If he is disgruntled or discouraged it will interfere with the worship and the band.

[Paris MkVI]

I do not know the heart of this worship leader - who can but God? But I do know this.

God gave our senior pastor a vision for ministry. I must co-labor with God and my pastor to make that vision become reality. I must do all I should do to help make that happen.

I must not ask my church family to bear the weight of my creative dreams. In my area of service, I must serve my church. I must not ask, expect or require my church to serve me.

I can exercise my creative dreams to my hearts content in my own time.

I pray for realization, reconciliation and resolution for your church family in this issue. But if a hardened heart prevents that from happening, God will still provide more than we can dream or think or ask.

Pray and ask for His desire and will to be made known. Believe He will do what He says He will do. Commit to follow-through on His desires. You will be doing what He blesses, and it will be good!