MUSICIANS IN PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT
FORGING A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLERGY AND MUSICIANS Eileen Guenther
I
N ALL THE CHURCHES I know about, in- cluding churches where I have wor- shiped or worked, the core ministry
team is the same—a pastor and musi- cian(s). Unfortunately, some never think of this relationship as a team. But it is one of the most significant staff relationships in the church, and one of the most critical components in any church’s realization of its mission and ministry. Churches operate with different staffing
patterns according to denomination, size, and location. I’m writing from the as- sumption that many churches have clergy and musicians as principal worship de- signers. These individuals may have dif- ferent perspectives on the worship experi- ence, its goals, and how they are achieved. All too often, one hears of uncollegial, un- healthy, and sometimes even abusive re- lationships between clergy and musician. And the situation can become even more challenging in this era of falling atten- dance, diminishing resources, and seis- mic shifts in worship styles. Can we begin with a mutual “confes-
sion”? If we are to be totally honest, we musicians can be elitist, controlling, diffi- cult, demanding, and uncompromising. My clergy colleagues make the same con- fession: they, too, can be elitist, control- ling, difficult, demanding, and uncompro- mising. So, how then can we—clergy and musicians—function as a team, rather than rivals, to better understand one an- other, and work more effectively together? Develop an understanding of roles.
When musicians and clergy begin work- ing together, one of their first conversa- tions should concern the relationship they want with each other. It’s a two-way street, and while musicians do not have the position of power that clergy have, be- ing on the same page is critical. Building trust takes time, work, and patience. Com- mitment to building the relationship will pay huge dividends. Have this conversa- tion as early in your relationship as possi- ble in order to give yourselves a solid foundation upon which to build a team. Work toward a common understand-
ing of the role of music in worship. Share your visions: How does each of you expe- rience music as supporting and enhancing the other elements of the service? Effective church musicians have a cogent, spiritu- ally grounded, and thoughtfully articu- lated theology of music’s role in church, particularly in worship. It’s helpful, too, for clergy to share their ideas about how
God speaks through music as well as through the spoken word (scripture, liturgy, sermon). Learn to appreciate one another’s dis-
cipline. A solid clergy-musician team is best based on a certain amount of knowl- edge of each other’s discipline. Musicians need to understand theological and litur- gical language, have a basic grasp of church history and the Bible, and know what it takes to write a sermon. Clergy need to have an acquaintance with music, knowledge of sacred music repertoire, and an idea of what it takes to play with hands and feet at the same time. Both profes- sionals need to develop an appreciation for the years it took to develop their par- ticular skills. Meet regularly. Many musicians are
part-time employees and find it difficult to attend staff meetings. “Can’t we do the planning by e-mail or on the phone?” they ask. No! I am absolutely convinced that, whether the meetings are weekly, monthly, or even quarterly, clergy and musicians need to meet to plan worship and build their relationship. I have said this in workshops many times, and years later people will come up to me and say, “You know what you said about the im- portance of staff meetings? Well, we started doing that, and it has totally changed our church!” Address problems. In a healthy envi-
ronment, staff members agree to speak di- rectly with each other as soon as possible when a problem arises. They also agree not to triangulate—i.e., never to complain to another colleague, a choir member, or a member of the congregation. Showconcern for other’s area of minis-
try. It’s not all just about the music! The other ministry areas of the church are im- portant to the church and affect the music program as well. It is discouraging to work with individuals who think theirs is the only program in the church that really matters. “A rising tide floats all boats” is a truism that is, in fact, true!
Eileen Guenther (eguenther@wesleyseminary. edu) is professor of church music at Wesley Theological Seminary and national presi- dent of the American Guild of Organists. She is the author of Rivals or a Team? Clergy- Musician Relationships in the Twenty-First Century (MorningStar Music Publishers, 2012). The book is available at
Amazon.com,
Morningstarmusic.com, and as an e-book.
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THE AMERICAN ORGANIST
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