Ministry Staff
October 1, 2000
The music staff was fuming. I could hear their complaints as I walked down the hall. "This will never work. We might as well cancel all the music." "He didn't even ask what we thought. He just sent this memo." "This never would've happened if Jerry were here." Maybe, but I doubted it. Our new pastor had a different leadership style from his predecessor. And since the departure of the minister of music, the rest of us had little representation in big decisions. I opened the door. "Becky, look what he's done now." Our music associate rehearsed the group's grievances while waving the pastor's memo about. The pastor was preaching longer sermons. The services were running overtime, and people were grumbling. Beside each item in the order of service, he had noted a time allotment: two minutes for a hymn, a minute-and-a-half for a chorus, three minutes for the anthem. "This is unrealistic. Why should we bother to show up on Sunday?" "Have you told the pastor that?" I asked. They looked at each other. "No." "Well, I will!" Approaching the "unapproachable"
People tell me I'm easy to work with, but, in fact, I can be confrontational. I suppose that's why the staff hoped I would talk with the pastor about the memo. In my six years at that church, I worked with two pastors, two interim pastors, and three ministers of music. When between music leaders, guiding the music program fell to me in addition to my responsibilities as organist. Living with this revolving door that is large church ministry, I have based my staff relationships on unwavering support and, when necessary, unvarnished candor. Even with my superiors. "Plan a service using the pastor's guidelines, and I'll take it to him and share our concerns," I told my fellow musicians. They knew ...
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