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Worship Leaders-Paid or Unpaid?
I hate the word, "volunteer." I am an unpaid worship leader, and have been for seven years, and I've never been offered payment although the worship leader before me was full time staff. I oversee all performances that go before our congregation, like the dance team, the youth ministry choir, children's performances, specials, and I'm over the children's worship as well. I do what I do as unto the Lord and work full time outside of the church. As you can imagine, this poses some challenges all around.
So, I'd like to open up a discussion for worship leaders. Are you paid or unpaid? What are the challenges you've faced in either of those positions, and how have you overcome them? I know this could seem like a very broad topic, but I'm hoping this will serve as an encouragement for us that we are not alone in the challenges we endure in our endeavors to lift the name of Jesus!
So, I'd like to open up a discussion for worship leaders. Are you paid or unpaid? What are the challenges you've faced in either of those positions, and how have you overcome them? I know this could seem like a very broad topic, but I'm hoping this will serve as an encouragement for us that we are not alone in the challenges we endure in our endeavors to lift the name of Jesus!
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Easter Worship 2.bmp, 801 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by jaime on -
To me, it all depends on if the church is using God's money in other areas properly. If they are feeding the poor, clothing the naked and doing tons of outreach, and there is still some funding left over, then consider it. I think it should depend on, if the other full time job gets in the way of doing your job too.
I feel that it has been given unto us for free, we should give it away for free. I understand that most people would not like that response, but I didn't write it. Pray about it and whatever you feel good about is the right answer.
You are gainging tons of points, trying to close the gap!!!
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Permalink Reply by Kathy L on -
On the whole, there's not a lot of the out-of-the-church-doors feeding going on. Lots of money put into TV commercials to bring folks in though. Not much outreach. (Our prison ministry is very active)
I could not give up my paying job to do unpaid worship leading, and I've not gotten offered pay or even a stipend for it, nor do I believe they would offer...work must be the priority over leading worship in reality, but worship is my heart, and God is my provider, not the church.
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Permalink Reply by Luis Cascalheira on -
HELLO -HELLO KATHY you great woman of GOD,good topic,when i read this a couple of min ago,i thought that we at some time have heard some people saying,Yes but the Levites shared in the tithes and so on and so,my opinion is that we should all do what we do to be a blessing,and its GODS KINGDOM we are building,although if a congregation ,believes they can afford it then they would have full time musicians,working full time in this ministry to achieve excellence.Now in one breath i am saying one thing , and in another i am saying something else.But in my church,we dont look at music as that important to a degree, where some times we don't even practice, and are expected to play on the Sunday,this has always been a sore point for me ,as the worldly musicians,strive for excellence in what they do.Now i am not saying by paying the musicians it will make them committed, but to a certain degree maybe they will feel more serious about how the church feels about this ministry,but the most important of all to me is our hearts must be right,if it is not we should maybe take a break from the worship team,and have the LORD minister to us,i believe we as musicians so long to sing and play and worship the KING, BUT sometimes(most times) HE also wants to minister to us,none the less,should we be paid, maybe churches who abuse funds for personal gain should read this topic,as i believe financially ,their would be an impact in artists being able to record the songs ,and start saturating the earth with HIS SONG.
LUIS
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Permalink Reply by Diana on -
Hi Kathy,
wow, I am blessed to hear about what you are doing. My retirement goal in about 10 or so years is to cut back on work and be in such a position. I serve for a home fellowship in that capacity but that is minimal time investment but its a place to learn and grow and I have. do you sleep? Its almost lie 2 full time jobs isn't it?
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Permalink Reply by Kathy L on
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It is very much like two full time jobs, and sometimes like making bricks without hay! The expectations are no less than the ones placed on the last leader who was full time staff, and actually, I do a lot more than he did.
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Permalink Reply by Pete Brower on -
I've been both. When I stepped up to worship leader from volunteer guitarist I did it to serve, not make money. I did that for a while but our church insisted on paying me something so I finally gave in and accepted a very small salary. Funny, I've never before negotiated my salary down before. I also have a full time office job so the worship leader income was not something I needed. The difference at our church is that as a paid staff person I now have more authority as a worship leader, I have control over the worship budget, I have a credit card, etc. I had a hard time coming to terms with getting a check for serving. I decided to keep that money separate and use it for things that come up like sponsoring a youth for a mission trip that would otherwise not be able to go, supplementing the worship budget by buying some things out of my account, paying for private voice lessons to lead better, etc. If I get to the point that I can't keep both jobs then I'll evaluate things again. At that point I will need an income.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Kirkendall on -
I'm full time staff at our church. (paid position). I think that it is beneficial for me (obviously) because I can devote 100% of my time to the church. With me, I worked as a volunteer for 8 years. and it was a challenge because with me going to school, having to have a job to support myself, AND lead worship- i couldn't be available for the service times. therefore, I couldn't do what the church NEEDED me to do or what I was CALLED to do. So it is a huge blessing to be able to do what I love and get paid for it. However, I dont feel that I "deserve" payment for my service to the Lord- I think of it more along the lines as a blessing for being obedient to Him.
I think sometimes that we in the church are so scared of letting anyone be recognized of praised for their work because we want to keep people humble that we neglect people's real needs.
Trust me, after 10 years of ministry, the complements and the money doesn't give me the big head- I have plenty of people around me and circumstances that deflate that before it ever starts.
The one challenge that I have faced (not to an extreme degree but faced it nonetheless) is that because people know I'm a staff member of the church - they seem to think I'm a jukebox- who will play their songs because they pay me. It doesn't work that way.
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Permalink Reply by Luis Cascalheira on
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fantastic comment,i agree and well put brother,i like the juke box illustration, as this is not the way the HOLY SPIRIT would want us to minister,i must say i would love to be payed to do what i truly enjoy.
MAY THE LORD RICHLY BLESS YOU EVEN MORE,HE sees you worthy;
LUIS from Cape Town
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Permalink Reply by Cincinnati_Musician on -
Right now I am volunteer, and I'm not complaining at all because I absolutely loved it. At one point the church offered to pay me, and I declined because I felt the church needed to use the money elsewhere.
Right now though, the balance between what I feel called to do, and what I'm required to do in the world is strained. I'm a full-time college student, I work 30 hours a week at a paying job on top of leading worship at my church. My church is small, and usually the work load is not on the scale of a larger church with more music programs besides just the praise team, but recently school and work is straining my ministry obligations and callings.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Kirkendall on
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I hear that.
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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Gardner on -
Wow, Kathy, you are one busy lady!!
I am an unpaid worship leader as well.....for about the same number of years you have, in fact. For the last several years I seem to have also slipped into the role of 'worship and the arts' director, unpaid too. I don't have an outside paying job, but I have a special needs daughter living at home who requires some extra consideration in whatever I do.
I'm sure a paid person would feel more obligated to devote greater amounts of time to the job. I know I would. So, for that reason, it's probably better that I'm not paid. Our church is small, so there are fewer people to call on, which means the same ones do more. I like it that I can be flexible. There is a limited amount of time I can work on church related things, even though I am needed to do more. I don't hesitate to say "I can't work on that at this time." I do, however, try to find out what the people in the congregation can do and will do and I call on them when needed. For instance, I passed around a detailed sign up sheet for the needs in putting on a production...I was surprised how many people are willing to use their skills if needed, but they just don't let anyone know. Unfortunately, it's not that easy when it comes to worship leading...it seems I'm just about the only one in our congregation who is able to do that. So, I call on the pastor, who has graciously offered to help if needed.
One thing I believe strongly. If any job, paid or unpaid, becomes a real chore and you find yourself dreading each time you have to do something, it's time to either cut back or get out....at least for a while until you find out if it's burnout or time to do something else. I think you can usually know that you are where you are supposed to be if you enjoy what you're doing.
So, those are my views, some of my challenges I face and how I deal with them as an unpaid leader.
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