rom Mike Bolley serving in Wichita, KS
QUESTION:Who may play in the band?
I've seen your essay on "Who is a Worship Leader?" I would be interested to know your thoughts on a related question of "Who may play in the band?" In other words, do you think it is important that each musician have certain spiritual qualifications in order to participate, or can the opportunity to perform music (and the attendant involvement with worship) be an avenue of ministry to the "unsaved" or to the "weaker brother?"
RICK MUCHOW:
Does everyone who plays in the band have to attend the church or at least be a Christian?
No.
The band ministry can be a great way to get unbelievers involved in the church. In the last 18 years, I have seen several musicians accept Christ after playing in the band. There is room for ministry inside the band, not just through the band. This is considered a delicate issue, but I see room for non-believers if you have open slots. You should always utilize the talent God has provided in your church body first, but if there are open slots then there is potential for ministry.
Why wouldn't we want a non-believer to play in the band? There are some great reasons:
1) A non-believer can't worship. While a non-believer can't worship the God he doesn't know, his talent was still provided by God. The musician's use of that talent in a church service honors God.
2) A non-believer might be mistaken for a role model. Are band members seen as a spiritual model because they are on the platform? Yes, but doesn't that apply to everyone who comes to the church? People who come to church often mistakenly assume that anyone in that church is a Christian role model. We're all on a journey at various stages. The band members are generally not pastors. It is important that the person on the platform upholds the general values of the church off the platform. They can't be living with their girlfriend/boyfriend. They can't be cheating people. They must have a good reputation and generally good character. In 18 years, I've had more situations of correction with Christians than with non-believers. I've never had a non-believer in the band who gossiped, was consistently late, or caused division. Most of us realize that being a Christian does not make us a good person. We are not better than non-believers, only forgiven. I certainly wouldn't utilize a non-believer as a leader, but their music talents can certainly be used.
I also wouldn't use a non-believer just to make the band sound better. Use the non-believer to fill in holes not found in the congregation. Again, you should always utilize the talent God has provided in your church body first. If he's left open slots, then there is potential for ministry. Hopefully that person will become part of the congregation in the future!
