The Church Choir Director as a Spiritual Leader

All biblical references are from the New International Version 2011unless otherwise indicated.

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the

hearts of men.”

~ Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

A successful church choir director is a multi-faceted, heroic figure worthy of Marvel superhero status. While not of comic book or movie fame, these amazing practitioners are tasked with musical, pastoral, and communal responsibilities. In addition, it is helpful if a director has a degree of competency in leadership and managerial skills.  Though some roles may be more vital than others, to be deficient in one can impede a church choir director from reaching their full potential.

We begin with the idea that it is incumbent upon a church choir director to provide spiritual leadership. There are five traits that practitioners can exhibit that can contribute to effective spiritual leadership. While not an exhaustive list, employing these characteristics can result in a most enriching experience for their singers.

It is unlikely that a director begins their journey proficient in all of these areas. If, however, they strive to grow to a place of competency in each quality, their singers will benefit greatly.

Five Spiritual Leadership Qualities for a Church Choir Director

Be a Humble Servant Dedicated to the High Purpose of Glorifying God

Every choir, whether professional, community, school, or church, does well to have a mission statement and supporting core values. Among the plethora of possible values are a few that are unique to a church choir. One such guiding principle is the supreme purpose of glorifying God through the art of choral music. This principle, which seems central to a biblically based choir, is recommended as a priority for a church choir director.

From the songs of the Psalms to the prayers of Jesus, the noble quest of humankind is to glorify God. Psalm 69:30 declares, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” On at least seven occasions Jesus references glorifying the Father. Glorifying God is not only a theme of Christ’s mission but serves as a model for his followers. In one instance, Jesus simply cries, “Father, glorify your name!” This succinct declaration sums up the purpose of music in the church - to glorify the name of the Lord.

The origin of instrumental music is presented in Genesis 4:21. In that verse Jubal is identified as “the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.” It is assumed that birds and perhaps people sang prior to Jubal’s innovation. Ever since music has embellished life on earth; truly, one of the good gifts from the Father. And, like all gifts from above, music is created for the pleasure and glory of its Creator.

With the understanding that music is a gift of God with a binary purpose of human enjoyment and its Creator’s glory, it is appropriate that the church choir director serve with humility. There will be occasions when a director receives praise for their choir’s performance. In those times the director has a choice; either genuinely or disingenuously deflect praise to God. For a director whose choir ministers regularly, there will be many occasions when no such words of appreciation are offered. Humility will be tested on those occasions as well. A choir director, like all who walk in humility, does well to expect no expressions of affirmation.

Goals should be set, and a vision embarked upon, yet the church choir director must be resolute about the choir’s purpose - the why behind each objective. As Saint Augustine wrote, “Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.” Murray adds, “Humility is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God.”

There is certainly competition for glory that comes with this gift of music. Music itself possesses a certain distinction of glory. By glory we mean “praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent.” However, when the beauty of a sacred choral selection (or any musical performance) merits glory, it must be the lesser glory.

Additionally, there is also a form of individual glory that can tempt a performer, including a conductor. Yet, as the psalmist declares in Psalm 115:1: “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” The love and faithfulness of God is beyond compare. Nor does God share his glory, as King Herod Agrippa tragically learned. (It should be noted that this severe judgment of God occurred after a public performance [speech] by the king.)

A director who maintains a heart of worship will have as their primary motivation a quest to glorify God through their choir’s ministry. With the realization that pride can easily creep into one’s spirit, moments spent in quiet reflection and prayer can help calibrate a director’s heart to its rightful, humble place. In addition, welcoming accountability by those in one’s inner circle can assist in keeping a God-glorifying spirit. Soli de gloria!

Be a Visionary Who Dreams of a Better Future

The church choir director is responsible to serve as a visionary for the spiritual and musical future of their choir. Andy Stanley describes vision as “a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.” Every church choir director either inherits or starts a choir. In both cases, they do well to have a sense of what can be realized in their choir, coupled with a deep conviction that such a future must be experienced.

Those who want to be on a successful team, athletic or otherwise, desire so because they are attracted to greatness. It’s been said that no one signs up for average. When a person joins a choir, they will only commit precious resources such as time, energy, and finance if there is a robust vision for the ensemble’s future.

The choir director’s vision must align with senior leadership’s vision for the church. (See below.) As the director visualizes a dynamic future for the choir, they must do so without compromising the alignment that is vital to keeping unity in the church. Here are some visionary ideas that are spiritual in nature for choir leadership to consider:

• the spiritual formation of choir members

• learning and practicing biblical qualifications of being in God’s manifest presence

• facilitating worship experiences for their congregation

• following a New Testament church model for the choir

• participating in outreach opportunities that share the Gospel

• cultivating a service-oriented Kingdom attitude

There is always a better future a choir can experience. A thoughtful, collaborative review of the state of the choir will assist in prioritizing where fresh vision is needed. Articulating vision will communicate what God is stirring in the hearts of leadership. Such revelation will inspire enthusiasm, resulting in a deeper commitment from choir members.

Vision is imperative. Without it, the forecast for the future is rather bleak. Proverbs 29:18 is clear on this subject: “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed” (The Message).Or the classic KJV rendering: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (29:18a). One might say without vision a choir will stumble and perhaps even perish. It is certain they will not flourish. Choir members need to hear what God has put in the heart of their director so they can visualize a better future. When vision becomes action, the people will be most blessed!

Support the Mission of the Church and Vision of the Lead Pastor

A mission statement of a church declares why it exists. A mission is unchanging. The vision of a church, typically championed by its leadership team, unpacks fresh strategy as to how the mission will be accomplished. While mission doesn’t change, vision is fluid. Problems occur when leaders (and/or followers) lock on to one vision too long. There are seasons in the life of a church and fresh vision is needed for each new season.

Many ministries have an annual Vision Sunday to highlight new ways the church’s mission can be accomplished. Though a church’s mission was unchanged, I imagine Vision Sundays in 2020 and 2021 were quite different than in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The choir must compliment, not compete with, church leadership’s dream for the future. For this complimentary vision to be realized, a choir director must spend time in conversation with the lead pastor - hearing their heart, asking questions, and debriefing occasionally regarding the choir’s role supporting that vision.

It is helpful for the choir director to develop thick skin for the occasions when (not if) they miss the lead pastor’s target. It can be productive for the choir director to initiate conversations with the lead pastor to assess whether the choir is hitting the mark. Such inquiries establish whether the choir is meeting expectations for worship services and concerts.

Such prompts can disarm the lead pastor, eliminating unnecessary stress that accompanies confrontations.  If a director has honorable intentions (not simply fishing for a compliment) and doesn’t take constructive criticism personally, the bond between these two key leaders will grow exponentially and the ministry will advance. And as the conversation develops, ideas for how the choir can serve the pastor’s vision more effectively can be discussed.

Prior to presenting new proposals to the lead pastor, the director does well to consider whether the proposed activity will advance the mission of the church. Does it align with the vision the pastor has for the church? If the answer to either question is no, then an adjustment or termination of the idea is necessary. And, if still uncertain, a conversation with the lead pastor will bring clarification.

Be a Motivator who Provides Inspirational Leadership

I once served as the choir director at a church where the choir literally sang fifty-two Sundays each year. When asked if the choir could have Christmas Sunday off, the response by the lead pastor was, “I can’t imagine a Sunday without the choir singing.” While I had hoped to give the choir the holiday Sunday off, I must admit it was nice to hear how much the pastor valued their ministry.

The more often a choir sings, the more times they will need to be inspired. For example, a Major League Baseball (MLB) manager has a far greater challenge than a National Football League (NFL) head coach in this regard. The MLB manager must inspire his team for 162 regular season games. That is a lot of inspiration! On the other hand, an NFL head coach must fire up his team only seventeen times unless they make the playoffs.

I believe the best way to inspire a choir is to constantly tell them why they are doing what they do. Rehearsals deal with the what and how. A schedule will tell them the when. A paid choir need not know the why. Their paycheck is the why. A volunteer choir, however, needs to be reminded in creative ways why they rehearse, sound check, perform, and serve.

Scripture is a wonderful way to bring inspiration to the team called the choir. From the great songbook called Psalms to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, to the story of the launch of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles, to the letters of the Apostles, to the window into heaven’s song in Revelation - there is more than enough material to inspire a choir for years!

In addition to Scripture, testimonies from choir members can provide compelling inspiration. Songs often impact choir members long before a congregation interacts with the music. Certain songs build faith in singers; confidence in what God can do. How inspiring it is to hear a choir member say, “This is what the song says about God, and I have found it to be true in my life. Here is what God has done.” They proceed in sharing their personal story of God’s faithfulness.

When it comes to inspiring a choir, never discount the impact of words of appreciation from the lead pastor. When a choir knows that the pastor notices and appreciates their ministry, it means a lot. Such moments can help strengthen the bond between the pastor and choir, enhancing their shared platform ministry.

Finally, devotionals given by the director based on a song the choir is rehearsing can be inspiring for the singers. When a choir learns how a song has personally impacted their director, it can open their hearts even more to the song. It is also helpful when a director shares why they selected a certain arrangement for the choir to sing.

Through scriptures, testimonies, the occasional thank you from the lead pastor, and lyrics-based devotionals, the choir can be reminded in various ways why they sing to the Lord. Truly, there is more than enough inspiration to fill fifty-two Sundays a year!

Shepherd Your Flock

We began this chapter with a qualification distinctive to a director of Christian choirs and end with another unique trait. A church choir director, whether paid or volunteer, ideally serves in a pastoral capacity. Based on the biblical metaphor of Christ the Good Shepherd and his followers, the sheep, the choir is a flock in need of a local shepherd. Ideally a church choir director will care for the “singing sheep” with a pastor’s heart.

Before considering the role of the choir shepherd, it may be helpful to look at the well-known traits of sheep. Sheep are generally known as followers, fearful, seekers of light, possess aggressive tendencies, and are resistant to change. With a reputation of not being very intelligent, they are quick learners with good memories. Again, these are generalizations of sheep. Be assured, I have had many choir members more intelligent than me!

I have enjoyed shepherding many singing sheep through the years. And, while most have been harmless lambs, there have been occasions when I have encountered each of these wooly characteristics. The sheep/shepherd metaphor goes all the way back to the Old Testament. Proverbs 27:23-27 admonishes shepherds to know well the condition of their flocks, to give attention to their herds. The word condition means to know “the faces of” the flock.

When I think of knowing the face of someone - really knowing them - such knowledge consists of learning features that makes them unique. It moves beyond the color of their skin to the shape and color of their eyes, the pitch of their nose, the wonder of their smile, and perhaps the contrastive appearance when they cry. Knowing the singers in a choir means being able to identify some of the unique qualities of their personage.

The aloof choir director who is more interested in themselves, or the making of music, will not be the shepherd their singing flock needs. Giving careful attention means “to set your heart to” - to know and care for the people in the choir.

The larger the choir the more challenging it is for one person to shepherd them. This is why the heart of the shepherd must be reproduced in lay leadership so that a shepherding spirit permeates throughout the choir. Group shepherding can be as formal as dividing the choir into small groups with assigned caregivers or as informal as spontaneous moments in rehearsal. Personally, I feel the former is more likely to produce real shepherding experiences with a choir.

In addition to the mandate given to shepherds, Proverbs 27:23-27 also identifies how caring shepherds will benefit from proper shepherding. The lambs will provide (clothing) for the shepherd. The application here, I sense, is that a well-cared for choir will provide all that their director needs. As verse 27 says, “there will be enough.”

David was a great king; perhaps the greatest as a warrior, musician, and, most importantly, as a man after God’s own heart. Did he lead like a warrior, an artist, or like a shepherd? After all, he was all three. Psalm 78:52 gives this insight: “(Then) he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.”

God cares about how his people are led. The book of Jeremiah presents a case study on this subject:

• “The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the LORD. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered” Jeremiah 10:21 ESV.

• “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding” Jeremiah 3:15 ESV.

• “‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the LORD” Jeremiah 23:1 ESV.

When I read about sheep scattering because of bad shepherding, I translate that to choir members leaving because of bad pastoring. People can literally get destroyed (Jeremiah 23:1) emotionally and spiritually from poor shepherding. The solution is to seek wisdom from the LORD (Jeremiah 10:21) and to have the heart of God to know and understand the people (Jeremiah 3:15).

Finally, we learn from Jesus regarding his desired priority for spiritual leaders from his conservation with Peter recorded in John 21:15-17. Twice, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him with agape (entirely selfless love). Each time Peter responds positively, “Yes, Lord, you know that I phileo (brotherly love) you.” First, Jesus instructs Peter to “feed my lambs.” The second time, Jesus responds, “Tend to my sheep.”

In the third exchange, Jesus changes from agape to phileo love in his questioning of Peter's affection toward him. Again, Peter responds affirmatively followed by Jesus reinforcing his command: “Feed my sheep.”

I have heard it explained why it is believed Jesus used agape two times, then phileo, while Peter consistently used phileo love. Perhaps the reason is as simple as Jesus linking the two; stating that the ideal brotherly love is entirely selfless love. The application is for the church choir director is clear. Jesus wants his choirmasters to shepherd their singing flock well.

In Summary

One chapter cannot contain all the spiritual qualities a director needs to serve a choir capably. Nonetheless, the qualities we have discussed are those that have moved from merely opinions to deep-felt convictions for this practitioner.

In the song “Step by Step,” recorded by the late Rich Mullins, are the lyrics: “I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways. And step by step you’ll lead me. And I will follow you all of my days.” When overwhelmed with the task of leading a church choir well, a director will do well to follow these lyrics.

I remember well my early days as a young church choir director. Though I had a degree in music, there was so much I didn’t know. Being a practitioner was so different than being a student. In time characteristics of spiritual leadership gleaned from Scripture were understood and put into practice. I also learned much from working with eight lead pastors regarding mission, vision, core values, and alignment. Then, of course, there are lessons learned through the years from singing sheep. Those lessons are invaluable. Truly, the spiritual formation of a leader of church choirs is a step-by-step proposition. Rich Mullins had it right.

A church choir director who seeks God, learns to walk in his ways, leans into biblical leadership principles, has a teachable spirit, loves their sheep, and follows Jesus all their days will ascend as a shepherding pastor of their flock of singers.

Points of Reflection

1. Spend some time reflecting on why you seek excellence in your choir’s performances. Can you honestly say that your motivation is for the choir to bring their best offering to God - for his glory and his alone? Regularly reflect on your motivation.

2. Do you spend much time thinking about the future of your choir? It is so easy to focus on the press of the current. Spend some time thinking of a better future for your choir. In what areas could your choir go from good to great in the next year? What has the choir never experienced that could be a visionary addition?

3. When was the last time you sat with your lead pastor and discussed how effectively the choir was supporting the church’s mission, current vision, and preaching/teaching ministry? If it’s been a while, consider reaching out to your pastor to schedule a conversation. I guarantee they will appreciate this.

4. How often do you remind your choir why they do what they do? What is your strategy to keep your choir inspired? Inspiration doesn’t happen naturally.

5. Shepherding the choir begins the moment a person agrees to direct a choir. Loving the people in a choir should grow over time. If you have been directing a choir for a while, can you say that your love is growing for the sheep entrusted to your care? Are you naturally inclined to like people? I say this because the interpersonal aspect of serving a group of people is very challenging for some. Perhaps this is an area for you to give some attention to through counsel and prayer. As Solomon wrote, “Know the condition of your flock.”