Singers Vs Worship Leaders

“Morris, please teach us microphone techniques…”
“I cannot sing in that key, it is too high for me…” 

“I am not able to sing as backup while he/she is leading worship… their key is too high, er, guys, can you please tweak that key a little… just a little?” 

“This is how I am used to singing, if you don’t like it that is your own problem. I just can’t sing in the manner you are recommending… I just cannot…”

“That keyboard player/instrumentalist/drummer/guitarist ain’t playing what I want the way I want it… they ain’t bringing out that hook as it should… they are making it too hard for me to sing…”

If you are a leader in a worship team, the above concerns from team members are as common as it can get. You probably have heard it from your team members hundreds of times (depending with how long you have been in charge of singing in that given congregation.) It is also likely that whenever these team members bring up these issues, they actually are not so much interested in making corrections or improving in the art of worship and singing, and in the area of their complaints.

Today, in a short but very direct way, I want to help us differentiate between so-called singers and lead worshipers with reference to a worship team and a church congregation of any size.

First things first though…

I describe singers as anyone who can sing. They sing in the bathroom, while doing laundry, while cooking, while out with friends partying… they just can sing. They may sing with or without order and may or may not be committed members of a worship team. That is what they are.

On the other hand, worship leaders (and not necessarily worship team leaders)are members of a singing community or team that are able to lead and teach others how to sing, and can interact with a crowd (or congregation) and make them (through conviction, gentle persuasion or whatever way) on how to sing whatever they want them to sing – how to sing anything. One unique thing about them (worship leaders) is that they command the stage and everyone falls in tune with whatever they are directing or guiding them to do.

Inasmuch as there are these differences, it is good to note that there is a close resemblance between the two (singers and worship leaders) because they both sing and are both involved (in one way or another) in standing before an audience while singing.

Notable quote: Everyone can sing, but not everyone can lead others in singing. (Especially a congregation full of diversified people from different classes – okay, classes shouldn’t be in Church, or should they? – and cultures.) Everyone knows a song or two, but not everyone can teach that song to everyone else so that they may come out knowing it as much as they should.

So you may be asking yourself, “Morris, why in the whole good world of music are you talking to us about such obvious things…?” Obvious things, huh?

Well, note the following…

The definition of music and worship in the Church has changed a lot over the years. Since the times of The First/Early Church, corporate/congregational worship has changed exponentially. You will agree with me that our differences in denominational upbringing have not only influenced our doctrinal inclination within the Christian community, but that it has also affected the manner in which we worship God. The way we structure our services (on whatever day we have chosen to worship God), the tools and instruments we use, the manner in which we display acts or worship, the stance of our worship leaders, the kind of songs each congregation sings, the way we include others in our singing/worship, the way we incorporate Scripture in our singing/worship services etc… have influenced and redefined the general aura of congregational worship in every church across the world.

Of course, the centre of argument within most worship leaders and pastors in the Christian fraternity around the world will be that we are all seeking to worship God in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24), but notably, the truth is that while seeking to worship the Creator in spirit and in truth, we have formed for our own selves differing views on corporate worship and the fruits thereof. This in itself has changed how (or has helped redefine how) members of a given worship team interact with each other and afterwards, with the congregation. This also defines how well they will rehearse and practice before presenting the aftermath of this to the congregation.

For instance, a worship team that cares less about the quality and influence of the music they produce before God and the congregation will have more singers than worship leaders. It will have a greater number of its team concentrating on performance than on a relationship and intimacy with the God that is being worshipped. This team will practice less, mind less about knowing their strong and weak points while working as a team and will neither pray for a better presentation and the movement of the Spirit of God nor about the people being ministered to during the worship service.

You probably have also heard of the emergence of the so-called commercial worship leaders/singers or worship-rock-stars found within many “mega churches”. They have a tendency to not submit to authority and they lack spiritual fervency while “ministering” in those “mega churches” or the spontaneous crowds they are given to “worship” with. They move from place to place “ministering” and “preaching” to these oblivious crowds/congregations and have little or no commitment at all to wanting the impartation of something new and something from God, within the people they “minister” to. This also has contributed to the increase in the number of singers in our worship teams as compared to the number of those who can actually lead worship.

In the preview I read of a book by Stephen Miller called Worship Leaders, We Are Not RockStars, he reiterates that the manner in which a worship leader chooses to worship God even at an individual level, is very determinant of how well they are going to interact with their fellow team members and the congregation that awaits their ministry. He also adds that as a member of a worship team, the central thing should not be to compete on who strums the guitar best, who plays the piano best, who sings best or who knows best but on how much as a team, you are positively moving your church/congregation towards worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

The table below summarizes what I am talking about (Singers vs Worship Leaders);

No.	Singers	Worship leaders/Lead worshipers
1	They can only sing and have fun. They care less about the influence their singing has on the audience.	They can sing and lead others in worship as well. They enjoy the singing yeah, but are also keen on making the congregation meet with their Creator.
2	They claim to have difficulty in singing in set-up groups with other singers within the worship team. They are oblivious of the team’s strengths and weaknesses.	They can sing, lead and back-up. They interact well with team members and can point out strengths and weaknesses within the team.
3	They have no understanding of their vocal or voice range.	They understand the whole concept of where their voice or vocal range is and can alter it at any time.
4	Have a high affinity to blaming others when things go wrong and would rather teach than be taught.	Are reluctant to lead and think themselves as imperfect and still need to do a few things with their skills before they are ready to lead.
5	They concentrate on performance rather than on intimacy and a relationship with the One being worshipped.	They concentrate more on a relationship and intimacy with the One being worshipped rather than on performance.
6	They are more of people-pleasers than they are God-pleasers. They therefore seek excitement and “a feeling” first before the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit through their singing.	They are more of God-pleasers than they are people-pleasers. They therefore seek the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit through their singing before excitement and a sense of “feeling”.

As a warning to most of us who care less about worship as a ministry that plays an important role in the spiritual growth of a church, and one which cuts across all the major offices of the church, Christ Jesus our LORD said the following in Matthew 15:13 (NKJV) “But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch…’”

Till next time,

Bonface Morris.