Reflections after an interim

Sunday, May 17, I ended a seven-month interim at the historic First Baptist Church, Asheville, North Carolina. I say "historic" because that applies to this grand old church in multiple ways. Next year the remarkable sanctuary will be 100 years old. The church was at one time the largest church in western North Carolina. And for almost 55 years, two long-tenured Ministers of Music—Clark Sorrells and Charles Crocker—presided over one of the most robust music ministries in the Southeast.

I feel it was such a privilege to step into the stream of this people's history, especially this legacy music ministry. I'm writing this early on a Sunday morning, and my heart is filled with gratitude for this season that has now ended.

Seven months is long enough to be reminded of some things I already knew—and to learn a few things again.

1. Sunday comes around really often! (I hope that made you smile.) There is both a deeply satisfying aspect to this ordering of our lives and an exhausting reality—the assembly line of worship "production" is never ending. Church musicians have to be organized and strategic just to survive these constant demands. Note: If you struggle with the planning process (and who doesn't, occasionally?), find a colleague and ask for help.

2. Do everything you can to build a positive and productive relationship with your accompanist. Practically speaking, if you have someone who is musically competent and emotionally secure, be grateful—and don't forget to say thank you regularly. If your accompanist is holding the music ministry back (and this raises a host of complicated questions), again, ask trusted colleagues to help you decide how to manage the relationship.

3. It is such a privilege to walk beside people when life goes sideways. On a more personal note, to be a pastoral musician is a high calling indeed. While in Asheville, one singer entrusted me with her story—a story of multiple disappointments and financial burdens. My heart still breaks for this lovely person for whom life has been so difficult. And yet I was inspired as she reflected on how faith in God sustained her and allowed her to feel anger and avoid bitterness.

4. Be curious. Ask lots of questions—whether you are in your first year or your fifteenth. Ask your singers and the people in the congregation to tell you about their lives. Knowing I didn't have much time as an interim, I was intentional about this. After learning someone's name, I almost always asked, How long have you been a member here? or How long have you lived in Asheville? Decades ago, the very first time I met Jerry Tyler—someone widely known for his warmth with people and the long-tenured Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Roswell, Georgia—he asked me three questions. Honestly, I've forgotten what they were, but it mattered to me that he wanted to get to know me. That's the part I've never forgotten.

Serving First Baptist Church Asheville was a great reminder of two things held in tension: I love being a Minister of Music, and working in a church is always challenging, if not frustrating. The people of that congregation—their resilience, their faith, their willingness to welcome a stranger into their story—made every Sunday worth it.

Thanks be to God.