Should Worship Leaders Go to Seminary?

I have a take that might rub some people the wrong way:

The worship leader of a church is called to a higher standard of knowing doctrine, theology, and Scripture than the average churchgoer, much like the senior pastor. 

Here's why. 

Worship Is Formative

Arguably, the church (on a Sunday, at least) comes away remembering the songs they sang more than the sermon they heard preached. There's nothing inherently wrong with that; it's a natural consequence of how music affects us, cognitively, where we are more apt to remember melodies combined with lyrics, rather than talking points. It's to that end that the content of our singing helps form our understanding of who God is, so the worship leader must be discerning in which songs to sing.  

Discernment is one of those gifts that must be built and nurtured, and it's done through acquiring knowledge to help inform how you act, speak, and think—which then leads you to telling between what is right, what is wrong, and how to solve problems. If you have no knowledge base that goes beyond a surface-level understanding of Scripture and doctrine, then you're not well-equipped to detect problematic lyrics and themes in a song. 

There's also a danger of letting "Christian-ese" creep into your exhortations, either void of Scripture or taking Scripture out of context. Although these phrases are largely born from good intentions, the lack of knowledge and proper application leads to poor discernment, which leads to potential errors in doctrine and doxology.

In a positive sense, with right discernment comes the means of edifying the congregation even more deeply by consistently choosing songs that help people internalize the Gospel and right doctrine with more joy and sincerity.

At the end of the day, if you want to be discerning to rightly build up your congregation with songs that draw them deeper into God's Truth, then you need training of some kind.

Is Seminary the Right Choice?

Traditionally, seminaries have served to be the primary source of theological training, and they definitely have merits that place them as a top option for studying God's Word more in-depth than what average churches have typically offered: 

• Access to primary and premium secondary sources.

• Focused attention on concepts in lectures, discussions, and debates.

• Heightened collaboration with peers to navigate issues and form Kingdom-impacting relationships.

But the catch? Most seminaries are graduate-level schools, and they are not cheap. The cost of tuition can be prohibitive for many people, so they more often opt to not pursue the degrees offered by those institutions. 

So What's the Alternative? 

The good news is that if a formal pursuit of theological training isn't a viable option, there are other great alternatives that give you better tools to use in your role as worship leader:

• Single classes: You can actually take some seminary classes one at a time, instead of loading a full semester. This way, you can move at your own pace, time-wise and financially speaking. 

• Local Bible colleges: Many of these 2-year schools offer classes at more affordable rates than what you would find at a seminary. You can get primed on Biblical languages, hermeneutics, and church history at a fraction of the price.

• Internet platforms: The Internet is chock full of amazing resources, many of them free. Be careful though, you need to take in content that comes from reputable resources. Some of my favorite resources include Sola Media, Ligonier Ministries, and The Gospel Coalition.

• Print resources: It never beats to get a good book and dive deep into its pages to learn something new. One of the best resources I was given was The Portable Seminary, a one-volume text that covers everything from eschatology to soteriology and pneumatology—all the "-ologies!"

• Mentorship: It also pays really well to regularly meet with your pastor or other church elders to help guide you through tough theological questions and stay fresh on the discipline of studying Scripture. These relationships bear even more fruit beyond knowing the Bible—and you'll be thankful for the time spent with more experienced people in the faith.

The blunt takeaway in all of this? Well, since access to deep knowledge of the Bible is so readily available, then YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE! 

But seriously, and with all intended grace: Whatever path you take to increase your theological knowledge is time well-spent to serve not only your congregation, but also to glorify our God, who is at the center of all our praise, yearning, and adoration. 

Be blessed 👊✌️

List of Recommended Resources

• Sola Media Store

• Ligonier Ministries Learning website

• The Gospel Coalition Courses

• The Portable Seminary

• Blue Letter Bible search and study tools

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