MINISTERS OF MUSIC: COMBINING SONG AND SPIRITUALITY IS ONLY PART OF THE JOB

Mark Graham directed choir members during a practice at the First Assembly of God Church. Pastor Graham is responsible for the music and multi-media the church has during services.

The Greater Dimension Church Choir was led in a gospel song by Calvin Bird during practice at the church located on South Sprigg.

The lead church musician of the past usually required only a director's wand and a strong piano beat to lead his choir. There generally wasn't a lot of musical instruments or electrical equipment used during services, and soloists and musicians relied more on the power of their music and voices than on other devices.

Today's church congregations are generally much more sophisticated, however, and are finding themselves more often in need of a person who will direct the use of lighting, equipment, musical instruments and music selection before the choir ever sings a note. To meet this need, churches are hiring or appointing ministers of music to ensure a good spiritual and musical blend during worship services.

"Basically, I'm a facilitator," said the Rev. Mark Graham, minister of music for First Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau. "It isn't uncommon to find full-time ministers (of music) as churches move into a larger-type program."

Graham is the first full-time minister of music at his church, which serves some 1,200-plus people on an average Sunday. Volunteers were used to handle issues involving lighting, projection, sound reinforcement, and leadership of various choirs before his hiring two months ago, and Graham said volunteers are probably still used more often than not overall.

"I wouldn't say that's a thing of the past," he said. "I'd guess it's still that way in a lot of churches, especially in smaller and maybe rural congregations."

Rodney Bird, minister of music at Greater Dimension Church of God in Christ, said his position is rare in smaller churches. However, if a church has a number of commitments each month, having a minister of music working as an administrator can cut down on confusion, he said.

"I'm personally responsible for all aspects of music on any given church service or special engagement," said Bird, whose church has a membership of about 175. "Most weekends there's either something going on here or we're going out of town, so my job is to take care of everything from praise and worship on Sunday mornings to arranging solos and ensembles when the entire choir can't sing."

Graham and Bird said a minister of music is exactly what the title describes -- a person who helps feed spiritual development through music and song. The position requires someone who is knowledgeable of the Bible as well as the individual denomination's rules and beliefs, they said. Specific training of lighting, voice and instruments is helpful, but not necessarily essential to the job, they said.

"It is kind of a double vocation," said Graham, who graduated from Central Bible College in Springfield with a double major in the Bible and music. "I am a pastor with a specialty in music."

Bird currently attends Southeast Missouri State University, but relies more on his vocal training and religious upbringing to lead him in his position. He works closely with his father and pastor, the Rev. William Bird, and relies on familiarity with church musicians to help him perform his role effectively.

"You have to be really in tune with what's going on in the service so that you are scheduling the right songs and types of music at the right times," said Bird. "As far as working with musicians, once you get used to your musicians and your musicians get used to you, you can convey what you want in a gesture or a look."