Thoughts on Hiring A Pianist for Worship

[C. M. Sheffield]

Allow me to preface my remarks by saying I am not interested in discussing the legitimacy of instruments in worship. I would ask anyone denying their legitimacy to kindly refrain from commenting. Thank you.

Our church is currently without a pianist. In the past we had an abundance of people who could play. Now in God's providence, we are without anyone.

I am contemplating the idea of hiring a pianist to play for our services. I would of course insist the person be a believer.

I would be interested in hearing others thoughts on the matter. Is this an acceptable option? Is it not? Why or Why not?

 

[SolaScriptura]

If the pianist is not a "homegrown" volunteer doing it as an act of service to the body, then you'll almost certainly need to pay for someone to come to your congregation to provide instrumental accompaniment to your singing.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

How does one deal with the hiring of a Christian for the worship service that will likely prevent this believer from attending worship services in his or her own church?

 

[Edward]

Deleted by original poster.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

And yes, I am aware that such a student may not look like most of your congregation. So there is the potential for a high risk/high reward situation being created. Think your congregation is up for that kind of challenge?

I really don't know what you are implying here. Have you visited our church before?

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

How does one deal with the hiring of a Christian for the worship service that will likely prevent this believer from attending worship services in his or her own church?

Yes that is something I've thought about. The only answer I have is that they would simply join our church. They would at a minimum have to qualify for membership in order to serve us in this capacity. This would involve a credible profession of faith and a willingness to submit to the government and discipline of the church.

 

[SolaScriptura]

How does one deal with the hiring of a Christian for the worship service that will likely prevent this believer from attending worship services in his or her own church?

Or maybe they're attending a church whose service times don't conflict with yours.

 

[SolaScriptura]

How does one deal with the hiring of a Christian for the worship service that will likely prevent this believer from attending worship services in his or her own church?

Yes that is something I've thought about. The only answer I have is that they would simply join our church. They would at a minimum have to qualify for membership in order to serve us in this capacity. This would involve a credible profession of faith and a willingness to submit to the government and discipline of the church.

Then you're asking for too much. Really. So since you're a Baptist church this criteria would rule out any Lutheran, or Episcopalian, or Presbyterian, or Methodist - or whatever - from playing for you.
The bar you've set looks like you're trying to buy a member.

Let it be enough that they call on the name of Jesus and agree to live in a manner that won't bring disrepute on your congregation.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Let it be enough that they call on the name of Jesus and agree to live in a manner that won't bring disrepute on your congregation.

While your point is well taken, that would essentially mean that we are employing someone who has no real accountability to a local church as an actual member. This is part of the problem I'm having.

 

[Edward]

Deleted by original poster.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

You mean your wife doesn't play piano? How did you ever get hired by a Baptist church

 

[matt01]

Our church is currently without a pianist. In the past we had an abundance of people who could play. Now in God's providence, we are without anyone.

I am contemplating the idea of hiring a pianist to play for our services. I would of course insist the person be a believer.

Do you have any members who play other instruments, such as the violin?

We have been part of congregations that hired musicians through local colleges. In one situation, the pianist attended a church that had services later in the morning. We were also part of a congregation that hired a musical director type, requiring him to join in order to continue. It ended unpleasantly. He was a gifted musician, but didn't seem interested otherwise.

 

[thbslawson]

I was a music major in college, and it was a good experiencing serving as a musician in a church. I was committed to attending worship at a reformed church regardless, but when a position became available at a good reformed congregation it was a great opportunity. So I echo what someone else has already said, a college student seeking a good place to worship may be a good option. In many chases he or she is away from his or her home church so will be looking for a local church to connect with for a few years.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Or make an appeal to the membership for anyone with piano talent. Maybe a child of a member is available? Place a notice in every Sunday bulletin and perhaps a visitor with experience will take notice. In the meantime, some other musical instrument accompaniment can be used.

Alternatively, how about recorded instrumentals that can be used:

instrumental piano recordings of baptist hymns - Google Search

 

[Free Christian]

I might have this wrong, but if you hired someone isn't that employing them to do something on the Lords Day from which we are required to rest from?
Volunteer ok, but hire/employ?

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

I've not visited your church. If it is fully integrated, I couldn't tell that from your web site. The only picture I saw was of you and your family. So I won't apologize for assuming that like most churches in southwest Georgia (except some pentecostals) it would be fairly monochromatic.

In the first place our church is in Eastern North Carolina. In the second place, we're hardly a "monochromatic" church. By God's providence, our congregation is quite ethnically diverse. I am not the least bit bothered by you assuming our church was mostly white, that's perfectly understandable. I am more bothered the assumption that hiring a person of another race would be a "challenge" for our congregation. Having said that, I really don't know why you felt the need to address the issue of race at all. It just seemed to come out of left field; though I trust your intentions were harmless.

 

[Ryan J. Ross]

Pastor Sheffield,

May I ask you to clarify? Are asking that one who holds the conviction that a cappella singing is required by God in public worship to refrain from participating in this thread or that one not respond by denying instrumentation as permissible in this thread? I'll await an answer before saying anything further.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

It is permissible in the OPC to hire someone to play piano, organ, or some other musical instrument to accompany the congregation in its singing in worship.

The Directory for the Public Worship of God requires that such a one be "a professing Christian who adorns his profession with a godly walk." I would think, and this is what I understood you to be saying initially, that you would want to require this of the person.

Is it reasonable to require more, i.e, that they become a member of your church? Of course not, as this has every appearance of being mercenary and seeking to buy a member. If you hire someone from the outside to play, you do so because you lack having someone on the inside to serve in this way. In such a situation, you recognize that you are hiring a non-member (who nonetheless is a professing Christian who evidences a true saving faith), and that his obligation is not that of other members of your church but is simply that of someone who would come in and accompany the singing of the congregation in worship. If you are not comfortable hiring someone from the outside in that capacity, then you simply should not do it.

It is not remotely reasonable, nor honorable, to hire someone and require that they become a member, only that they be a Christian. What does the leadership of your church think about this? Are they prepared to have a Christian, but not a member, playing the piano in worship? Such is not without its challenges and my encouragement would be not to do it unless you are completely free in conscience to do so. Given the nature of the case (this one would regularly be in your worship), I would counsel complete agreement among the leadership. In other words, I would only do this if all the leaders agreed.

Peace,
Alan

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Pastor Sheffield,

May I ask you to clarify? Are asking that one who holds the conviction that a cappella singing is required by God in public worship to refrain from participating in this thread or that one not respond by denying instrumentation as permissible in this thread? I'll await an answer before saying anything further.

As far as this thread is concerned, the use of instruments in worship is not in question. The question concerns securing someone to play piano for the church. If you can abide by those parameters, feel free to contribute.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I am going to assume I can ask a question even though I am for singing psalms exclusively in public worship and without instrumentation. How is hiring someone to do what they do for a living to do something that is at best a circumstance of worship and not a necessity, lawful for the Lord's day? Surely there are other means to keep the singing going other than hiring a professional piano player who may or may not be a Christian (for instance Redeemer NY doesn't even require that they profess Christ)? Note I'm not addressing the bare use of a piano by a "church lady" volunteer; but wonder how is this not a fourth commandment issue? How is it an act of necessity to hire someone to labor over pursuing any other course but that?

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

It is not remotely reasonable, nor honorable, to hire someone and require that they become a member

While I'm unsure that requiring one to be a member is best, I would object to the notion that it is 'buying a member.' That is a rather crude way of looking at it. It is rather ensuring that if they are believers and are not able to attend any other church because of their service to our congregation that they have the rights and privileges of membership. I hardly see how such a concern is unreasonable or dishonorable. If they were still able to attend their own church, it wouldn't matter. But if they could not, then they would have no real communion or accountability to any local church if they were not a member with us. Call it what you like, my concern would be for the welfare of that individual rather than being a mercenary church that goes about "buying" members.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

While this may not be an ideal solution, your church may want to consider purchasing some accompaniment CD's to play instead of having a live piano. There are some really quality recordings available to accompany most any hymn that your church might wish to sing.

 

[Logan]

Can I ask, just out of curiousity, if it is deemed necessary by the congregation to have a pianist? Is it difficult for the congregation to sing without one? Could the singing be done a capella until you have a pianist as a member again?

It just seems odd to me to actually hire someone to perform part of the worship service. Though I guess technically we pay our pastors for their "work".

 

[VictorBravo]

Our congregation has a pianist and I open worship with psalms and hymns. Sometimes our pianist has to leave for vacations or family reasons. Nobody else is available to play (I can accompany, but I won't because, personally, I have views similar to Chris and others). On those days, I lead a cappella using a pitch pipe or, if it is a new tune I'm introducing, I put the melody of the tune on my computer and play it through before singing.

It seems to work fine, and our people have adjusted without much trouble. The important thing is to get everyone interested in working through this little challenge as a congregation, rather than having it seem as an innovation imposed from the top.

 

[SolamVeritatem]

Pastor Sheffield,

I'm not sure how much affiliation you have with other Reformed Baptist Churches in the area/region, but is there a possibility that another church that has an abundance of musicians could "lend" you one of their pianists? Or, would there be a situation where someone could relocate to your assembly from a sister church, provided you and the pastor of the individual's home church are in agreement with the arrangement?

I know that at our church (which is fairly large, 800 members) has multiple members who serve on the music staff, mostly voluntarily. I was just thinking if perhaps you knew another congregation who had been blessed above measure with folks who fill that role, maybe there would be a chance that one of those musicians would be willing to make a sacrifice for a church in need. Granted, you may not find many confessionally reformed churches in the area that are willing to do this, but considering your concerns about the individual being a professing believer, maybe you could still find someone in a larger church which is at least solidly reformed. And, since I know that you are Reformed Baptist, the links below provide what I think is a good place to start the search:

Church Search : 9Marks

Founders-Friendly Churches | Founders

Just my 2 cents...

In Him,

Craig

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

While this may not be an ideal solution, your church may want to consider purchasing some accompaniment CD's to play instead of having a live piano. There are some really quality recordings available to accompany most any hymn that your church might wish to sing.

We have/are considering this also.

Can I ask, just out of curiousity, if it is deemed necessary by the congregation to have a pianist? Is it difficult for the congregation to sing without one? Could the singing be done a capella until you have a pianist as a member again?

Yes actually, we currently sing unaccompanied. It is something the congregation is used to doing when we lack a pianist. I'm simply trying to weigh our choices in securing someone to play. Many of the things that have been said on the board are things I have thought about. And I'm not really sure what would be best.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

My dear brother:

What I said was neither crude (not sure why you say that) nor incorrect: if you both seek to hire someone and require that, at the same time, that person become a member of your church, that is, on the face of it, plainly and simply, lacking in integrity and not to be done. The wrong of it should seem patent. If you hire them, you hire them, and there can be no requirement of membership in your church (and if they were a member there, why would you pay them?).

If you stick by what you said originally (that the one hired needs a Christian profession) then I think that you're fine. It's the addition of "member of this church" that muddies the water. I am simply trying to help you clarify and keep straight your thinking. Many others herein have offered helpful counsel as to solutions.

Peace,
Alan

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

Not sure why you say that

Because characterizing the requirement of membership as a "mercenary" church out to "buy members" is crude. Even if I agree that requiring membership is not a good idea, to characterize it in that manner assigns motives and designs that are not there.

if you both seek to hire someone and require that, at the same time, that person become a member of your church, that is, on the face of it, plainly and simply, lacking in integrity and not to be done.

Well if you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could indulge me and explain why that conclusion is necessary.

 

[N. Eshelman]

 

[Toasty]

Allow me to preface my remarks by saying I am not interested in discussing the legitimacy of instruments in worship. I would ask anyone denying their legitimacy to kindly refrain from commenting. Thank you.

Our church is currently without a pianist. In the past we had an abundance of people who could play. Now in God's providence, we are without anyone.

I am contemplating the idea of hiring a pianist to play for our services. I would of course insist the person be a believer.

I would be interested in hearing others thoughts on the matter. Is this an acceptable option? Is it not? Why or Why not?

Some churches have what is called a music minister. This person is on the church staff and he is in charge of leading the congregational singing and instrumental accompaniment during the worship service. He would also be charge of the choir if the church had one. Is this the kind of person you want?

Is there anyone in your congregation who can play the piano? Is there anyone in your congregation who is willing to learn how to play the piano?