Should Church Musicians Be Paid?

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If preaching anchors a church, then music is what sets the tone before the first word is spoken.

Almost every church faces challenges as they grow in numbers and in their visibility/reputation within the community. Perception becomes a key factor in how they reach people in search of a church home, or if they are curious about attending church in general for the first time.

Music plays a major role in creating that positive perception, along with faithful preaching of the gospel and seeing an active participation in ministry by the majority of the congregants within the larger community.

Inevitably, churches are faced with an uncomfortable question regarding music ministry—especially if they are on a growth trajectory or are recovering from a stagnant/declining period:

“Should we be paying our musicians?”

Today, we’ll dive into the Biblical evidence that speaks to the issue of compensation, along with approaches taken by church leaders and practical considerations in light of today’s cultural landscape.

And as you’ll see, the answer to the question really revolves around expectations, structures, and sustainability.

What Does the Bible Actually Say?

OK—here are some Biblical facts, first from the Old Testament:

• The Temple was run by priests from the tribe of Levi.

• Musicians were a part of this Levitical priesthood, mentioned by distinction in duties and skill.

• As such, they shared in “equal portion” of all offerings that came into the Temple.

• Their duties were regular and integral to the ceremonies and observances throughout the day; their work wasn’t casual.

When looking at the New Testament, compensation for ministry work is addressed:

• Paul mentions in 1 Timothy that elders who preach and teach are to be supported.

• This is also where we hear the phrase that “the worker is worth his wages.”

• The only missing? No mention of musicians. (But we’ll come back to this.)

Looking at this overall, we see a precedent for compensating ministry workers (or rather, providing needs without required outside labor), which included musicians in the Old Testament. It is encouraged in the New Testament, but there’s not a command—no “thus sayeth the LORD—to pay ministry workers. (And the only ones mentioned are in preaching/teaching roles.)

However, the absence of musicians in Paul’s admonition doesn’t necessarily preclude them from receiving something in return for their service, especially in a vocational context.

So how was this handled throughout church history?

What Did the Reformers Do?

Let’s fast-forward to the 16th century, with the Protestant Reformation. By this time, the Church (i.e., the Roman church) had grown into a massive geopolitical institution, and music was an essential component to the Mass. Musicians enjoyed patronage from these places of worship, and this would continue into the Protestant groups after the Schism took place.

Martin Luther held a particularly high view of music:

• Said music was “next to theology.”

• Worked with composers to create new music for a new church (which helped the spread of Protestantism).

• Encouraged the employment of musicians to train congregants and kept choirs on retainer.

• Some of Western Europe’s greatest classical music came from this influence, notably with composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and his famous family of musicians.

Later on, John Calvin would heavily influence the structure of music in worship:

• Simplified the setting by removing instruments.

• Employed psalm leaders to lead congregational singing (no elaborate choirs), along with teachers who would actively instruct church members in the art and skill of singing.

• Notably, he rejected the idea of a continuing of the Levitical priesthood into the Church Age, but he regularly compensated those who were in appointed roles.

We see here that compensation is considered and prioritized for those who are in vocational music ministry roles. This practice continues to this day, but the degree to which regarding how many, varies. And much like the Reformers, today’s prioritization of compensating musicians is largely pragmatic, not necessarily theological.

What Are Our Expectations?

So we’ve established that:

• Compensation/provision for vocational ministry is shown and addressed in the Bible, but in different contexts, fulfillments, and applications.

• Leaders and institutions throughout the Church Age leading into the present age practice compensation for key musical roles, but not everyone who participates is paid.

So instead of asking the question, “Is this Biblical?” we really need to say, “Paying musicians is in the Bible, but we’re no longer commanded to do this in the Church Age. How does compensation align with our expectations?”

Generally, everyone expects excellence—and it’s not just for the sake of perfecting a craft or offering. With excellence comes smooth execution, which reduces friction during a service, which comes in these forms:

• Wrong notes and bad intonation are distracting.

• Awkward pauses in the flow between elements is painfully palpable.

To this end, we aspire and expect our worship teams to execute at near- or total-pro level skills.

But with the modern, widespread practice of only paying a leader and leaving the rest of the work to be performed by volunteers, you eventually face a problem:

Expecting professional results from a largely amateur volunteer base isn’t sustainable long-term.

I’ve seen (and felt) the effects of burnout, both as a volunteer and staff person, and the turnover rate can totally derail goals and standards set for the development of worship in music at a church.

When you introduce compensation, worship leaders can now hold team members accountable along with an expectation of reliably showing up, being prepared, and executing at a high level.

This seems like a worthy option—but we still need to consider other views before arriving to a conclusion.

Pushing Back

Aside from the only clear warrant for compensation being given to teaching/preaching elders (at least, in the New Testament), there are some other objections to consider:

• Compensation for some but not all creates a divide, possibly leading to resentment and apathy—or even a parting of ways.

• Professionalization leads to lack of congregational ownership in the process.

• Monies spent on musicians would perhaps be spent better elsewhere, such as relief ministry, missions, etc.

These are real considerations with real consequences, so they can’t be taken lightly or dismissed.

Making The Decision

So, when arriving at the decision making point, you (I’m talking to church leaders) need to ask some questions that will determine a course of action:

• What level of excellence is non-negotiable for us?

• What level of time investment does that require?

• Who is currently absorbing that cost?

• Is that sustainable?

After assigning values to those questions, then you can arrive at an action point, where the structure can be:

• Fully volunteer

• Paid director with volunteer team

• Paid director with core musicians who receive stipends (along with supplemental volunteers)

The reality is this: If you end up going fully volunteer, you will need to lower your expectations for the quality and skills in musical worship. The other end is to raise the structure of the organization by introducing paid elements and other financial investments.

What NOT to Do

If you find yourself bringing this concern to your church leaders, make sure you’re not framing the question around a payroll expansion; it won’t fix a lacking structure. If your system lacks clarity and focus, introducing paid elements could cloud the situation even further.

Rather, focus on bringing alignment as the priority in the conversation, where you objectively express goals and standards, along with the necessary methods to make it happen.

The Key

Remember this: Ministry is an act of faithfulness, and stewardship is a component of that faithfulness. Bring that stewardship into alignment with vision and structure—then you’ll have a clear direction to take.

Be blessed 👊✌️