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Worship and the Sanctuary Choir

By Tom Matrone

Because I have served the church as a minister of music for the past 24 years, my allegiance in partnering the sanctuary choir with the congregation in worship has never been more valid than it is today. The choir is an effective tool in leading a congregation into the presence of God.

Something about a sanctuary choir under the authority and anointing of the Holy Spirit ministers to all who are present. The choir becomes a force that sounds a call not only to the congregation but also to the Lord. The ministry of the choir in worship has enhanced my spiritual life countless times.

The validity of local church choir ministry is being debated in many of our churches. In some instances a sanctuary choir ministry may not be valid. But the challenge before us is to consider the importance of allowing this valid ministry to remain in our denominational structure.

My sensitivity to the ministry of the local church choir is apparent for obvious reasons, but I reflect on an incident in my early years after becoming a believer. As a child I was raised as a Catholic, but as a teenager, a Pentecostal. My first exposure to a sanctuary choir came in a Pentecostal church. At that time in our Catholic parish, music was not a mainstay of the mass. I had limited exposure to choral music in a ministry venue. One can imagine my surprise at being enraptured with the ministry of music in the Pentecostal church. Even though I was young, I remember being moved by the choir’s selection and their intensity of singing. I began to formulate an opinion that has become my conviction: A strong sanctuary choir can help a congregation respond to the Lord because of its relationship to the congregation as peers.

Relationship of the choir to the congregation

The concept of peer relationship is important because the choir can often be a thermometer for the temperature of a congregation. My using the choir to inspire a community of worshipers has succeeded at the local level. We have diffused stylistic debates and the ever-present hymn-versus-chorus war that seems to tear apart many churches today.

What takes place in a congregation when it is evident that a choir is in unity on the platform? Old and young alike respond when they observe their peers worshiping in spirit and truth, not concerned with style—but engaged in worship that is God honoring.

When I am leading worship and I turn to the choir, I look for their passion for worshiping the Lord. Many times parishioners have told me that observing the love for God on the faces of the choir touched them. When a choir is strong in its approach to worship, I have experienced a congregation responding to the call of worship.

Is it possible that the trend of removing choirs from the platform has lessened our musical expression of worship as a congregation? My present post as minister of music has challenged me to further research the need for choirs to remain a substantial component in the worship life of the church. My existing choir is as diverse in its musical taste as any choir I have ever conducted. The ages vary as much as their backgrounds; but when they gather to sing, something wonderful begins to happen. Their sound and physical expression lend an atmosphere of worship that I cannot replicate on my own. Thus my partnership with them has cultivated a much larger picture than today’s worship-team philosophy that so many churches have embraced. That is not to say I discount the worship team. I wholeheartedly endorse the concept and have a strong worship-team ministry in my present position. They often travel with me and are used consistently in worship in our congregation.

Choir and ministry

My proposal of conceptual thinking in worship is to see the choir in two engaging venues. The first is being a catalyst for worship. The second is being a unit promoting a higher level of music ministry that has been lost in the postmodern culture.

The ministry of the choir provides something far more transcending than merely congregational singing. At times a choir can provide for a congregation that which it cannot do for itself. It provides a textual expression of worship that otherwise may be absent in our services. The simple fact is not all people are musical. I have often been approached by church members who say they wish they could sing but cannot and appreciate having a choir that can.

Choral music is a viable art to consider in congregational worship. The beauty of learning and rehearsing an anthem is rewarding for the singers and that reward is passed on to the listeners. The offering of a choir selection in a service should never be diminished in its value. It is an important part of the overall worship experience.

The term worship service is inclusive of all the elements in a church service. Music is just one form of expression. Congregational singing does differ from choral selections by its makeup, but not its philosophy. Everything that takes place in the worship service must be for the purpose of worshiping God and equipping the body of Christ.

The minister of music and senior pastor make decisive moves to create a conducive atmosphere for connecting with God. We work diligently to provide an intellectual and emotional venue for congregational worship.

In many churches, budgets and personnel can either enhance the ministry of music or create significant limitations. There are some cases where the ministry of the sanctuary choir is not viable and other alternatives must be developed. On the flip side, many congregations can provide a choral ministry to enhance the service and create an openness for other components of worship, especially the preaching of the Word.

In my conversations with our senior pastor, I always refer to the choir as his best friend on the platform. When a choir and a senior pastor are visibly united, there isn’t much room for criticism. There is vitality in partnering with the senior pastor because he or she becomes the keynote worship leader for the congregants. In past experiences, I have witnessed senior pastors who held different values on congregational worship than that of the music department. Whether it was the pastor’s lack of communication with the music department or whatever the reason, he ultimately hindered the congregation from moving ahead in worship.

It is important to be true to your convictions, but it is even more beneficial that the pastor and his or her staff define the culture in which they minister. Gone are the days of small-minded thinking. Understanding your unique congregation is invaluable to your own personal success in ministry. Congregations are becoming as diverse as America, and to copy another ministry is a deadly decision. I have found that success comes from finding the mind of God for our music department, not copying the one down the street. Consequently, we become pliable in the hands of God for the people with whom He has blessed us. For me, my congregation is the music department in which I serve. The sanctuary choir is a congregation within the main population, and its contribution to the worship is invaluable.

Is it permissible to say that God has shown favor to the ministries of local church choirs and their particular ministry to the congregation and the community at large? Choirs can acquaint congregations with a wide variety of musical styles and also deepen their faith and love for God. Including the choir’s contribution is not an issue of keeping traditions, but of allowing the musical expression of the congregation to be noted and confirmed. "Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God" (1 Peter 4:10, Good News Bible).

Tom Matrone is minister of music at Central Assembly of God, Springfield, Missouri.