Character Over Competence: The Formula for Long Lasting Ministry Leadership
In a world of spotlights, stage productions, and social media metrics, we worship leaders face an unprecedented temptation to measure our effectiveness by the applause of others. As A.W. Tozer wisely observed:
"This loss of the concept of majesty has come just when the forces of religion are making dramatic gains and the churches are more prosperous than at any time within the past several hundred years. But the alarming thing is that our gains are mostly external and our losses wholly internal; and since it is the quality of our religion that is affected by internal conditions, it may be that our supposed gains are but losses spread over a wider field."
These words challenge us to examine what we're truly offering to God. Are we presenting Him with what He desires, or are we caught up in chasing the external trappings of success?
Acceptable Worship Begins with Identity
Scripture reminds us in Hebrews 12:28-29: "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."
Let me be clear: skills matter in worship ministry. Leading a team effectively, playing instruments proficiently, singing well, administration, and clear communication—these competencies are important. But they should never be the primary marker of a worship leader.
Who you are in Christ is more important than what you can do for Christ.
While we value excellence at our church, we've chosen to be worshipers, not performers. If we want to help others encounter God and be shaped by the gospel, we cannot merely point people to something we haven't experienced ourselves. Your congregation will quickly see through any facade of spiritual depth.
The Character and Competence Matrix
When we examine worship leadership through the lens of both character and competence, we find four distinct possibilities:
Low Character, Low Competence - Unprepared for ministry leadership
High Character, Low Competence - Developing leaders who need skills training
Low Character, High Competence -Talented but potentially dangerous
High Character, High Competence - The goal: mature leadership
The reality is that the 2% that happens on stage often gets you hired, but the 98% that happens off stage is what gets you fired. Both character and competence matter when it comes to worship leadership, but we cannot afford to focus on our competence to the neglect of our character! We must strive to leaders who’s inner life with Christ can sustain our outward ministry.
The Secret Place: Where Ministry Is Fueled
Jesus taught that His followers should be marked by quiet, humble obedience in secret places. Yet much of what we do as worship leaders happens publicly, on stages, with spotlights on us. This creates a tension that can only be resolved by ensuring our private worship outweighs our public performance.
Jesus modeled this perfectly. Mark 1:35 tells us: "Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."
If Jesus needed to spend time alone with God, how much more must we do the same? We must pursue life in the secret place if we want our public ministry to reflect Christ.
Servants, Not Stars
The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:5-8 to adopt the mindset of Christ, who "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant." Worship ministry serves much like the pole that Moses lifted up in the wilderness (John 3:14-15). We're not here to make names for ourselves but to lift up Christ so that others might look to Him and live.
When wielded appropriately, skill and excellence strengthen ministry effectiveness, but they must never subvert our main goal. As John the Baptist so powerfully stated, "I must decrease and Christ must increase."
Challenges We Must Overcome
Several challenges face every worship leader:
The platform temptation - The allure of recognition and acclaim
The competence bias - It's easier to audition someone's musical ability than to discern their character
The personal attachment - Our art is often tied to our identity, making feedback difficult to receive
The self-assessment blindspot - We need outside voices to speak truth into our lives and leadership
Final Reflections
Worship ministry isn't about finding a venue to express our gifts; it's about serving God and serving people. While excellence matters, people matter more. God never celebrates when we hurt others in pursuit of musical perfection.
Worship leaders aren't called to perfection, but we are called to integrity. Like film that must be properly developed in darkness, we need time alone with God in the secret place to mature properly. There will always be opportunities to step into leadership before we're ready, but patience in development prepares us for sustainable, impactful ministry when God's timing is right.
May we be leaders whose character exceeds our competence, whose private worship fuels our public ministry, and whose greatest desire is to decrease so that Christ might increase.
