Following up to my post from last week that dealt with several emails I have received from music ministers caught between wanting to remain true themselves as artists and faithful to the congregation that God has placed them in. For some readers out their in internetville that personally know me, you may think that the last post was about my own personal struggles, but in fact, it was not. As some know I've recently resigned from being the Music Minister of my church of the last four years, so it was easy to assume I must have been sneaking behind the scenes issues secretly into the post. But in fact I didn't resign for any of the issues mentioned. Over time God has clarified my call to pursue the pastoral office and I am making preparations to attend seminary in the next year.

However, I would like to address the issues raised in the last post since many have shared with me similar situations:

If the direction that the leadership is moving in is not compatible with what you believe to be the mission of the church or one where you feel you cannot contribute positively in your vocation as a minister of music, then you are faced with a couple options:

• Search the scriptures prayerfully, talk openly about your concerns with the leadership, and try to come to a resolution that will bring unity and peace.
• If you cannot in your conscience move forward with the direction, or no compromise can be reached, then based upon experience, I would say that it is best to move on, because you will only impede the greater ministry of the church, stifling the other pastors, and probably putting yourself in a place where you will grow weary with resentment. Though not ideal, this is the road that ultimately benefitted the mission for Paul and Barnabus in Acts 15:38-41.

Typically, most books on ecclesiology will say that the only time to leave a church is because of (a) false doctrine or (b) open and unrepentant sin on the part of the leadership, or allowed by the leadership to go unchecked within the congregation. Sometimes they will add "divisiveness" but that could arguably fall under the category of sin.

What most books fail to mention as it regards to church leadership is the important category of "compatibility." Yes, we as men of God, should be able to "get along" in the Rodney King sort of way, but I think compatibility in the pastorate goes deeper than mere surface unity. It involves friendship, transparency, vulnerability and a level of personal compromise out of deference and respect for one another. You can see how this goes much deeper than checking off the boxes on a church's statement of faith.

The simple fact is the church is made up of sinners, including her leadership, so we must confess that there is no perfect church militant this side of glory. But the scriptures do make clear that some churches are more faithful than others, and faithfulness is something we should all be striving for by God's grace. I also realize that every issue in the church has more than one side, so we must be mindful that we may be problem, which means we may be the one's that need change. My heart and prayers go out to those struggling with the kinds of ministerial problems that have been raised and I do pray for true unity, friendship and God's glory to be made manifest through gospel resolution. The Lord be with you all.