Director of Music

Westminster Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth seeks a gifted, collaborative, and spiritually grounded Music Director to lead, strengthen, and grow the congregation’s music ministry. The Music Director will work closely with the Pastor, church staff, Worship Team, musicians, and technical volunteers to plan worship that is faithful to Scripture, attentive to the Reformed tradition, connected to the liturgical calendar, and accessible to the congregation and community.

This is a part-time salaried position requiring approximately 15 hours per week, including about 10 hours of worship leadership, rehearsals, meetings, and other in-person responsibilities and five hours of planning, preparation, communication, and administration. Regular Sunday morning availability and occasional evening, weekend, and seasonal responsibilities are required.

Key Responsibilities

Worship Planning and Leadership

• Collaborate with the Pastor in developing the congregation’s vision for worship and music.
• Plan, coordinate, and lead music for weekly Sunday services, including the selection of hymns, choral music, contemporary worship songs, and instrumental music.
• Select music that supports the Scripture readings, sermon themes, sacraments, liturgical seasons, and overall movement of worship.
• Provide musical leadership for Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, funerals, memorial services, weddings, and other special services as requested.
• Encourage meaningful congregational participation and maintain an appropriate balance between musical excellence and accessible worship.

Recruitment, Training, and Discipleship

• Network within the congregation, surrounding community, schools, colleges, universities, and local musical organizations to identify potential worship leaders, instrumentalists, vocalists, accompanists, and guest musicians.
• Recruit and audition volunteer and contract worship leaders, instrumentalists, vocalists, and accompanists according to the needs of Westminster’s worship ministry.
• Train musicians in the musical, practical, technical, and worship-related responsibilities of their roles.
• Disciple worship leaders and musicians by helping them understand their participation as Christian ministry and service rather than performance alone.
• Develop musicians through rehearsals, coaching, constructive feedback, and opportunities for increasing responsibility.
• Identify emerging leaders and build a sustainable roster of volunteer, substitute, and contract musicians.
• Communicate expectations, schedules, responsibilities, and compensation arrangements clearly.

Artistic Creativity and Congregational Engagement

• Foster artistic creativity among musicians, staff members, volunteers, and the congregation.
• Encourage and thoughtfully evaluate new ideas that may enrich worship and the church’s broader ministry.
• Introduce new hymns, worship songs, arrangements, instruments, ensembles, and musical expressions in ways that support congregational participation.
• Explore appropriate uses of instrumental music, vocal music, spoken word, visual art, media, and other creative elements.
• Create opportunities for children, youth, adults, families, and community musicians to participate in Westminster’s musical life.
• Balance creativity with theological integrity, available resources, and the congregation’s worship identity.

Choir and Ensemble Leadership

• Direct and rehearse the church choir, praise team, and other vocal or instrumental ensembles.
• Lead rehearsals that promote preparation, musical growth, hospitality, spiritual formation, and mutual respect.
• Select music appropriate to the abilities of participating musicians while helping them develop their skills.
• Arrange for guest musicians, substitutes, and additional instrumentalists when needed and within the approved budget.

Administration and Technology

• Develop rehearsal schedules, worship plans, music assignments, volunteer rotations, and ministry calendars.
• Use Planning Center or another approved platform to organize services and communicate with participants.
• Maintain the music library and oversee the appropriate care of instruments and music-related equipment.
• Ensure compliance with copyright, licensing, projection, recording, and livestreaming requirements.
• Work closely with technology volunteers regarding microphones, sound checks, monitors, projected lyrics, presentation software, livestreaming, and other worship systems.
• Communicate technical and musical needs sufficiently in advance.

Qualifications

Candidates should demonstrate a mature Christian faith, strong relational and communication skills, and experience leading choirs, worship teams, or comparable ensembles. Strong vocal and/or instrumental ability is required. Competence in piano, organ, guitar, or another instrument useful for worship is preferred.

Candidates should possess knowledge of traditional hymnody, sacred choral music, contemporary worship music, and the Christian liturgical year. Experience recruiting, coaching, and developing musicians is strongly desired.

A degree in music, worship leadership, theology, music education, or a related field is preferred but not required. Equivalent experience and demonstrated effectiveness in music ministry will be considered.

The Music Director works under the supervision of the Pastor as Head of Staff and is accountable to the Pastor and Session.