Competencies for a Minister of Music in a Southern Baptist Church: Implications for Curriculum Development.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate musical and music related competency statements which would describe the needed skills, behaviors, and knowledge for a minister of music in a Southern Baptist church. In the development of the areas and items to be covered by the competency statements, several types of field research were employed. Three Goal Analysis Conferences were conducted with panels of church musicians giving scrutiny to the basic goals of the church music ministry. A Job Analysis was accomplished adapting the procedures developed by the U. S. Department of Labor--interview and observation. A field study was undertaken of one minister of music over an extended period of time. The data from these field research procedures were compiled with information gathered from Southern Baptist music leaders and church music educators and from curriculum outlines in church music from colleges and seminaries. A group of competency statements was designed and formed into a 116 item questionnaire which was sent to a randomly selected group of church music educators, denominational music leaders, and ministers of music in fourteen states of traditional Southern Baptist territory. There were 303 respondents to the questionnaire (65 percent returned), including 35 educators, 267 denominational leaders, and 241 ministers of music. The competency statements included in the questionnaire were rated on a five level scale as to their importance to a minister of music in a Southern Baptist church. These 106 competency statements were organized into twelve topic areas: (1) Philosophy and History; (2) Hymnody; (3) Worship Planning; (4) Musicianship; (5) Personal Musical Performance; (6) Vocal; (7) Choral Conducting; (8) Choral Planning; (9) Children's Music; (10) Other Music Training; (11) Instrumental Music; and (12) Church Music Administration. The respondents rated forty-one statements as of "very highest importance," thirty-eight as of "considerable importance," twenty-two statements as of "moderate importance," and only five statements as of "very little importance.". Conclusions. (1) General Competency Statements can be designed for a minister of music in Southern Baptist churches. (Rephrased more specific statements should be designed for a particular situation.) (2) Areas of vital importance include: a philosophy of music related to the nature and purpose of the church; music education, worship leadership, and program administration are the primary functions; and personal musical performance is desired, but of secondary importance. (3) The competency statements developed in this study constitute the major part of a music profile for a minister