I want to know the real reason why musicans need top pay at a church?

[Lanesa]

I'll give a few responses:

1-) My church couldn't afford a keyboardist when we started......so I did something about it. I learned to play. I went to the piano board on LGM asked a thousand questions, utilized youtube, and some dvd's, and I played for a while until we found someone. Granted I wasn't playin like a pro, but I held down the service pretty good.

2-)One bad apple spoils it for everybody......Meaning there are churches where the Pastor collects all the funds (And Pastors should have some funds, I'm not arguing that) but then he turns around and buys luxury cars and does everything else that he feels necessary with the church funds. (I just see it as a problem when a pastor with no day job drives a BMW SUV with the works and only has 50 members).....then turns around and tells the musicians "The Lord will bless you". Granted there are churches who really don't have alot of money, but the thing is EVERY church says they are working on limited funds. So how do you know who's telling the truth?

So musicians caught on to this game. They started letting churches know thier requirements up front. This way nobody gets tricked into anything. A good majority of keyboardist in the south start out charging at $100 and it'll go up to $600 or $700 depending on the size of the church. So that is the standard going rate and its been that way for a while. Now that we have the internet, there are tons of musicians who are just catching on to the fact that musicians do get paid alot of money.....


3-)In the words of my Panthers coach John Fox, "It is, what it is"..... so if you want cheap or free musicians for every sunday, you have to get beginners. Granted they won't know alot, but they would be cost-effective. That's why churches are paying the neccessary money because the service is so much different when you have SKILLED and ANNOINTED musicians.

So my suggestion is to do what I did and learn the keys yourself. This way everybody wins. The church will have its keyboardist, you'll know another instrument, and you can always get somebody to hold down a beat on the drums and certainly won't cost you alot.......

Well Said, not only that if they can pay guest Pastors $1500 - $10,000 honorariums for preach and raise offerings then why can't they pay their musicians? And you hit it on the nail. If they can purchase tailored suits and luxury cars, they can afford to pay their musicians.

Now from the point of small churches and beginners... Just take what ever they give you until you beef up your skills. Afterwards, charge what you desire and always be sensitive to the spirit of God when he tells you to sow time into others... God does not want ministry to be about money, you are required by God to sow into the lives of others whenever possible. That's outside of greedy pastors and leaders that want to try and get everything for free while they continue to live in luxury.

[EricT]

Doc I played at a church with 40 members. (for real) but because they were tithers, THEY offerred me 150 a service because they knew what they were getting. Most good keyboard players require at least 250 for a normal service.

My church requires the music ministry to be at the top of their game, so they pay us top dollar to do it. Its called getting what you pay for. GOD deserves excellence and that should be all around to board. From the Sound to the preparation, to rehearsal, to ministering. Some churches get it some don't. I just thank him that he placed me somewhere that gets it. 

[under13]

Doc I played at a church with 40 members. (for real) but because they were tithers, THEY offerred me 150 a service because they knew what they were getting. Most good keyboard players require at least 250 for a normal service.

My church requires the music ministry to be at the top of their game, so they pay us top dollar to do it. Its called getting what you pay for. GOD deserves excellence and that should be all around to board. From the Sound to the preparation, to rehearsal, to ministering. Some churches get it some don't. I just thank him that he placed me somewhere that gets it. 

you play at PJ Morgans church?

[EricT]

Yes I do Reid Temple AME

[sugerbear]

Let's look at the small church as a small business,and you being the boss (pastor) need to make your business grow,its been 3 years and the business haven't took in any new clients, you may have some of your family members helping you and they're doing the best they can however it's not bringing in any new customers(SAINTS).

So you sit down with your family (the board) and talk about how can we make the business grow! you look at what you have and what you don't have,you realize that your business skills is good enough to keep the clients that you have(your preaching) but how can you draw in new clients...your staff is part of your family(music staff) and the only thing they can do is answer the phones with an attitude(play "when the saints come marching in" in the key of "B#)and they never practice, they just play when they get to the job(church).

so you realize that good music will draw people in,so you hire some "SKILLED MUSICIANS" and in your one year business forecast you see about 35 new members and in 3 years you see a total of 90 new members.

So you invest MONEY into your staff knowing that your return will be great!!

When I first started playing for the church that I'm at they had 50 members, I was making $170.00 a week( 2 HRS ON SUNDAY AND 2 HRS ON THURSDAY) Ive been there for 3 years,they now have 115 members and still growing,I'm now making $350 a week!!

[L.V.Drumma]

Something peeks my curiousity. This is something that everyone can answer. Would you be comfortable to play at a church with 50, on fire for God members with a $100 pay but plenty spiritual harvest and powerful ministry and a music team consisting of players that are intermediate and advanced? Or a church with a $750 pay a week, all professional music team, 500 members but 3/4 of them are not interested in God and the type members that cause confusion, and with a less effective ministry?

[under13]

Something peeks my curiousity. This is something that everyone can answer. Would you be comfortable to play at a church with 50, on fire for God members with a $100 pay but plenty spiritual harvest and powerful ministry and a music team consisting of players that are intermediate and advanced? Or a church with a $750 pay a week, all professional music team, 500 members but 3/4 of them are not interested in God and the type members that cause confusion, and with a less effective ministry?

thats a whole nother thread imo.... but thats why I dont want to become a full time pro musician. A F/T pro musician just might have to take that $750 a week to support his family.

[sugerbear]

Something peeks my curiousity. This is something that everyone can answer. Would you be comfortable to play at a church with 50, on fire for God members with a $100 pay but plenty spiritual harvest and powerful ministry and a music team consisting of players that are intermediate and advanced? Or a church with a $750 pay a week, all professional music team, 500 members but 3/4 of them are not interested in God and the type members that cause confusion, and with a less effective ministry?

Imo if this is how  you make a living and support your family then you go with the $750 a week pay, if  your looking to grow spiritually then you find a church were you can worship at,and  not play your instrument.

[kodacolor]

Imo if this is how  you make a living and support your family then you go with the $750 a week pay, if  your looking to grow spiritually then you find a church were you can worship at,and  not play your instrument.

   So a person can't play and grow?

[sugerbear]

  So a person can't play and grow?

Sure you can play and grow but there are some churches that are "DEAD SPIRITUALLY" were they are talking about the same thing sunday after sunday.

If your child was in the 6th grade at a certain shool and they were doing second grade work wouldn't you pull your child out of that shool and find a shool were he/she can grow....

[theLearner]

this question isn't that serious but the notion that displays confusion IS The word of God is whats suppose to bring us all on one accord! The fact still remains that we as people of God is still allowing self to come in and tear down the notion of brotherhood amongst the saints!!! We NEED TO DO BETTER

GOD BLESS EVERYONE

Is Nehemiah 12:47 one of these texts?

My Pastor actually mentioned the fact that the Bible talks about musicians and payment yesterday

[under13]

Imo if this is how  you make a living and support your family then you go with the $750 a week pay, if  your looking to grow spiritually then you find a church were you can worship at,and  not play your instrument.

I believe that if you let God lead you, that he can and will place you somewhere where you play (and get paid) and be fed spiritually. You just gotta be patient

[arthur59]

You guys are rough here in the drum room,y'all ran may man moedeep1 off and running
I don't agree with the things he was saying, the brother is just frustrated he's been trying to build a music department at his church for over 6 years.

I've seen musicans come and go at his church,about 3 years ago I helped him and his church out buy becoming the MOM,I didn't want to be the MOM, I just wanted to bring my bass and help them out ,I played there for 7 months my pay was $150 a week, at that time moedeep wasn't getting paid.

After playing there for about 3 month the MOM part was to much for me, so I found them a keyboard player, he was getting $100.00 a week and modeep still wasn't getting paid, I stayed there for another 4 month and then I felt like it was time for me to move on, this way they could pay the the keyboard player more money.....not sure what happened to the keyboard player after I left.

Moedeep is faithfull to his church, he just started getting $ 50.00 a week, he's just frustrated, so he came to the LGM family for some advice,a lot of what was said by the LGM family was true...but you drumers just baet him down like he was a pice of your drum set next time sprinkle some salt on the brother(be tastful) before you do a drum roll on his head...

[JFunky]

You guys are rough here in the drum room,y'all ran may man moedeep1 off and running
I don't agree with the things he was saying, the brother is just frustrated he's been trying to build a music department at his church for over 6 years.

I've seen musicans come and go at his church,about 3 years ago I helped him and his church out buy becoming the MOM,I didn't want to be the MOM, I just wanted to bring my bass and help them out ,I played there for 7 months my pay was $150 a week at that time moedeep wasn't getting paid.

After playing there for about 3 month the MOM part was to much for me so, I found them a keyboard, player he was getting $100.00 a week and modeep still wasn't getting paid I stayed there for another 4 month and then I felt like it was time for me to move on, this way they could pay the the keyboard player more money.....not sure what happened to the keyboard player after I left.

The brother is faithfull to his church he just started getting $ 50.00 a week, he's just frustrated, so he's came to the LGM family for some advice,a lot of what was said by the LGM family was true...but you drumers just baet him down like he was a pice of your drum set next time sprinkle some salt on the brother(be tastful) before you do a drum roll on his head...

...3rd person, eh? lol   (The Rock says...)

[under13]

yeah, I think this was the wrong room for his thread.

[betnich]

Is Nehemiah 12:47 one of these texts?
My Pastor actually mentioned the fact that the Bible talks about musicians and payment yesterday

Oh, you mean this -

King James Bible
"And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron."

Good one to pull out the next time a leader quotes Malachi 3 to make musicians tithe...

[JFunky]

...I have a question: is anyone here a Levite?  Is anyone here a full-time music minister/minstrel? 

[under13]

Oh, you mean this -

King James Bible
"And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron."

Good one to pull out the next time a leader quotes Malachi 3 to make musicians tithe...

Last week while at a concert, I heard a minister brag about how they dont pay their musicians, telling to go out and get a job if they wanna get paid.    What they gonna do when their musician cant make it to the revival 'cause he's working the night shift for some overtime to feed his family?

...I have a question: is anyone here a Levite?  Is anyone here a full-time music minister/minstrel? 

so only full time musicians should get paid?

[docjohn]

Yo 13,that wasn't a "minister" bragging;it was a pimp!!!!!imo I just read ISAIAH 10 today;which has some interesting things to say about "robbing,pimping,etc.," how the LORD will exact/extract punishment.

[JFunky]

so only full time musicians should get paid?

...I didn't state that.