Decatur Presbyterian Church is within the enterprise of creating worship leaders. The church in Decatur, Alabama, is in its third yr of providing summer season internships for coaching musicians to steer worship, however this system is modeled on an unlikely supply: surgical residency.
This system’s architect, George Godwin, is an ear, nostril, and throat surgeon who has served as a bi-vocational worship chief since faculty. Throughout his surgical residency, Godwin and fellow residents labored collectively on the hospital, attended lessons collectively, examine surgical procedure, watched and took part in procedures, and mentioned the experiences collectively. Attending surgeons guided and mentored residents, too.
“We’ve obtained the attending [surgeons] that mentor us, and we’re creating these long-term relationships. I’ve obtained relationships with my resident class, even right this moment,” Godwin, now 65, stated.
His years of ministry impressed him to think about one other use for this mannequin. Godwin realized the necessity for bi-vocational worship leaders, notably within the PCA, the place smaller church buildings can’t afford a full-time music workers member.
He noticed that faculty college students had a novel window of alternative whereas they’re nonetheless being formed by their tutorial research and have versatile summers. He envisioned a program that may leverage the most effective practices of surgical residency to equip bi-vocational worship leaders.
“Why not strive one thing like this with worship chief coaching? Extra of a hands-on collaborative, carry some of us collectively, create some relationships that may final mainly for a lifetime over worship coaching,” Godwin stated.
Thus the Ezra Worship Initiative was born, named for an additional bi-vocational worship chief of biblical fame. In response to the Ezra Initiative website, the prophet Ezra was an Israelite scribe and priest who was additionally educated within the legislation and given civil authority by King Artexerxes. The initiative’s purpose is to coach worship leaders who, like Ezra, are “educated, reliable and bi-vocational.”
In the course of the summer season, the interns take lessons at Birmingham Theological Seminary and earn a certificates of worship ministry.Additionally they obtain housing and a stipend.
Decatur Presbyterian’s worship type is a mix of conventional hymns, new hymns (like these by the Gettys and Metropolis Alight,) previous hymn texts with new music (like Indelible Grace), and up to date Christian songs. Relatively than educate the interns to imitate Decatur’s type, this system goals as an alternative to show them transferrable rules that could possibly be related at church buildings of all completely different worship kinds.
The 4 pillars of this system are worship theology, sound and know-how, musicianship, and songwriting. This system is structured to construct shut connections between interns in hopes that the relationships will proceed after the summer season ends.
“It’s wonderful to see them dwelling collectively and finding out the Phrase collectively and writing collectively and supporting one another and main worship collectively. It’s a little bit of a change for these college students,” Godwin stated.
The interns create a songwriting collective whereas they’re enrolled in this system. Godwin desires the teams to domesticate “musical and lyrical creativity” in Reformed worship.
In a testimonial video on the Ezra Worship Initiative web site, Jack Lyons described the Ezra Worship Initiative as “an internship, nevertheless it’s additionally a effectively of data ready to simply be poured out on folks my age which are simply thirsty for it.”
A spotlight of their songwriting research is a visit to Nashville by which the interns study from established artists within the business like Sandra McCracken and Meredith Andrews. They report and release the songs on streaming platforms in hopes that their work is not going to simply bless listeners, however that some church buildings might wish to add it to their congregational repertoire.
One other spotlight of the summer season is a mission journey to the Dominican Republic. The intern groups have helped to construct a Ok-12 college, a hospital, and a church. The journey additionally provides the group the hands-on expertise of main worship.
On the finish of the summer season, the scholars obtain suggestions on their strengths and weaknesses, discussing their calling and Christian ministry. Of those that have matriculated, a number of are working in church buildings placing their expertise to make use of.
“It simply works very well since you’re studying worship within the context of the congregation,” Godwin stated.
After his internship, Lyons served at a church in Troy, Alabama, which he described as small, however “close-knit.” He admitted the worship type of the church wasn’t what he’s used to, however nonetheless theologically wealthy, and he “realized a lot from simply being there.”
Lyons additionally used his musical items whereas serving abroad with Mission to the World for 2 summers. He helped to steer worship at a church in Tokyo alongside together with his work at a inventive arts heart.
Blair Dickson, a 2022 intern, appreciated the coaching in theology, musicianship, management, and know-how. However the expertise strengthened her religion, too.
“Past all the coaching, God drew me nearer to Him and made me fall extra in love with the gospel,” she stated in a testimonial on the Ezra Worship Initiative web site. “He grew not solely my data but additionally my need for Him and His phrase.”
Functions for summer season 2025 internships opened November 4. Whereas Decatur Presbyterian is keen to welcome extra interns and develop this system, Godwin hopes that different church buildings will likely be impressed to create campuses of the Ezra Worship Initiative of their congregations.
Within the present mannequin, Decatur pays the intern’s salaries, and the opposite bills come from donations. Each church can have completely different monetary issues of their strategy, however as soon as a funding technique is in place, Godwin believes this system itself is well replicable and transferable.
“We’ve obtained the blueprint, and we predict we’ve the curriculum,” Godwin says.
“I walked away from Ezra with such a wealthy theology of worship, and I’ve left with a way of management and a love for main folks into worship,” Lyons stated.
For extra data on Ezra Worship Initiative, go to https://www.ezraworship.com.
Erin Jones is a byFaith contributing author.
