Louisville—Music ministers and musicians from Kentucky Baptist churches gathered for a day of refreshment, reflection and instruction on April 9.

The five-hour conference held in the Kentucky Baptist Building featured Stan Lloyd, retired LifeWay Worship consultant and specialist and worship pastor.

“Understanding what our job actually entails is twofold: to bring people face to face with their creator every time we meet together corporately, and to minister to the entire church—especially to those in your ministry,” Lloyd said, expressing what he wanted participants to take away from the conference.

“They’re getting ideas from each other and a fresh perspective. Maybe they’re getting a reminder of things that have been long forgotten,” Lloyd said.

A worship pastor must have a divine calling on their life if they are to do what God wants them to do as a worship leader, he said in his presentation.

Lloyd also pointed out that there is a difference in being a worship choir and a performance choir. He asked, “Is the choir ready for the change from being performance-based to leading in worship and the offering of sacrifice to their Creator?”

“This is not so much a musical change as it is a change in the spiritual aspect of the individual member,” Lloyd added.

“I will be honest that the idea of there being a choir that leads in worship and a regular choir, that’s new to me,” Judy Thomas, of Valley View Baptist Church, said.

She continued, “I like the idea of leading the church closer to God in a worship mindset. Any way I can help do that, that’s what I’m hoping to take back.”

Terry Abbott, of Bethlehem Baptist Church, said that he has been trying to take his church’s choir in the direction of a worship choir.

Abbott’s wife, Bonnie, added, “These people have a passion to sing. For them to realize that God has called them to be worship leaders and not just performers is a process.”

Lloyd also focused on using the music ministry to reach people.

Jason Stewart, the KBC’s worship/music consultant and host of this event, identified the ultimate value of any such event as “connectivity.”

“For the ministers of music to know that they are not alone is probably the most significant thing,” Stewart said.

“I think that the ultimate value is connectivity and training—to be able to grab some tools, to grab some ideas that they can take home and use immediately with their music ministry,” he noted.

This is the second year that the KBC has hosted the Selah conference, Stewart said. (WR)