Should a Non Christian be in the Worship Team

Do non-Christians have a place in the leadership and worship of a church? It’s one of those questions that can divide communities and ignite passionate debates.

Many Christians are conflicted on this topic. Pastors and worship leaders are possibly conflicted even more. Given their positions of leadership and their quest to grow teams and shepherd their church.

I can speak from personal experience, and perhaps a biased one, my stance on this is that it’s okay for a non-Christian to play in the worship team but not in a leadership role. The shepherd should be vetted but the shepherd’s helpers can be a little rough around the edges.

Before we dive in, I’d love to share my context.

I was in a death metal band, writing pretty offensive lyrics and was touring and playing live gigs. I was also part of a wedding/party band. And party we did.

Around this time I got involved with the Vineyard in Madras, the South of India (not quite as exotic as “the South of France”). The pastor and the worship leader and other staff were some of the best people I could have met at that time in my life. I got a job as a graphic designer and was included in staff meetings – which always was worship, prayer, and then business.

They found out I played guitar and almost immediately asked me to play on Sunday. They were in no way short of world class musicians. The worship team was made up of Christians from the film industry. They possibly won global, national, awards and accolades.

I was clear that I was not “converted” (I was Roman Catholic) and that I did not want to be converted. The pastor was amused at my straightforwardness. To fast forward, I was on the worship team, learning Vineyard classics.

Next thing, I was listening to more and more worship – not to learn, but to enjoy. I was quickly suggesting songs that stuck some chord with me and we played those. Long story short, I ended up getting exposed to the love of Jesus, playing the songs, sitting through the service and just being accepted.

It was there that I accepted Jesus and the pastor got to baptise me. All within 2 years. Also, during this time, I got my other band mates to come to church. Soon my drummer was on the team, my singer was a regular at the church and all our lives were changed.

The once offensive death metal band in the city was now at the Vineyard. In the worship team, and slowly accepting Jesus.

The pastor and staff had a “come as you are, belong, believe” approach. They welcomed, let us get plugged in in ways we enjoyed, loved on us, and planted seeds. The Holy Spirit did his work.

This is why I’m a staunch believer in allowing non-Christians get plugged in to not just the worship team, but tech, or any other role. Just not leadership. Surely there’s a lot of coaching and mentoring involved.

I remember showing up one Sunday with an offensive shirt (not just for the Church, just generally anywhere). I was asked to change it and was gently reminded not to wear things like that at church.

Take our poll.

Jesus hung out with fishermen.

In the West, we read the word “fishermen” and move on. I’m not sure what picture that word conjures in peoples minds if they haven’t seen fishermen from the East. Fishermen in the East, and certainly biblical times were not the pillars of society.

Where I come from, you avoided the part of the coast where the fishermen lived. They’d be drunk in the afternoon, after fishing early morning. They’d be fighting, with knives. It’s not uncommon to find murderers in the fishermen’s villages. They were one and the same.

I’m pretty sure, this version of fishermen is not far off from the ones Jesus encountered. They were accepted, belonged, then believed.

What Does the Bible Say About Christians Leading Worship

Throughout scripture, we see examples of worship leaders, such as King David, leading the people in song and praise. In the New Testament, we see instructions for how worship should be conducted in the church, including the use of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

The Apostle Paul encourages believers to use their gifts and talents to bring glory to God in worship, whether through singing, playing instruments, or leading the congregation. Ultimately, the Bible emphasizes that worship should be focused on God alone and done in spirit and truth.

As Christians, we are called to lead by example and use worship as a way to connect with God and inspire others to do the same.

Posted by Conrad Abraham

Hey there. I’m Conrad from Atlanta, Ga. I’ve a passion for worship, In fact, I’ve been worshiping before it was official – or before I accepted Jesus as the one true God and as my saviour.

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