FEATURE: ‘Back to the roots’: A Vision of Ministry-Driven Excellence

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the schools of The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It originally appeared in the spring 2020 issue of Southwestern News (pg. 35-39).

As the School of Church Music and Worship approaches its centennial year, dean Joseph R. Crider explains that the school’s leadership draws inspiration from the founding vision of I.E. Reynolds, Southwestern Seminary’s—and the Southern Baptist Convention’s—first professor of church music.

In 1915, I.E. Reynolds joined The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in a new endeavor. Both he and President L.R. Scarborough discerned the need for improvement in the area of church music among the Southern Baptist Convention, and they believed robust training within the seminary context would be the best way to achieve this vision.

Reynolds officially joined the faculty in 1915 as director of the newly created Department of Gospel Music, which became the School of Gospel Music in 1921, the first of its kind. Reynolds established three primary goals for the program: “spiritual and evangelistic fervor,” “scholarly and efficient musicianship,” and “practicality in application.”

Despite a few name changes—as well as more than a century of developments in the landscape of musical expression—those core principles remain true for faculty, alumni, and students of the now-named School of Church Music and Worship at Southwestern Seminary.

A Renewed Vision

When Joseph R. Crider joined the Southwestern Seminary faculty in 2019 as dean of the School of Church Music and Worship, he expressed to President Adam W. Greenway his priorities and vision for the school. Those priorities, Crider says, are “a commitment to Scripture, musical excellence, and serving the local church.”

Crider explains that he and the music faculty are not attempting anything drastically new; rather, they are seeking a “Spirit-guided” return to the original vision of I.E. Reynolds in 1915.

“We have just gone back to the roots,” Crider says. “We have just gone back to what Isham Reynolds sensed—that there was a need for training pastors and ministers of music in the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Crider is prayerful that those priorities will persist and carry the School of Church Music and Worship into future generations of training and equipping worship leaders, musicians, and performers in musical excellence and biblical truth.

‘World-Class’ Faculty

In addition to being the first of its kind, the School of Church Music and Worship remains the only freestanding, fully accredited school of music at an SBC seminary. Students have the opportunity to train both musically and theologically, participate in diverse performance opportunities, and engage a first-rate faculty who exemplify musical excellence and biblical fidelity, Crider says.

One such faculty member is Charles T. Lewis (’93), associate dean and professor of church music and worship. Lewis says he is excited for the opportunity to train a new generation for a lifetime of ministry in the local church.

“We don’t take our responsibility of training lightly,” he says. “We certainly see what happens on Sunday mornings, if done appropriately, as transformational.”

In addition to multiple artists-in-residence and adjuncts, the music school comprises eight full-time faculty members devoted to training their students for their unique, God-called work. Lewis says students will greatly benefit from studying with Southwestern Seminary professors.

“I think the professors we have here are world-class in every way,” Lewis says. “Not only do they love Jesus and love His church, but they love students and they love to invest their own lives and time.”

Assistant Professor of Music Theory Nathan Burggraff, who has served on the faculty for five years, says he is always considering how he can best incorporate a biblical perspective into his teaching.

“What students learn in my classroom, for the few years they are here at Southwestern Seminary, will help equip them for whatever God calls them to do in music ministry,” Burggraff says. “We prepare our students with a strong theological foundation, coupled with a robust musical training, in order to prepare them for the vast array of today’s music leadership positions.”

Not Just Another Music Degree

As in the days of I.E. Reynolds, the School of Church Music and Worship is preparing students for a lifetime of ministry rooted in an in-depth musical training paired with a robust theological education, the school’s administration says. Current students have several options at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels to receive such training. Wherever students end up vocationally, Crider says Southwestern is the place to be equipped.

“What we provide is an absolutely necessary theological foundation for worship leaders and ministers of music,” Crider says. “Your theology informs your philosophy, which informs your methodology.”

For Master of Music student Caleb Norman, Southwestern Seminary was the obvious choice for his master’s degree. Not only would it strengthen his skills in music and ministry, but it is also the only fully accredited school of music in the SBC. Norman enrolled and began classes in the fall 2019 semester, joining both the jazz combo and the newly created River of Praise student worship ensemble led by Leo Day, professor of voice and executive director of the Southwestern Center for the Arts.

During that fall semester, Norman, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, also started serving as worship pastor of the First Baptist Church of Alvarado, Texas.

As Norman works diligently in his studies and prepares for the current and future work to which God calls him, he says Southwestern Seminary has already provided numerous opportunities for growth and the sharpening of tools necessary for a lifetime of ministry.

“It has been really good to be here at Southwestern Seminary and to be trained in how we, as musicians, can glorify God in all that we do,” Norman says. “How are we reflecting our theology in the songs that we sing? How do we respond to God and not to our emotions? How do we structure our services to where the Gospel is reflected?”

Katelyn Montgomery, a Fort Worth native currently studying toward a Master of Music, learned piano at a young age and began teaching piano lessons in high school. By age 19, she was teaching 19 students in her home.

But as her teaching responsibilities grew, Montgomery also wanted to grow in both her musical and teaching skills. Southwestern, she says, has proven to be the right choice for how it has prepared her in all areas of her calling.

“Southwestern Seminary has equipped me to better teach piano and has emphasized the importance of my faith in the world of teaching,” Montgomery says. “Many students I have and will have in the future have not been introduced to the Gospel. Southwestern Seminary has helped me to further realize the importance of building Christ-like relationships with students as well as grounding them in solid musical instruction.”

Equipped for Kingdom Service

Students will leave Southwestern Seminary not just with another degree or more accomplishments to their name, but with every tool necessary to succeed in their vocation, the school’s administration says. These Southwestern Seminary alumni are now serving the Kingdom of God in a variety of roles.

Matt Perkinson, who earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Music (’11) and Master of Arts in Worship (’15) degrees at Southwestern Seminary, is one of many alumni now serving and leading worship in a local church.

Perkinson has served at First Baptist Church in Keller, Texas, for 11 years, four of those as the church’s worship pastor. In addition to leading weekly worship, he oversees more than a dozen vocal and instrumental ensembles representing all age groups. Perkinson acknowledges the importance of artistic expression and musical excellence, but says there is a greater purpose to the words they sing and the music they play.

“I want our congregation to leave worship having a correct view of who God is and an understanding of how we are to respond to Him,” he says.

Perkinson acknowledges that, if left to his own devices, he might not have reached this conclusion. Southwestern Seminary had a profound impact on his personal faith and ministry, he explains, “by fostering a deep commitment and understanding of the personal spiritual disciplines,” as well as by cultivating relationships with professors who challenged him in both his courses and his faith.

“I have been graduated from Southwestern Seminary for five years now, and I still contact some of my professors with questions related to ministry,” Perkinson says. “They are just as helpful and encouraging now as they were when I was a student.”

Jon Duncan (’88), another Southwestern Seminary alumnus, currently serves as the Georgia Baptist Convention division director for worship ministries.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Duncan pursued vocational ministry, having disregarded the need for a seminary music degree. However, he later attended a conference that included a class on worship taught by a Southwestern Seminary professor, and the experience convinced Duncan of his need for further training. He enrolled in Southwestern Seminary and earned a Master of Music.

In the time since, Duncan has largely served in denominational work in Oklahoma and Georgia. In his current role, Duncan oversees a staff of administrative support and consultants who work with local churches in a variety of areas including worship expressions, technology as it relates to worship, and assistance in meeting the needs of bivocational leaders.

Additionally, Duncan directs two choral groups: “Sons of Jubal,” a 300-member male chorus, and the “Jubalheirs,” a 275-member female chorus. Each choral group comprises music ministers, leaders, and performers from throughout Georgia.

The groups perform concerts throughout the year but are also frequently involved in international mission work whereby they have witnessed people from all cultures and backgrounds come to faith in Christ.

Music, Duncan says, creates unique opportunities to connect with people and provide avenues to bring the Gospel to even the most restrictive places.

“Southwestern Seminary helped me become the musician I needed to be in order to lead a group like this,” Duncan says. “It’s not just about inspiring people to sing in church but communicating the Gospel to the ends of the world.”

Reflecting on his life and ministry since his days at Southwestern Seminary, Duncan says he never would have imagined serving in the roles he has filled, but describes a gratitude for the numerous ways the seminary prepared him for a variety of occasions and ministry roles.

“I had looked at seminary as just another music degree,” Duncan says about his initial thoughts prior to enrolling in Southwestern Seminary. “What I didn’t realize was how much I needed to build filters in my ministry that would shape my practice for a lifetime.”

Bright Days Ahead

Crider says there is a lot to be excited about regarding the future of the School of Church Music and Worship, including new and diverse ensembles and choral groups and, most notably, the addition of a new degree.

Starting in fall 2020, incoming students will have the opportunity to take part in what the administration describes as the “gold standard” for worship leadership. The new Master of Music in Worship Leadership will provide a competency-based curriculum with a robust theological training, says Lewis.

“If I were a student seeking to be trained, the Master of Music in Worship Leadership is unquestionably the degree that I would want to pursue,” Lewis says.

Crider adds that the degree “is designed to arm our students with the necessary tools to be effective in the local church for Christ’s Kingdom and the glory of God.”

In addition, the Board of Trustees voted in their spring meeting, April 7, to approve the Master of Theology in the School of Church Music and Worship, which will provide “substantial opportunities for research and writing,” says Lewis. (Read more about this degree here.)

In the music school’s more-than 100-year history, the landscape of musical expression in the local church has changed in many ways, and will continue to do so. However, Crider says the School of Church Music and Worship will continue to exist to help students “navigate those waters.”

“The beautiful thing about that is, foundationally and theologically, the Word never changes,” Crider says, reflecting on the nature of worship. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

“So from that perspective, we stand on the Scriptures to realize that our theology of worship is as unchangeable as the Scriptures themselves. At the end of the day, our theology of worship and the nuanced aspects of it are driven and rooted in biblical truth.”