Minister of Music (Amherst, Massachusetts)
Immanuel Lutheran Church of Amherst, Massachusetts is seeking a Minister of Music to lead the musical life of our congregation. Primary duties include playing the organ and providing administrative coordination of the choir and other musical activities of the church. (The organ is such that a pianist can play it in services without using the pedals and provide a satisfying sound.)
Immanuel Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Founded in 1962 as a campus ministry, Immanuel has grown over the years and now serves the wider communities of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley. We are a diverse congregation drawn from a variety of cultural and faith backgrounds which is celebrated through our worship and music. Our ongoing commitment to music has made Immanuel a cultural center in the community, welcoming outside musicians into our space. The salary is budgeted to $25,000 annually. Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and two to three references to:
Dorothy Verheyen, Worship and Music Committee Chair, at: ILCWorshipTeam@immanuel-amherst.org or at
Immanuel Lutheran Church
867 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
Position Description
The Minister of Music is responsible for the administration and direction of our musical program as an integral part of the worship life of our congregation.
Candidates must have a heart for the church, the ability to relate positively to a wide variety of people in a sensitive and caring manner, and effectively manage volunteers. Candidates must possess strong organ and piano skills in order to play service music, appropriate prelude/postlude music and other keyboard voluntaries, and accompany hymns, sung liturgy, solo instrumentalists singers and a choir as needed. Candidates must have strong administrative and organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines. Candidates must have knowledge of the Christian liturgical seasons and the role of music in liturgical Christian worship.
The Minister of Music should be familiar with a diverse body of music styles, including knowledge of sacred music and liturgical music, and embrace a balance of tradition and creative innovation.
This is a part-time salaried position. Salary will be commensurate with experience and based on Association of Lutheran Church Musicians guidelines.
The Minister of Music reports to the pastor for the performance of specific duties and responsibilities. Job performance will be reviewed according to the guidelines in the employee handbook.
Specific Responsibilities
● Develop, direct and oversee the musical life of the congregation, and provide for a wide variety of musical involvement and expression of the congregation.
● Serve as the organist for all regular and festival worship services. The organ is our principal instrument for liturgical and hymn singing; however, the piano may be used when best suited for the music being played.
● The Minister of Music, in consultation with the Pastor and Worship and Music Committee, will develop a choral program.
● In concert with the pastor and the Worship and Music Committee, be responsible for liturgical planning, including the selection of liturgy, hymnody and other music for worship. Secure copyright permissions as needed.
● The Minister of Music will be the first to be asked to serve as principal musician for the occasional services of the Church, such weddings and funerals, with additional compensation provided for each service.
● The Minister of Music will provide all pertinent musical information for the bulletins.
● Encourage and support music in the congregation through actively recruiting new members for a choir and for other musical activities, providing an atmosphere of musical learning, growth, and mutual care. This includes encouraging the congregation in its learning new music and the singing of its current repertoire, and working collaboratively with members of the church staff and the congregation.
● Maintain the music library of the congregation, expanding the diversity of music in consultation with the Worship and Music Committee and within budget guidelines.
● The Minister of Music will plan and oversee special musical events for the congregation and community, with the assistance of others in the congregation. In consultation with the Parish Administrator, coordinate and schedule use of the sanctuary and Parish Hall, including use of the organ and pianos, by outside groups, especially with students and faculty of local colleges.
● Assume responsibility for managing the maintenance and repair of all musical instruments of the Church by qualified persons, including the 1974 Möller pipe organ (2 manuals, 5 ranks, electro-pneumatic action) and the grand pianos. Scheduling such maintenance is done through the Parish Administrator.
● Seek out appropriate opportunities for nurturing of personal and professional growth as a member of the ministry team of this congregation through continuing education. A budget may be provided for continuing education.
● The Minister of Music may use the church’s musical instruments for private musical instruction, in consultation with the church’s schedule.
Our Congregation
Immanuel Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, striving to be participants in God’s Love in Action. For us this means learning to journey in faith, worship with joy, and serve with love.
Our non-negotiable guiding values are the heart and character of our Church.
● We are a people gathered in Christ and moved by his spirit.
● We come together in joyful, musical worship of God.
● We are a welcoming congregation, inclusive and respectful.
● We seek to grow in faith and love, based in the teachings of the Bible.
● Children are an integral part of our worship and mission life.
● We care for people in need within the congregation, the community, and the
world.
● We are responsible and nurturing stewards of God’s gifts, our people, our facilities, our finances, and our earth.
● We value the expertise, intellect and talent shared by our members.
Our Community
Amherst is located in western Massachusetts in the heart of the Pioneer Valley, an area with a rich history of academia and agriculture and an on-going commitment to social justice and progressivism. The area is home to the Five Colleges - Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst - providing a wide variety of year-round activities and events. The nearby Holyoke Range and Connecticut River provide many opportunities for outdoor recreation and enjoyment. Amherst is 2 hours from Boston and within 90 minutes of the many attractions of the Berkshires such as Tanglewood and Mass MoCA.