When the Music Stops: One Worship Pastor's Path to New Beginnings
It was a dark place but I have learned God was with me all the way.
I recently sat down for lunch with a worship pastor who had been let go from his church over five years ago. What he shared wasn’t just a story of loss—it was a testimony of transformation.
When it happened, it felt like lights out.
“It was like being dropped in a dark swamp—you can’t see a way forward. You wonder how God could ever weave something good out of it. You feel like your career is over.”
For many worship pastors and ministers of music, being let go isn’t just a job change—it can feel like a death to calling, identity, and purpose. It brings grief, confusion, and isolation. You wonder: Why me? Has God forgotten me? Is this the end of the story?
But five years later, across that lunch table, he shared how God didn’t leave him in the dark. He led him through it.
Here’s what he’s learned on the other side of the heartbreak:
1. God used it to deepen his personal relationship with Him.
In the early days, he couldn’t see it. But now, he describes it as the beginning of a new spiritual journey—one that stripped away the noise and forced him to lean into God’s voice like never before.
“Now I can see God’s process. It wasn’t quick or easy, but it was there.”
2. God opened doors to relationships he never would have found otherwise.
Losing that job put him on a new path—one filled with unexpected friendships, mentors, and ministry opportunities.
“I felt like God had abandoned me… but He was actually leading me somewhere better. It was just terrifying at the time.”
3. God already had future blessings lined up—he just had to walk through the dark to get to them.
He shared this quote with me, one he now holds onto tightly:
“What you don’t understand now, God has already lined up in future blessings. But you have to let Him lead you through it.”
Looking back, he describes that season as the crucible—a time of intense testing. But he would go through it all again.
“If I had known then what I know now, I would have walked into that fire with hope instead of fear.”
As the Catalyst for Worship and Music with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, I hear stories like this more often than most would imagine. Worship leaders—especially in medium and smaller churches—often feel alone in their calling. My desire is to come alongside you, listen attentively, and offer encouragement and perspective when you need it most.
My wife is a public school teacher, and she reminds me often: she has people right down the hall doing exactly what she’s doing. They encourage each other, swap ideas, and share hard days. But worship leaders? We don’t always have someone just down the hall who understands the unique mix of spiritual leadership, musical excellence, and people management it takes to do what we do.
So let me just say this clearly: don’t go at it alone.
If you’re walking through a painful season—or just need someone to talk with—I’m here. Not with easy answers, but with an open heart and a shared understanding.
The music may have stopped for a moment—but the Composer is still writing your song. And you don’t have to walk through this chapter by yourself.
Let the crucible do its work. And trust that the blessing is already in motion.
Harmony in leadership informs and inspires.
Rhon