Classification: Professional, Full Time
Supervisor: Head of Staff
Westminster is seeking collaborative, skilled, and imaginative leadership in sacred music. The Music Director-Organist will create and nurture musical opportunities to provide spiritual uplift and deepening faith development at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Westminster’s Mission Statement
We seek to follow Jesus Christ in an open and inclusive community of faith where God’s transforming love for all creation is celebrated through worship, discipleship and service.
We believe this mission statement captures the essence of Westminster’s history as well as charts a course for the future. Since its founding as a new church development in 1965, this community of faith has been committed to the values of theological inclusion and openness, and service in the manner of Jesus Christ. Westminster continues to be a place where people can ask questions and explore together, a place where genuine intergenerational relationships are fostered, a place that values integrity in worship, music, and education, and a place that seeks to live out the implications of what it means to be a gathered community of disciples of Jesus Christ in the 21st century.
More About Who We Are
Westminster is a community of faith where curiosity, warmth, inclusion, and care for creation are omnipresent. Every Sunday, our worship bulletin concludes with the words: “Now the service begins.” Our congregational motto, “Where faith and life connect,” calls us into the rigorous examination of discipleship. Our shared vision for ministry is to extend the love, compassion, and acceptance shown to us to the world; grow our mission-driven efforts of care and service; and challenge ourselves to grow our discipleship as a community of faith. The congregation recognizes discipleship is a journey, not a destination.
At Westminster, worship is the centerpiece of our shared communion with the divine. Theologically progressive preaching, enriching music, and Reformed liturgy call us to stretch into our faith while discerning how to be more responsive to God’s activity in the world. The congregation expects to be inspired and challenged, but also to be nurtured and supported. We value humor and enjoy the warmth of spontaneous laughter. From the pulpit and table, from angelic music to baptismal font, from wedding veil to the mystery of the great beyond, we hear and know the promise given by a loving God. And the service does indeed begin as we show gratitude to God and strive to carry the love of Jesus into the world.
Job Overview
Music Program
- Plan, develop, coordinate, recruit, and oversee all music programs of Westminster Presbyterian Church
- Direct, nurture, and grow Chancel Choir and all Youth and Children’s music opportunities with patient dedication to excellence
- Schedule and lead music ensembles and rehearsals (Currently including Handbells, Recorder Ensemble, Brass Ensemble)
- Communicate scheduling and other information with music participants
- Interact individually with music participants: private coaching for developing singers, appropriate pastoral care, counseling
- Collaborate with church staff, Worship Music Arts Ministry Team, congregational leadership, and community to incorporate a variety of music connections in worship
- Participate in weekly worship planning with Westminster Program Staff in addition to attending scheduled staff meetings
- Maintain music library, order and distribute music to appropriate ensembles
- Seek and engage in continuing education opportunities
- Coordinate any musical offerings to the community at large
- Plan, coordinate, help execute, and publicize special musical offerings on the Westminster campus, currently including the ongoing Musica Organi and Knox Chamber Music series, as well as other seasonal offerings
Organist/Pianist
- Play and/or coordinate music (organ/piano) for all services: Worship, Weddings, Funerals
- Learn and practice new repertoire
- Participate in continuing education opportunities
- Participate in the local chapter of the AGO
Administrative
- Complete and submit annual reports to appropriate staff
- Complete and submit communications as appropriate for weekly newsletters, church bulletin, etc.
- Coordinate, manage, and oversee maintenance and tunings of instruments
Qualifications
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree in music related field (Master’s or higher preferred)
- Five to 10 years preferred experience in sacred music leadership and performance, with direct experience in the Reformed Tradition
- High proficiency and experience in tracker style organ performance
- Experience in vocal training and teaching music to all ages
- Experience leading a diverse repertoire of choirs including brass and handbells
- Will perform job duties primarily on Westminster Church campus Salary Range
- $60 to 70K commensurate with experience (plus benefits package)
Our Instruments
- Sanctuary Organ: Richards, Fowkes and Co.’s Opus 7 (1998)
- Details available at these links:
- Sanctuary piano: Steinway, M, 5’7″, Mahogany, 1931
- Handbells: Malmark, Five octaves
- Handchimes: Malmark, Five octaves
- Chapel organ: Lunsford (currently out of service)
How to Apply
Interested candidates should email the following materials to: office@wpcknox.org
Subject: “Music Director – Organist Position”
Attention: Lee Ingram or Gloria Borum
- Letter of Interest
- Resumé
- Recording of two or more performances of significant organ repertoire
- Recording of conducting a choir
- Note: Links to recordings on YouTube or another cloud-based platform are preferred as media files will likely be too large to be received via email
**The application window is from June 23, 2024 – July 26, 2024
I love teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school. I find it is an age where children are beginning to have the ability to discuss topics and form their own opinions. I love watching children discover what the world looks like through their eyes.
Hello, my name is Debbie Babelay. This year I have the wonderful opportunity of teaching the 2-3 year olds in our Sunday School program. They are all precious to me. We have fun learning about God’s love and how each of us is a special child of God. I look forward to their smiling faces each Sunday morning. This is my 3rd year teaching in the Sunday School program. I have also worked with vacation bible school.
I have known Westminster my entire life! I grew up in the church since birth. My faith is rooted in so many wonderful experiences at Westminster such as going on trips with Choristers, Montreat, and a Mission experience to Mexico. I went to college in Alabama at Birmingham-Southern. After college, I lived in Birmingham where I worked in sales. I met and married my husband Wiley there. Jim Carter (former Westminster minister) married us at Independent Presbyterian in Birmingham. Wiley’s career has taken us to New Mexico and Arkansas, and now back to Knoxville. We have been here since 2011. We have 3 children, Ella (11), Grant (7), and Walker (5). I work as the Assistant Director of the preschool at Central Baptist which allows me to have a similar schedule to my children. My favorite job is being their Mom!
Bio: Junior at the University of Tennessee 
I am a senior at UTK majoring in Global Studies with a focus in Economics. I am currently in the process of apply to graduate school for CSP. I love to be outdoors and travel. I also work as an Resident Assistant at Volunteer Hall on campus and enjoy babysitting and baking.
My name is Malena D’Alessandro and I’m a junior studying marketing at the University of Tennessee. I’m originally from south east Michigan where I attended high school at Oxford High School. I am currently part of Spring Sports Ambassadors, Volunteer Team and Best Buddies at UT.