Director of Music/Organist (Permanent Position)
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Abington, PA
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Abington, PA, is seeking applicants for the position of Director of Music/Organist. The Director of Music plans and coordinates the overall ministry of music at Holy Trinity, working closely with the Pastor. This includes playing the organ, directing choirs and ensembles, and leading and teaching liturgical music and hymns in the congregation. Salary will be in the range $37,000 – $47,000, based on education and experience. Two weeks’ paid vacation, pension, and health care with employee contribution are included. Candidates must pass a background check and obtain the child abuse clearance mandated by the state of Pennsylvania. Submit resume, professional references, and contact information to skp.brez1@gmail.com.
Holy Trinity is a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church. Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, worshipping, making disciples, and serving in his name. Our worship is Biblical, liturgical, and traditional, grounded in the Holy Scriptures as reflected in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and drawing from other classic and contemporary Lutheran resources. Video recordings of our most recent services may be viewed at holytrinity.net. We have a 20-rank, 2-manual Reuter organ, installed in 1963. An additional 6-rank gallery division was added in 2016, the console was rebuilt with solid-state equipment in 2001, and the reservoirs were releathered in 2022. We also have a 5-octave set of Schulmerich handbells; a 3-octave set of handchimes; a Yamaha U3 upright piano in the sanctuary and four pianos elsewhere; a Yamaha P60 electronic piano; a set of 3 Orff timpani; and digital steeple bells installed by Elderhorst Bells.
Job description:
Qualities
- Demonstrated administrative, organizational, and leadership skills in church settings.
- Willingness and energy to participate in our congregation’s mission and especially to explore the contributions of music to that mission.
- Familiarity with and ability to teach the scriptural grounding and theological dimensions of Christian liturgy.
- Informed appreciation of the Lutheran musical tradition and interest in creatively offering its specific gifts to the church.
Responsibilities
- Play the organ (or the piano as appropriate) at the regular Sunday morning and Saturday evening services, as well as at other services, including Thanksgiving Eve,
- Christmas Eve, Holy Week, midweek prayer services in Advent and Lent, and occasional special services such as weddings and funerals.
- Select congregational hymns for the services, in consultation with the pastor.
- Select preludes, postludes, offertories, psalm settings, and other items of liturgical music for the services, and communicate these to the church administrator for inclusion in the bulletin.
- Schedule anthems and other music for the choirs and other ensembles throughout the church year, including at least one anthem at each Sunday worship service during the months of September through June, and other special music during the summer months.
- Conduct the chancel and handbell choirs, and other ensembles as may be used.
- Rehearse with the choirs during the months of September through June, and with other ensembles as required.
- Select and prepare music appropriate for the choirs and other ensembles.
- Recruit choir members and cantors, and work to maintain the morale and enthusiasm of participants in the music program.
- Hire instrumental and vocal professionals for occasional use.
- Arrange for competent substitutes in all instances of unavailability.
- Teach the Lutheran liturgy to the choirs, and be willing to help teach on liturgical and music topics more widely.
- Serve as an ex officio member on the Worship and Music Committee, attending committee meetings, giving regular reports to the committee, and providing the committee with a proposed annual music program budget.
- Purchase necessary music and musical supplies.
- Maintain the church’s music libraries.
- Schedule and coordinate maintenance of the organ, pianos, and handbells.
- Supervise the programming of the digital steeple bells.
- Participate in relevant continuing education and professional development programs; the anticipated expenses for such programs shall be included in the proposed annual budget.
Submit resume, professional references, and contact information to skp.brez1@gmail.com.