Music is a centerpiece of the Anglican worship tradition. Whether cathedral anthems, Taizé chants, or congregational hymns, most worshiping communities have music as a vital part of their principal services. Therefore it is ironic that we in the Episcopal Church often do not treat our musicians very well. The result is that our musicians are quietly leaving and fewer people are willing to enter the profession.

The existence of a serious problem is demonstrated by the fact that trained church musicians are increasingly hard to find. In the Diocese of Western New York, for example, there are several congregations which have been searching for an organist for more than a year. Several more have hired musicians who have no training in church music, and one or two of those had never played an organ prior to being hired.

One program-sized parish has called a high school girl who has been taking organ lessons for only a short time. Local chapters of the American Guild of Organists report seeing a marked decrease in the number of people willing to become parish musicians. I know of four highly skilled and competent church musicians who have retired from the church. Why? Each told me in different words the same story: being tired of the lack of support, lack of encouragement, the often-poor professional relationship with parish clergy and lay leaders, and the paucity of positions which pay an adequate compensation, let alone benefits, for the expectations of the position. As hurtful as the above is, it is also related that quite often the people of the church do not regard musicians as lay professionals.

The expectation congregations and clergy seem to have for church musicians is that they will play well, have the exact repertoire we want, play whatever services we desire, and be willing to accept very little money and even less thanks. A rabbi once told me that a significant difference between Judaism and Christianity in the treatment of professionals serving congregations was found in the theological base of each faith.

"In Judaism," he said, "we seek leaders and teachers; in Christianity you look for servants - and treat them accordingly."

Becoming a parish musician involves long hours of basic learning and continuing practice, the dedication of evenings and weekends to rehearsing, and 48 to 50 Sunday mornings providing music in the liturgy. Additional time is spent preparing for weddings, funerals and other special services. In return, musicians tell me, few people actually sit and listen to their preludes and postludes, musicians are often criticized for the selection of music (even if the rector is actually picking the hymns), and they are rarely listened to on matters of liturgy, though many are well qualified academically and experientially to render a solid and informed opinion. For a wedding, many people resent paying $75, $100 or $150 to the church musician, where thousands are being spent on the reception.

Another indication of the disregard we have for musicians is found in what we celebrate. We have officially suggested services for the celebration of new ministry for clergy, the commissioning of choir members, of altar guilds, acolytes and readers. But there is no comparable service extant or even suggested for beginning or commissioning the continuing ministry of the church musician. For too many Episcopalians, the idea that the parish musician is engaged in a ministry is new and unfamiliar.

Most musicians find that their offerings are regarded more as Muzak before and after the service - with people chatting and visiting, paying little attention to the prelude or postlude being offered for the edification of the worshiping community and the glory of God. One parish often drowns out the prelude and even the choir anthem in the midst of worship with the constant buzz of conversation in the pews.

We in the Episcopal Church (and other churches as well) will find it more and more difficult to secure good musicians if we do not recognize the problem and deal with it both at the diocesan and congregational levels. The answer, it seems to me, is not courses to train new musicians as much as it is to look at our practices and attitudes and to provide better support, encouragement and compensation.

Each diocese needs to provide specific and as binding as practicable guidelines for the employment of lay professionals, including a letter of agreement, suggested benefit packages and compensation guidelines. While it may be the responsibility of each congregation to have a good and ethical working agreement with their lay employees, unless the diocese makes it a priority, it will not happen. There are standards of compensation in most dioceses for clergy. Yet I have not heard of a diocese that has made it a matter of diocesan policy to have equally real guidelines for compensation, benefits, letters of agreement, and dispute resolution between congregations and church musicians or other lay professionals.

Unless it is a diocesan policy, there will be no encouragement for congregations to pay a professional wage and to deal openly and fairly when there are grievances between the musician and the parish. (Compensation guidelines are available from the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Anglican Musicians.)

But beyond the contractual relationship and monetary rewards are the personal rewards that the individual member of a congregation can provide. The week-to-week encouragement, clear communication when there is a concern or problem, and openness to exploring new musical expressions can be more nurturing and rewarding to the parish musician than just receiving a raise.

How is your congregation doing? Answer these questions honestly: Do you and others listen to and understand the prelude and postlude as part of your worship experience? Do you compliment your organist/musician on a piece that is well played or which you enjoyed or found interesting?

Are you willing to learn an occasional new hymn or piece of service music? Does the vestry agree on what is expected of the musician and of the music program for that congregation? Have those expectations been communicated effectively to the musician, in writing? Does the musician have a letter of agreement that spells out an annual evaluation and a process to be followed if there is a problem with the performance of his or her duties? Is the system of annual performance evaluation followed? Does the musician know the criteria on which the evaluation will be done, and have opportunity for a mutual evaluation of the work setting? Does your diocese have stated guidelines regarding fair compensation and benefits for lay employees (including unemployment, disability, health insurance and retirement benefits)? Does your congregation follow the AGO or AAM compensation guidelines?

If the Episcopal Church does not make an effort to have a better regard for church musicians, we may be singing the Lord's song a cappella or by Karaoke in many parishes, and our heritage of music could be seriously threatened. As Pogo remarked in the comic strip so long ago "I have met the enemy. And he is us." o

The Rev Donald B. Hill is director of pastoral care at the Episcopal Church Home and Affiliates in Buffalo, N.Y.