Wilshire will make more use of two current employees rather than hiring a new music ministry resident, under a plan approved by the Personnel Committee.

With the departure of Ryan Heritage as Wilshire’s second music ministry resident, the Personnel Committee has been working with Minister of Music Doug Haney and Associate Pastor Mark Wingfield to determine the most prudent steps for the future.

The plan approved by the committee would retain an emphasis on training young ministers of music but would shift that focus to semester and summer internships rather than the two- or three-year residencies experienced by Ryan and Brad Jernberg, Wilshire’s first music ministry resident.

To address the day-to-day workload of the music ministry, both Sarah Stafford and Jeff Brummel will take on additional hours and duties.

Jeff currently works 15 hours a week as Wilshire’s organist and as director of the Wilshire Academy of Fine Arts. He will increase to 30 hours per week and become music associate/organist. Jeff will take on additional duties working with ensembles, coordinating technical aspects of worship, planning music ministry events and serving as an assistant to Doug in both Sanctuary Choir and Youth Choir.

Sarah currently works 25 hours a week as music associate. She will increase to 30 hours per week and take the title of associate minister of music. She will continue to oversee children’s choirs, handbells and the senior adult choir and expand these ministries in the future.

“The music ministry residency, from its inception, has functioned differently than the pastoral residency,” Doug explained. “While pastoral residents function as ministers at large without a specific portfolio, the music ministry resident has been a hybrid of resident and staff member. About 20 hours per week of the music resident’s time has been devoted to the learning modules of the residency, while the other 20 hours per week have been devoted to service as a part of the music ministry team.”

Prior to the music residency, Wilshire employed an associate minister of music, so the new plan really is a return to a previous pattern, he added. “This will allow us to support the day-to-day needs of the music ministry while also leaving room for training young leaders.”

Also, unlike the pastoral residency, the music resident position never has been funded by an outside grant. Pastoral residents currently are funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment. The music ministry resident has been funded by personnel budget.

The staffing change also acknowledges that the market for ministers of music is so tight nationally that many viable candidates for a music residency program would bypass a residency and move directly to full-time minister of music roles, Mark added. “This is part of a nationwide shift in church staffing, due to the loss of traditional music programs in seminaries and divinity schools.

“We believe Wilshire’s role as a teaching congregation will have the greatest impact at this time by focusing on shorter-term internships that will engage future ministers of music at a younger age, perhaps while in undergraduate studies, rather than waiting until candidates have completed graduate studies.”

That doesn’t rule out the possibility of having a music ministry resident in the future, Doug said. “We are still open to that possibility, if the right candidate comes along and the timing and funding are right. Who knows how the Spirit will lead?”

The changes approved by the Personnel Committee create no net impact on the current budget. One aspect of the plan will require approval in church conference, in accordance with the bylaws.

The congregation must approve any “substantive change” in the job description of a ministerial staff member. That means the change in job title and expanded duties for Sarah Stafford will be presented for approval at the July 22 quarterly church conference.