SponsaChristi if only it were that simple.

This discussion has had many twists and turns. I started it because I'm writing a document for my choirs to educate on music ministry expectations, to clarify our mission-glorify God and serve the parish, because the old director has been allowed to create a toxic environment with bullying, undermining, by the leadership vacuum from above. So I came here for input from other music professionals and colleagues on this important document because there hasn't been an effective music ministry here for years.

I was hired to build a music ministry from scratch. There are low-expectations habits and toxic attitudes hanging around from entitled, insular, provincial, talented amatuers who previously made music ministry less about glorifying God to be their own little clique, and allowed to continue this attitude due to lack of pastoral leadership.

I came here to my music colleagues because it is impossible to collaborate with the priest on anything, really. It's a sad fact that his instability has left a huge leadership vacuum.

I didn't come here primarily to debate who should be a priest or run parishes, though those are important questions perhaps for a different thread. (I certainly have my own opinions based on lived experience.) Nor did I come here to downgrade anyone, but I've told the truth about why there is no leadership to rely on. It can be a lonely road being a music professional in such an environment, out here off the beaten track. And I guess it's been about grieving the lack of reliable leadership.

RATHER, I came here to get ideas from colleagues on effectively building and leading this music ministry in this leadership vacuum where toxicity has been allowed to flourish.

I did not create these issues - I inherited them when hired. I didn't create the issues belonging to the Priest either - whatever they are, they've followed him for 26 years, since he was demoted to parish administrator for life-obviously significant enough or that wouldn't have occurred. I refuse to be maligned for explaining why efforts to collaborate w/ this priest go nowhere-simply because he is unable to do so.

But why he's unable to collaborate is irrelevant. I've seen him up close and personal enough to have a pretty strong idea, but what matters most is realization and acceptance that he's simply incapable - that it's up to me to build and lead this music ministry to the best of my ability without the support of a strong leader.

I've been disrespected for wanting to have guidelines by those who project their simpler situation onto mine, and I've been disrespected by those who are upset that I spoke out about why the priest is unable to collaborate.

If you are unable or unwilling to help a colleague building a music ministry from scratch in a difficult situation, I kindly ask you to refrain from answering further in this thread. You've expressed your opinion, which is your right to do.

Now I have to get to work and finish drafting these guidelines for the music ministry, and any music professionals who are interested in helping with this document, I gratefully welcome your input.

To add to what @Chant_Supremacist wrote:

• Bring a pencil and a water bottle to every rehearsal and sung liturgy. (Water only in the choir loft - no coffee or other beverages.)
• On a similar subject, and depending on how your choir does things, either something about making sure you bring your music consistently, or making sure you leave your music at the church.
• During sung liturgies, all notifications (both audible and silent) on all electronic devices on your person must be disabled completely, especially on tablets used during the liturgy!
• Something about the spiritual and moral standards required of anyone carrying out a liturgical function - i.e., while choristers aren't expected to be perfect, the choir loft is not a place for cafeteria Catholics or for Catholics in name only. (If I were the one doing this, I'd probably ask the pastor of the parish for wording here, not least because, more here than anywhere else, I'd be communicating his standards and not my own!)