Rev. Ryan Heritage
Minister of Music Candidate

Music Ministry Resident
Wilshire Baptist Church
Dallas, Texas

Ryan is 28 years old and was reared in Anderson, SC. He and wife Lindsey, a 3rd grade school teacher, were married March 14, 2009. They live in Garland, TX.

Education:
        2005 Graduate - Erskine College – Due West, SC
            with a Bachelor of Arts, Church  Music
        2007 Graduate -  Samford University – Birmingham, AL  
            with a Master of Music, Church Music

On September 10, 2006, Ryan was ordained at Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, SC, his home church.  A large part of his choral experience came from participation/leading six youth choirs, eight college choirs and at least six church choirs.  He has a love for choral and congregational music and enjoys playing the guitar and mandolin.  Ryan is an avid outdoorsman; enjoying backpacking, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing and water sports.

Ryan is presently a Music Ministry Resident at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. He participates in planning for both traditional and contemporary worship services.  He and wife Lindsey live in Garland, TX. 

His duties include the following:

• Directs choirs, ensembles and handbell groups
• Assists with planning and leading worship services
• Assists with Youth Choir and choir tours
• Coaches soloists/duets and worship leaders as requested
• Coordinates publicity for music ministry events
• Serves as liaison to technical staff: audio – video - lighting

His skills include:

• Leading worship and conducting
• Vocal performance and teaching voice
• Hymnology
• Budgeting and project planning
• Ability to work with a team ministry of colleagues or volunteers

The First Baptist Music Search Committee sent the following questionnaire to Ryan to gain insight into whom he was as a person and as a minister.  You will find his calling is clear in his statements of faith.

Q. Please give a brief testimony of your conversion experience and subsequent call to be a full-time minister.

A. I felt God’s call on my life when I was young and have had a vested interest in the church since then.  I spent most of my time involved in church functions and many of my friends today are those who grew up with me at my home church. 
I felt God call me to college first, then music, then music ministry throughout a one-year period.  After high school, I worked full-time, but realized that I was not happy because I was not in the place God wanted me.  Because of my extensive knowledge of music, I was certain that God wanted me to play a role in ministry with music, but was not sure how.  Eventually, the educational and vocational plan that He had for my life was revealed to me and has led me to where I minister today.

Q. Briefly describe your philosophy of ministry, including in particular your leadership style.  Include with your response any experience you have in working with a multi-ministerial staff church.

A. My philosophy can be summarized by the greatest commandment (and 2nd).  If I can share with others the love that God has shared with me, then hopefully, they, in turn, will want to know how I can love like this God. Then finding they can receive this love and eventually share it with others.  Pertaining to my leadership style, I hope to reach those individuals who invest themselves into the ministry that I lead.  I would like to be their guide/leader/counselor/friend or serve in any other facet of their lives.
Regarding multi-staff churches, I believe staff should share the mission of the church (universal and local), and have good communication between all staff members with the regard to planned church events and agendas. While staff members may not become great friends, they should be able to work in a collegial manner.

Q. What are your beliefs and preferences concerning worship style?

A. I have grown up in a moderate church that would be classified as “traditional.”  That is in the sense that they sing hymns and the choirs of the church would lead with anthems.  I currently work in a church that would be classified with the same style.  We also have an orchestra that plays once a month.  I have led contemporary worship while in college, both while an undergraduate and during graduate studies.
My preference when referring to music is music done well.  There is bad traditional music.  There is bad contemporary.  There is also good traditional and good contemporary.  How it is done and the meaning for the worshipers and the sustenance that it provides is the most important to me. 

Q. What is your philosophy regarding the music ministry?

A.  Plato says in Laws: "Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws."  Music is powerful.  Music is ubiquitous. If everyone is exposed to music, then why should the church not have a role in producing music as well?
I believe music in the church starts with our children.  The importance of a strong graded choir program cannot be overemphasized.  The continued development with a youth choir is the next step forward, keeping our children in church currently and, hopefully, once they begin independent lives.
Music is able to communicate in a powerful non-verbal manner. Even though we do not use a sacrificial system for Christianity, we should still bring our best gifts forward.  In a sense, we do sacrifice ourselves.  The choir sacrifices their time to come to rehearsal.  The congregation sacrifices their level of comfort in standing up to sing. We do this to satisfy God by the act of trying to satisfy him.
With any choir that I work with, I will push them as far as they can go. I want them to give their best offering. I do not expect excellence; I expect the most that they have to offer.
I believe that music is a very important part of worshiping God, but also in daily living as Christians. We are called to reach out to others with love that we have been given.
As a community, we can sing together and become like-minded in worshiping God. As a whole, a core of Christians, we unite in song and worship.

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