Do Less. Lead Better. What Teel Merrick Taught Me About Worship Ministry.

Teel Merrick is the founder of Worship Admin, a platform built to help worship pastors get out of the weeds and lead with clarity. He is also one of the most refreshingly honest people I have had on this show.

This conversation went places I did not expect. And I mean that in the best way.

God is doing more behind your back than in front of your face

Teel shared a quote from Graham Cooke that he says to himself at least once a day. The Lord is doing way more behind your back than he is in front of your face.

That one landed for me because when I look back at any season of my life I can see God working in all of them. The 4am wake up call to start the podcast. The conversation with Seth Mosley telling me to start a production company. The moment my parents worship pastor Matt told me that until I give my musical gifts to God they will not go as far as I want them to go.

None of those felt like obvious God moments in the middle of them. They felt like conversations, nudges, and sometimes just a feeling I could not shake. But looking back the thread is clear.

God is in every decision and every step. It is up to us as followers of Him to give Him the credit He deserves. And I think part of giving Him that credit is trusting that He is working even when we cannot see it. Especially then.

Preferences versus values. This one will change how you lead.

Teel drew a distinction in this conversation that I have not been able to stop thinking about. The difference between preferences and values in worship ministry.

Preferences are emotional. They are short lived. They are the things you personally love right now. Values are biblically grounded, church aligned, and built to last fifteen years.

The trouble starts when preferences start masquerading as values.

Here is how I think about it in my own context. The church wants us to lean into our preferences because that is what gives a worship ministry its own voice, style, and heart. And that is right. But when we are only thinking about our own preferences that is where we get into trouble.

If I love heavy metal but that is not what God is doing at my church then it is going to be a clash. The goal is to let our preferences lead when they align with what God is already doing in our specific church. That is when we are walking the line right. That is when it feels like freedom instead of friction.

Teel said if he hands his values to the next worship pastor they can stand for another fifteen years. If he hands his preferences to the next guy and that person does not share them everything has to be rebuilt from scratch.

Build on values. Hold preferences loosely.

Seventy albums in one year.

Teel looked at the top five worship artists in 2024 and counted how many albums, singles, and EPs were released between them. The number was north of seventy.

In one year.

As a fan of worship music I love having that much to listen to. I can segment it as a fan and as someone always looking for songs to use. But here is what that number actually did for me. It took the pressure off.

Since I am always wanting to write and release originals all of that music does not overwhelm me because there is no way to incorporate it all anyway. And in a sense that is actually freeing. I do not feel like I have to chase the next big song just because everyone else is doing it. I can lean on the songs that resonate with me, with my heart, and with my church.

Teel said it plainly. Just because you can does not mean you should. Not every song we write is a thus saith the Lord moment. And the kingdom is not dependent on us getting our next release out. That might sting a little but it is also the most liberating thing a worship leader can hear.

The thing I keep coming back to.

Out of everything we talked about the thing I keep coming back to is servant leadership.

Teel is not trying to build a platform. He is trying to help people. That came through in every answer. And it reminded me that the most effective worship leaders I have ever known are not the ones with the biggest stages or the most followers. They are the ones who show up consistently, serve their specific church faithfully, and hold everything else with an open hand.

That is the goal. Not to do more. To lead better.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxSjvh0IMSc&t=3524s

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