Ministry and Worship Leadership | Chuck Taft
A Career Rooted in Music Ministry
Chuck's ministry career is defined by music. Across more than two decades of congregational service, he has held virtually every music ministry leadership role a church can offer, directing choirs, leading worship arts programs, serving as pianist and organist, guiding liturgical music, and shaping the sung worship life of diverse communities of faith.
His experience spans denominations and traditions, giving him a rare breadth of perspective on how different churches approach worship, music, and congregational participation.
Areas of Musical Ministry
Choral leadership: Directing adult, youth, and mixed choirs in liturgical and concert settings
Instrumental music: Piano and organ as primary instruments; accompanying worship and leading musical ensembles
Worship planning: Designing complete worship experiences that integrate music, scripture, liturgy, and congregational participation
Liturgical music: Specialized experience in Catholic and Episcopal liturgical traditions, including mass settings and the liturgy of the hours
Worship arts direction: Leading comprehensive worship arts programs that include music, visual arts, and creative worship elements
Pastoral Ministry and Licensed Local Pastor
Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church and served as Assistant Pastor at Biltmore United Methodist Church in Asheville.
His licensure as a local pastor remains part of his ministerial credentials.
Responsibilities as Assistant Pastor
Providing pastoral care and support to congregation members
Leading and supporting worship services alongside the Lead Pastor
Overseeing day-to-day ministry operations and congregational needs
Supporting ministry teams and lay leadership within the church
Contributing to worship planning and the church's broader mission
The assistant pastor role built directly on Chuck's existing music ministry experience. Rather than representing a departure from that work, it deepened his understanding of congregational life and equipped him to serve the whole person, not only through music and worship but through direct pastoral care and community support.
His licensure as a local pastor remains part of his ministerial credentials, grounding his music ministry work in a formal pastoral framework recognized by the United Methodist Church.
Ministry Approach and Philosophy
Chuck's approach to ministry is shaped by a conviction that music and worship are not supplemental to congregational life but central to it. Sung worship, well-led and carefully planned, forms community, deepens faith, and creates the conditions for genuine spiritual encounter.
That conviction has been tested and refined across seven ministry contexts spanning five Christian traditions. Each setting has added something: the liturgical precision of Catholic and Episcopal traditions, the participatory warmth of United Methodist and UCC congregations, the pastoral directness of Baptist ministry, and the theological depth of Presbyterian worship.
What Distinguishes Chuck's Ministry
Multi-denominational fluency. Few music ministers have led worship across Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Baptist, and UCC settings. Chuck has, and that range gives him an uncommon ability to serve congregations with different worship cultures and theological emphases.
Music and pastoral care together. Chuck's licensure as a local pastor means his music ministry is not purely programmatic. He brings pastoral attentiveness to the role, understanding that worship leadership involves caring for people, not only curating music.
Formal academic grounding. Chuck holds a Master of Music and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Worship Studies at the Robert Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida, a program he began in 2024. His introduction to the Webber Institute came through Dr. Brad Moffett, DWS, during his graduate studies at Lee University.
Local roots. Chuck has served Asheville-area congregations across his entire ministry career. His knowledge of the local church community, its ecumenical relationships, and its particular culture is deep and longstanding.
Doctor of Worship Studies
In 2024, Chuck began pursuing a Doctor of Worship Studies (DWS) through the Robert Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. The program is one of the few doctoral programs in the United States dedicated entirely to the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship.
The DWS program deepens Chuck's understanding of worship as a theological discipline, connecting his decades of practical ministry experience to a rigorous academic framework. His path to the Webber Institute began during his Master of Music studies at Lee University, where Dr. Brad Moffett, DWS, head of Graduate Programs for the School of Music and a Webber Institute alumnus, served as a formative influence.
The doctoral work is a natural extension of a ministry life already shaped by serious engagement with worship: its history, its theology, its music, and its pastoral function in the life of the church.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Chuck Taft do in ministry?
Chuck Taft is a music minister, worship leader, and licensed local pastor with career-long experience serving congregations in Asheville and Western North Carolina. His current role is Minister of Music at First Baptist Church Weaverville. His ministry work includes choral direction, worship planning, liturgical music, piano and organ, and pastoral care.
What churches has Chuck Taft served?
Chuck has served First Baptist Church Weaverville, Biltmore United Methodist Church, Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, St. Matthias Episcopal Church, St. Eugene Catholic Church, the Basilica of St. Lawrence, and First Congregational UCC Asheville. His experience spans Baptist, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Catholic, and United Church of Christ traditions.
Is Chuck Taft an ordained or licensed pastor?
Chuck is a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church, a credential he received in 2019. He served as Assistant Pastor at Biltmore United Methodist Church. His pastoral licensure remains part of his ministerial credentials.
What instruments does Chuck Taft play?
Chuck is an experienced pianist and organist. He has served as pianist, accompanist, and organist in multiple church settings, including the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.
What is Chuck Taft studying for his doctorate?
Chuck is pursuing a Doctor of Worship Studies (DWS) at the Robert Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida, a program he began in 2024. The program focuses on the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship.
Where is Chuck Taft located?
Chuck is based in the Asheville, North Carolina, area and currently serves First Baptist Church Weaverville, located in Weaverville, NC, just north of Asheville in Buncombe County.
Chuck Taft has devoted his adult life to ministry, serving congregations across Western North Carolina as a music director, worship leader, liturgist, choir director, pianist, organist, and licensed pastor. His ministry spans multiple Christian traditions, including United Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Catholic, and United Church of Christ congregations, and continues today in his current role as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church Weaverville.
Music ministry is the through-line of Chuck's professional life. Long before his ordination as a licensed local pastor, he was directing choirs, leading worship, and shaping the musical and liturgical life of congregations. That experience now informs every dimension of his ministry, from pastoral care and congregational leadership to his ongoing doctoral studies in worship.
Chuck Taft is a licensed pastor, music minister, and worship leader with career-long experience serving churches in Asheville and Western North Carolina across multiple Christian denominations.
Current Ministry Role
Chuck currently serves as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church Weaverville, where he leads the congregation's worship music, directs choral ensembles, and contributes to the liturgical and spiritual life of the church community.
First Baptist Church Weaverville
Weaverville is a small community just north of Asheville in Buncombe County, North Carolina. In this role, Chuck brings together his full range of ministry experience: worship planning, choral leadership, instrumental music, and pastoral presence within a congregational setting.
His work at First Baptist reflects the same commitments that have defined his ministry throughout his career: creating worship experiences that are welcoming, musically grounded, and spiritually meaningful for the whole congregation.