“ To me, a good song is one
where the text is the master
and the music is the slave.”
WORSHIP LEADER: Tell us about For the last four years, I’ve been serv-your journey to becoming a worship ing here, under godly leadership with a
leader. tri-fold vision of worship, discipleship
and mission.
NAME: West Breedlove
SPOUSE’S NAME: Suzanne
YEARS MARRIED: 8 years
CHILDREN: Abby ( 3 years old)
YEARS LEADING WORSHIP:
4 years
WEST: My spiritual taproot reaches
down through many layers of rich expe- WORSHIP LEADER: As a worship leader
riences. The deepest layer is the heart for who also writes songs that you use in
worship that God formed in me when I worship, what do you find are the ben-was being discipled by my high school efits of writing for your congregation?
youth minister. There is no better way to
classify our time together than “worship WEST: Songwriting is a high and even
discipleship.” His unpretentious leader- priestly calling with numerous benefits.
ship and joy in worship watered a seed It is priestly because hymn/songwriters
that remains at the core of who I am. are holy; we are “set apart” for prepar-
CHURCH NAME:
Cedar Springs, Knoxville, TN
DENOMINATION:
Evangelical Presbyterian
HOW MANY ACTIVE MEMBERS:
4,000 members
FAVORITE WORSHIP SONG:
“I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”
I picked up the guitar in eleventh ing a portion of the sacrifice that God’s
grade and immediately started writing people bring to him in worship. Such
songs and leading worship. This car- responsibility trains me in “others first”
ried on through college. During times of thinking. Because I constantly have to
prayer and praise, I realized the prophet- crush the idol of man’s approval (their
ic element to music—music as a subtle worship!), writing songs for a church
but powerful agent for stirring souls into with diversity is a spiritual discipline.
an appropriate reverential attitude before Secondly, hymn/songwriting reveals
God and assisting our otherwise impa- more of Christ to me. It is like a personal
tient spirits to tarry in his presence. walk to Emmaus with him.
INSTRUMENT(S) YOU PLAY:
Guitar
LAST TWO BOOKS READ:
Glory of Christ and
Fit Bodies Fat Minds
Despite a setback from a brain hem- Thirdly, writing our own worship
orrhage after college, I was hired to lead songs promotes a sense of family. Our
worship at a church full time when I was church is 4,000 strong. We need some-
23. After two years there, I read In Spirit thing that is “ours.” Something not im-and Truth by John Frame. Reading that ported. Something homegrown. What
book changed my life. It revealed a need better than the songs that we sing?
for transformation in my thinking about A final benefit of writing hymns is
worship. I then started seminary so I the privilege of joining those who have
could be in an environment where such gone before me (Wesley, Watts, etc.) and
transformationcouldhappen. contemporaries (Cook, Townend, Get-
