WorshipLeaderResearch.com is the home for articles and news related to a collaborative study focused on the behaviours of the primary contributors to contemporary worship and the attitudes and behaviours of local worship leaders towards them. By exploring the relationships between quantitative and qualitative data, we hope to better understand the relationship between the worship music industry and local worship practitioners. The study aims to equip practitioners with a deeper understanding of the forces that impact their corporate worship song selections.
Articles
Worship’s (Mostly Male) Power Players: The Rise of the Songwriting Family
The first installment in Worship Leader Research’s behind-the-scenes look at the worship music industry indicated the 2010s were marked by Big 4 songwriters (from Hillsong, Bethel, Elevation, and Passion) largely operating in separate silos. Despite public language about a worship music “family,” the data told a different origin story. While the Big 4 did engage in co-writing, these collaborations were typically confined within their groups. Though a professional songwriter was sometimes brought in, the frequency of this varied by group. But in the years since, something has shifted.[...]
2025 Survey
We’re inviting worship leaders to share how they view their work and its many intersections—from songwriting and ministry responsibilities to mental health and the broader worship music industry. This survey is supported by the Louisville Institute and continues the work of Worship Leader Research (WLR), building on our 2022 study. It aims to deepen our collective understanding of the challenges, views, pressures, and hopes carried by worship leaders in the local church today. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. As a thank you for participating, three[...]
