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You can find previous episodes of “The Stone Chapel Podcast” at Lanier Theological Library.
“The Stone Chapel Podcast” is part of the ChurchLeaders Podcast Network.
This episode has been edited for clarity and space.
Leslianne Newberry
Hi, I’m Leslianne Newberry.
Tyler Newberry
Hi, I’m Tyler Newberry.
David Capes
Leslianne and Tyler. Welcome to “The Stone Chapel Podcast.”
Leslianne & Tyler Newberry
Thanks for having us.
David Capes
It’s going to be a fun conversation. We’ll be talking about Asaph’s Table. What is Asaph’s table? Well, we’re going to explain that in just a few minutes. It’s an important initiative. I am so excited about it, and excited to have you guys chatting with us today. But before we do that, who is Leslianne Newberry?
Leslianne Newberry
Well, I’m a wife and mother of three. I’m a homeschool mom, and I’ve been leading worship with Tyler since we were 14 years old. I was a music teacher for many years before I started homeschooling. I studied opera, but that ship has sailed, and now I’m a homeschool mother.
David Capes
You’re from Memphis originally, so we have Memphis in common.
Leslianne Newberry
Yeah, not many people can say that, that’s true.
David Capes
My wife was born in Memphis, and we had a son born there, too.
Leslianne Newberry
That is really cool!
David Capes
And who is Tyler Newberry?
Tyler Newberry
I am a worship leader. I’ve been leading worship with this lady right here for almost 30 years. When I was in sixth grade, I saw a guy named Todd Fields, an Atlanta guy (who’s still leading worship!). I looked at him on stage, and I said, that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. And so fast forward 31 years, and I still love it. It’s what I think about. I’m a father of the same children. I love craftsman things. I like to make things, wood, and metal, primarily.
David Capes
Do you have a workshop?
Tyler Newberry
I do have a workshop.
David Capes
Do you have a shed?
Tyler Newberry
I have a big old shed.
David Capes
So, you guys are both very creative types.
Leslianne Newberry
You could say that, yes. We don’t get a lot done, but we have a lot of fun.
David Capes
Today we’re going to talk about Asaph’s Table, which is an initiative you guys are starting. It’s an exciting initiative. I think it’s an important initiative. In fact, probably critical at this point, given some things we’re going to be talking about. We’re going to be putting some links together about how to be in touch with you guys later, because I think we’re probably going to stroke some people’s concerns and interests. There are worship leaders who listen to this podcast, and there are people who are pastors and church leaders who know worship leaders, and the situation is a bit dire, it seems to me. So, what’s going on with worship leaders today? Because it’s changed a lot in the last 50 years.
Tyler Newberry
I wouldn’t say we’re in a crisis, but we’re close. I can speak for America but I won’t speak for anywhere else. The church is hemorrhaging worship leaders from the church. We have a problem in that we have a lot of worship leaders who are not properly, biblically equipped and trained. We have worship leaders who don’t feel like they have a place on a local church staff. They don’t belong. We have churches that don’t know what to do with these creative people on their teams. We have a lot of performers and not a lot of expectations for character. There’s a history on why that is the case, but here we are today, some 30-40 years from the 70s and the Jesus movement.
David Capes
The Jesus movement brought to us a lot of contemporary Christian music that we had never heard before. You go into most churches 50 years ago, and there was a piano on one side, an organ on the other. That was pretty much it.
Tyler Newberry
That’s right. I was one of the first worship leaders with a guitar on stage at our church growing up, and it was somewhat of a scandal. The worship wars are mostly in the past. They’re still around in pockets, but they’re mostly past. And I think it’s time that the “Church”, Big C, begins a discussion about, how do we better train, how do we better care for, and how do we give a sustainable, long life to a man or woman that has been gifted by the Lord as Asaph was to lead the people, to gather the people in adoration through music.
David Capes
Let’s back up a little bit and talk about who Asaph was and why he has inspired this organization called Asaph’s Table.
Tyler Newberry
Asaph was one of David’s prophets in the temple.
David Capes
Not one of my prophets! King David.
Tyler Newberry
King David, thank you. Yes, just some years before you! We have a incredible heritage that we get to read about in the scriptures, particularly Psalm 50, Psalms 73 through 83. He wrote about a dozen of the Psalms, and he was a gifted worship leader before it was called that. And he set in motion a centuries and centuries long tradition of, as you taught me, gathering the people by music. Showing love and praise and thanksgiving and blessing before the Lord through song.
And here we are many, many years later, carrying on that same tradition. The reason it’s a table is I think some of the discussions that need to happen in the church are not all hard. Some of them might be, but I think they’re discussions that aren’t happening. What if we just said, hey, come to the table, pull up a chair, and let’s talk about it.
David Capes
Let’s get a cup of coffee. Or maybe a good meal, along the way. When I think of Asaph’s table, I think of hospitality. Coming together and demonstrating hospitality, which is just such an important part of the church’s history, in the church’s mission. So, he’s kind of the inspiration behind all of this now. And what do you see Asaph’s table becoming? Because we’re right at the very beginning of what this is all about. Leslianne, what do you see it becoming?
