Stephen Lounsbrough’s Path to Music Ministry
Stephen Lounsbrough stood in front of a congregation at an unfamiliar church, leading them in worship. He wasn’t performing a choral piece or playing a violin solo. He was simply leading people in song.
And then he heard it—the sound of voices joining together in worship.
“I remember that moment that just really had an impact on me,” Stephen recalls. “And I thought, I really want to be involved in doing something like this.”
That moment helped shape the rest of his life and ministry.
Undergraduate Years
Stephen enrolled at Faith in 2006 and studied sacred music with violin as his instrument. But he didn’t stop there. He added Greek and other subjects to his studies, building a foundation that combined musical skill with biblical knowledge.
But those four years shaped more than just his musical abilities. They prepared him for what would come next.
Seminary and Beyond
After finishing his bachelor’s degree in 2010, Stephen stayed in Ankeny to attend Faith Baptist Theological Seminary. He spent 2011 and 2012 pursuing a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies.
“I still think about a lot of the things that I’ve learned at Faith,” Stephen reflects. “I really appreciated the music philosophy classes and sacred music classes. I learned a lot about just taking the studying of the Bible and taking it seriously.”
He loved the original languages classes with Dr. Newman in Greek and Dr. Little in Hebrew. “I’ve been able to use some of that in my ministry, and I still think about a lot of the things that my professors said.”
The counseling classes with Dr. Newman also left a lasting impact. “There are principles from that that still pop into my head as situations arise, either in my ministry or with my family,” Stephen says. “You have to think about how to respond biblically.”
Path to Michigan
After graduating from seminary, Stephen decided to pursue a master’s degree in music composition—an interest that he had while growing up. He looked at different graduate schools and settled on one in Michigan, mostly for financial reasons.
While studying in Michigan, Stephen connected with Evangel Baptist Church in Taylor.
He’s been there ever since.
“That was kind of not the journey that I necessarily had planned, but it was what God had in store for me, and I’m thankful for it.”
Stephen also met his wife there at Evangel: “We started serving together in children’s choir and Sunday evening music and got married here.”
Ten years later, the Lounsburghs are still serving at Evangel.
The Moment Everything Clicked
Stephen’s involvement with music ministry at Faith helped solidify his desire to continue in church music ministry. One particular moment stands out.
“I remember a specific time leading congregational music as part of a traveling team,” Stephen recalls. “It wasn’t during the moment of presenting our choral selections. It was while I was leading the congregation and hearing them sing.”
That moment convinced him that he wanted to serve in ministry in that type of capacity.
He also loved being part of the music ensembles at Faith—not just for the camaraderie of making music together, but for seeing how music ministry plays out in different contexts. The traveling opportunities exposed him to several churches in Iowa and across America. One trip even took him to Europe, where he experienced how the church looks different in some ways but the same in many others.
More Than Music
Stephen joined the staff at Evangel primarily for music ministry, but his responsibilities have shifted over the years. He now serves as administrative pastor, overseeing many aspects of church life.
“It’s exciting to delve into some areas that perhaps I didn’t have as much training in originally,” he says. His work now includes building management, church communication, technology, and social media.
Personally, Stephen is pursuing additional training in biblical counseling.
“Once you graduate, be committed to being a lifelong learner,” Stephen says. “Don’t be done with your education once you graduate, because there’s always more to learn.”
He has the privilege of having a good seminary nearby and enjoys taking classes when he can or attending conferences and lectures available to pastors in the area.
Staying Connected to Brasil
Stephen has also maintained involvement with music seminars in Brasil, where he grew up as a missionary kid. This year he wrote a couple of arrangements for a church in Fortaleza.
“Looking forward to the possibility of perhaps going down there next year and being maybe a bigger part of that,” he says. “Trying to continue that aspect of my training and desire to serve in that way.”
The Faith Foundation
Looking back, Stephen appreciates how his time at Faith prepared him differently than a secular music school would have.
“I had the benefit of musical training in the undergrad with a solid biblical environment,” he explains. When he went to graduate school for composition, he felt better prepared to deal with a vastly different, non-Christian culture “and to not be swayed by that.”
The principles he learned at Faith continue to surface in unexpected ways. “There’s a lot in ministry that shows up that you don’t feel prepared for,” Stephen admits. “But I feel like the principles that we learn are very applicable.”
Today, Stephen uses everything he learned at Faith—the music training, the biblical studies, the original languages, the counseling principles—to serve faithfully at Evangel Baptist Church.
As Stephen discovered, God has unique ways to equip us for everything that he wants us to do, and he is grateful for the many ways that God used Faith in his life.
