Rev. Caleb Butler’s first day as the new worship minister at Wentzville Christian Church was Sept. 12, but his debut before the congregation was during the worship service on Sept. 18, just a week ago.

"It went real smooth," Butler said. "The former worship minister, Dale Keys, was still here, so we kind of co-led, with him singing some harmony, and then he led a song and I sang some harmony. It was a good transition. The band jumped in and welcomed me very quickly and very smoothly."

Senior minister the Rev. Kendall Bopp said everything went great.

"His role is to create the whole worship experience, in order to do the best that we can do to make a connection with the people who are out there," Bopp said.

Bopp expects a harmonious collaboration.

"I believe he’s going to do a fine job—I have no doubt," he said. "I’m looking forward to everything he will bring to our worship ministry."

Butler will do a lot of what Bopp called "behind the scenes" work.

"He’s going to have a whole worship team to work with," Bopp said. "You’ve got your musicians, you have those who are backup singers."

It will be important, Bopp said, for Butler "to be able to pull all those resources together and make sure everybody’s heading in the same direction and that there’s a vision for the future in the ministry."

Butler is looking forward to the challenge.

"The responsibility for me is going to be to coordinate with the senior minister to plan out our Sunday services, from the musical aspects of worship to maybe some creative worship elements," Butler said.

He will also take care of audio, video and lighting for services, making sure those "all work together with the worship experience that we’re creating on Sunday mornings," he said.

Butler, 29, previously was the worship minister at nearby O’Fallon Christian Church. Butler graduated from Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, MO in 2004 with a worship leading ministry degree. After graduation, Butler moved to Nashville, TN and pursued a career in Christian music for about five years.

"I actually worked on the business side of Christian music in several different talent agencies, and touring on the road, selling merchandise and working more closely with the bands," he said.

He and his wife Jayme also stayed active with Lakeshore Christian Church in Nashville.

"I was very involved in their worship ministry, and was able to lead on occasion when the worship minister was out of town," Butler said. "I really felt that God was calling us back on the ministry side of things, and away from the business side of the Christian music. So we began to search and pray to find what ministry role he had us in and where he had us."

The Butlers are both from Missouri, so the opening at O’Fallon Christian was the answer to their prayers.

"It was a great fit, and absolutely God-led that we ended up back here and closer to family," he said.

After 2.5 years at O’Fallon Christian, Wentzville Christian was the next step along the path.

"We’re more than excited to be a part of the team here and a part of the vision that God has for Wentzville Christian Church," Butler said.

Butler said his career path has been "absolutely God-led from the beginning. From opening the doors for me to get to Nashville, and all the different opportunities and experiences that he had me in while in Nashville really kind of better trained me for music ministry and working with music in all different facets, whether it’s playing and singing music or audio and technical, that kind of thing. It’s amazing looking back now how God created so many experiences that have brought me to where I am now."