Jasen D. Monroe, also known as “Jae” Monroe, hails from Rochester, New York. As a child, it was apparent to his mother by the way he spent his play time, that music would surely be a part of his destiny! After graduating from high school, he attended Indiana Institute of Technology where he graduated with a degree in accounting.
Early in life Jae accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He served for many years as both member and leader at Aenon Missionary Baptist Church where the Reverend James L. Cherry, Sr. is the Pastor. It was here that Jae’s gift of music began to be “stirred” up. As his gift continued to make room for him, he became the Musical Director for the Eastern Region Youth Conference of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., the Rochester Area Youth Choir of the Great Lakes Baptist Association and his very own family ensemble, God’s Company. He also assumed the role as the leader of Rochester’s Restoration Chorale, which eventually became recognized as Jae Monroe and Project Praise.
Jae’s commitment to the Rochester community has been publicized through his participation in the Rochester City All Male Choir, Rochester Music and Arts Seminar and the Martin Luther King Community Choir. Whether through singing, teaching, or directing, he has remained faithful to all God has called him to do on both the local and national levels.
Jae Monroe has been blessed with opportunities to share the stage with many great gospel icons: Edwin Hawkins, Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins Family, Dorothy Norwood, Ricky Dillard, Youthful Praise, Donnie McClurkin, John P. Kee, LaShun Pace and Mary Mary to name a few. Jae has also recorded live with The National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Mass Choir, Malaco recording artist Jesse Williams & Destiny and the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Choir.
Currently, Jae Monroe is the Minister of Music and Chief Worship Leader at Elim Christian Fellowship Church of Rochester, New York where the Pastor is Bishop T. Anthony Bronner. He is also the Music Director for the Memorial AME Zion Church, Dr. Kenneth Q. James, Pastor. It was at Elim where he received his vision for his most recent project “Songs of Praise,” a collaboration of traditional hymns infused with contemporary gospel and christian rock music. Jae continues to consistently share his love for the Lord and music ministry with all who come in contact with him. Jae Monroe is an anointed Worship Leader, Teacher, Director, Songwriter and Music Producer.
INTERVIEW WITH JASEN MONROE
Submitted by Cookie Waller
The strength of Elim’s Sanctuary Choir comes from its 25 committed members who serve with pride as they take their que from Mr. Monroe. Recently he agreed to offer from his perspective, some insight into the making of a Praise and Worship Leader.
Interviewer: Jasen. Share with us. When did you know and how did you know that your commitment to ministry was going to be through praise and worship?
Jasen: I didn’t really know earlier on as a child because I started out as a choir director. But, in the biblical order, you move from being a choir director to being a minister or being a pastor. So, in my case, I moved from being a choir director to a worship leader.
And that was about ten years ago.
Interviewer: Very good. Well, I have been made to understand that praise is an action of the soul and that worship is a response to spirit. But, hey on a regular basis, you get to pull it all together. In your own words, tell us what is praise and worship? Explain it to us.
Jasen: Praise is a general word. Anybody can praise anything. So that is sort of common. Worship is more relational. Worship is how we live. Worship is what we do everyday to a God who we acknowledge as our creator. So for worship, there is no bigger importance other than worship is heartfelt. Worship is from our heart to the heart of God.
Interviewer: Very good. Thank you. Well, you know, some people may not know it, but it takes a strong sense of leadership to try and transform a song service into a worship service. Based upon your years of service, can you share your leadership style? I mean, what is it that you do that lifts your congregation right off the seat?
Jasen: I try to decrease me as much as possible.
Interviewer: Explain that, ‘decrease you.’ What does that mean?
Jasen: They are not looking at me, per se. I get them to participate with me. They sing with me. So it’s not me singing to them. It’s us singing together. So that’s how I generally do all of my worship and praise services. I get all of the people involved so that they can feel the power and they can feel the presence of God for themselves through their singing.
Interviewer: Very good. Alright. Well, understanding that, I am going to take it a little step further. What connections, and with who are the connections necessary to make the praise and worship just flow?
Jasen: That takes preparation on my side as much as prayer time and more worship time at home. Reading scripture because part of praise and worship is reciting the scripture that God wrote back to himself that’s why he responds and acknowledges. And then it is connecting the praise team and the band and then we support the vision of the pastor. He is our hand. So basically, whatever his style is, is how the style of the church is going to be. At Elim’s, we happen to be free. So if it goes any way, we sing old songs, new songs so that everyone is included. And that is what I think helps the flow.
Interviewer: Wonderful. Sounds very exciting. On the days, Jasen, when you know that you are just on fire with the Holy Spirit. You know it. You can feel it. You are in your zone. What skills do you have to master to make sure that you do not leave the congregation behind?
Jasen: You have to think, is this all subconscious? So, I know I am there. There is a scripture that says: “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul does long.” The river is the presence of God. So we all have the opportunity to go to the river. Some people are sort of scared of the river because sometimes it’s running a little fast, and sometimes it’s rough because God is moving swiftly. So we have to sort of wait for the people to join in and wait for the people to connect and sometimes encourage them and sort of get them to reflect where they have come from, what the Lord has brought them from. Then they will move to the river and then they will jump in. Interviewer: Wonderful. I am going to ask you to repeat that scripture.
Jasen: As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after thee. This is the essence that I get from the scripture.
Interviewer: You express yourself very well, and I can sense the humility that goes along with your position. But I am going to ask you anyway. If Elim’s congregation was expected to grade you as a worship leader, what grade do you expect that you would receive from them? An A, a B, C, D or an E. Where would you line up in there?
Jasen: I get graded every week. Last week it was an A actually. The last few weeks it has been an A. Some days, if I do too much contemporary. I have to say, it was a C. I grade myself an A because I put all that I have into what I do. And you know that I do it sincerely and not for anything or to gain anything. And so I think that I do well. And with an A.
Interviewer: Alright. Congratulations on that and God’s grace to you. So, tell us, what’s next for you at Elim’s.
Jasen: We are busy. We have been working on the hymns sing along under my direction and that how we are going to reach out to different churches and we are going to all have one big mass choir at church and sing all hymns and just reflect on the whole because that is really the foundation of the church. We, the Elim church choir, are going to Italy in June.
Interviewer: Mission’s trip?
Jasen: No, we are going to be a part of a music festival, and we are going to sing and tour around different towns in Italy. That should be fun. That’s in June.
Interviewer: How large is your praise and worship team?
Jasen: The worship team is six members, and the choir is twenty one.
Interviewer: And who is going to Italy? How many?
Jasen: The choir. The whole choir and the band. And then I host what they call the Constant Jubilee on the fourth Sunday in July at the park market in a part of the city and it is bringing music outside the church to the community and so we have the other markets, and it breaks down the walls of colour and denomination and makes us come together
Interviewer: Wonderful. I have enjoyed this interview. And I thank you for allowing me to come in and take up some of your time.
Jasen: You are welcome.
