Meet Caleb Wohlgemuth

If you would have told me ten years ago that I’d be working as a Worship Director at a church, I would have told you with 100% certainty that there was absolutely no chance of that happening. In 2010, I was a quiet, reserved social-hermit struggling with social anxiety and low self-worth. I didn’t have a musical bone in my body and had a very real fear of public-speaking. What’s more, I was the furthest thing from a leader, looking to others for meaning and placing my identity in whatever the world around me valued.

After going through some painful experiences, at the age of 18, I picked up a guitar for the first time in my life and started taking lessons. I struggled at first. Learning an instrument was hard and I lacked the determination to keep learning, so I quickly put the guitar down. Then, in the Summer of 2011, the Lord led me to a college ministry at The Woodlands United Methodist Church called Emerge where He used the people around me to encourage me to pick up the guitar again. The pastor of that community started to disciple me, and for the first time in my life I was in a guys’ small group that was intentional about their pursuit of the Lord and His plan for their lives.

I grew so much as a member of this authentic community and after the Summer was over, I was challenged to start leading worship in small settings and become the leader for a 9th grade guys’ small group. I felt totally ill-equipped but through gracious encouragement from those around me, I stepped out of my comfort zone and just followed God’s leading. My heart for students and worship began to grow like a wildfire and I began to find so much joy, contentment and purpose in living for Jesus and sharing Him with others.

I vividly remember the first time I led worship on a stage. I walked off not particularly thrilled with how things had gone, but the Lord very clearly spoke to my heart that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Years went by and in May of 2014, with my passions for students and for worship, God brought me to Faith Bible Church. I’ve called this incredible church my home and this incredible body of believers my brothers and sisters for the past 6 years. Here, I’ve experienced the great joy of building so many dear relationships, sharing Jesus with the next generation, and meeting my wonderful (as of June 5, 2020) wife, Lydia. The Lord has been so good to me.

What I love about my story is that it is all God. Back in 2011, I heard a phrase that I have hung onto: “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” As someone who was quiet and reserved with social anxiety, I was not qualified to lead a high school guys small group. As someone who had next to zero musical ability, and a fear of public speaking, I was not qualified to step on a stage and lead people in worship of our incredible God. But He called my name and I followed.

The Lord has grown me so much. I didn’t do anything but follow. God did the rest. Truth be told, following Jesus hasn’t been easy. He has led me to do things that I would have never willingly done on my own because of my struggles with fear and anxiety. But He was there with me, comforting, affirming, and encouraging me through it all as I walked step after step in faith. I’ve made many mistakes over the years and stumbled so many times, but in every loss there’s a lesson to be learned and God, by His amazing grace, has picked me up every time I’ve fallen. Looking back on everything that has happened over the past ten years and all that God has done for me, I can’t imagine where’d I be without God’s intervention in my life, and I’m glad I don’t have to.