A LIST OF RECOMMENDED CHURCH MUSIC, WORSHIP, & PREACHING CONFERENCES FOR 2025
Complied by Dr. Tony McNeill
@drtonymac | drtonymcneill.com | drtonymcneill.com/jobs | info@drtonymcneill.com
Affiliate Professor of Worship & Seminary Musician Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA
Adjunct Professor, Master of Black Sacred Music, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Are you seeking short-term or long-term learning opportunities? Do you desire to be in community with other church musicians, clergy, Christian educators, scholars, and worship artists? Are you seeking ways to become more effective in your capacity as clergy or worship and music ministry leader? Here are my 2025 recommendations for professional/artistic development for clergy, music and worship leaders, liturgical artists, worship arts administrators, and church music/worship enthusiasts. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Not every conference will be listed. This list represents conferences I have attended as a presenter and/or learner or events I have observed from a distance that offer excellence in instruction, practice/performance, community-building, and hospitality. I hope you will strongly consider any of the following conferences and workshops for your personal and professional development. I encourage you to bookmark this post and come back often as this list will be updated monthly. Feel free to tag/DM/repost this blog post. Hope see you at one (or more) of these amazing conferences/workshops.
*Updated: 3:00am, February 20, 2025
JANUARY 2025
— The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership & The Leadership Institute
Womanist Preaching Course | Virtual
January 14 - February 18th, 2025
FEBRUARY 2025
— Young Pastor's and Leaders' Conference
Brookland Baptist Church | Columbia, SC
Rev. Dr. Charles B. Jackson, Sr., Convener
February 3-6, 2025
— Prairie View A&M University Annual Ministers’ Conference
Prairie View A&M University Johnson-Phillip All Faiths Chapel | Prairie View, TX
February 4-5, 2025
—The International Worship Symposium
Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI
February 5 -7, 2025
Statehouse Convention Center | Little Rock, AR
February 17 - 20, 2025 | Pre-Conference: Feb. 16th; Post-Conference: Feb. 21st
—Black Sacred Music Symposium
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Urbana, IL Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, Artistic Director& Convener
February 20 - 23, 2025 |
— Schooler Institute on Preaching
Methodist Theological School of Ohio (MTSO) | Delaware, OH
February 25-26, 2025
-- Let The Church Say, "A. I.": Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Black Digital Religion
Vanderbilt Divinity School | The Space (Room G-29) | Nashville, TN
February 28, 2025 | 1:00pm - 5:00pm
MARCH 2025
— (Webinar) Church Technology Learning Series: Part 1
Focus: PRO PRESENTER - Level Up Your Worship Presentations | Virtual (Zoom Events)
Dr. Timothy Farmer, Technovangelist/Host
March 6, 2025 | 7:00pm
Register: https://www.farmertechgroup.com
—The Gospel Music Workshop of America Annual Board Meeting | GMWA National
(James Cleveland Convention)
Las Vegas, NV
March 9 - 12, 2025
— (Webinar) Church Technology Learning Series: Part 2
Focus: THE YOUTUBE CHURCH - Maximize the Power of Your Channel | Virtual (Zoom Events)
Dr. Timothy Farmer, Technovangelist/Host
March 16, 2025 | 10:00am
Register: https://www.farmertechgroup.com
— Junius B. Dotson Institute for Music & Worship In the Black Church & Beyond
(In partnership with The Black Methodists for Church Renewal - BMCR)
Dr. Cynthia Wilson, Convener
Holman United Methodist Church | Los Angeles, CA
March 17-19, 2025
— Garnett-Nabrit Lecture Series
Conference Venue: Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church | Nashville, TN
Host: American Baptist College | Nashville, TN
March 17-21, 2025
— American Choral Directors Association National Convention
Theme: “Celebrating the Choral Art: Past, Present, and Future”
Dallas, TX
March 18 - 22, 2025
— Hymns with Phillip Carter - National Conference
Southern Friendship Missionary Baptist Church | Temple Hills, MD
March 20 - 22, 2025
— National United Progressive Pentecostal Church - Auxiliary & Music & Arts Summit
Los Angeles, CA
March 20 - 22, 2025
— 2025 Bandy Preaching Conference | “Sacred Symphonies: The Word & Song”
Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Convener
Candler School of Theology at Emory University | Atlanta, GA
March 25 - 27, 2025
APRIL 2025
—The Alexander-Pegues Ministers Conference
Shaw University Divinity School | Raleigh, NC
April 2-4, 2025
—Livingstone College Preaching & Worship Institute
Salisbury, NC
April 2-4, 2025
—International Worship & Artists Training Summit (Gospel Heritage Foundation)
Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre | Owings Mills, MD
April 2-5, 2025
—The Global Black Worship Summit & The British Forum for Ethnomusicology Conference
University of Cambridge, England
April 03, 2025
—Board Meeting for The Music and Christian Arts Ministry of the AME Church
Open to the public.
Location: To be announced
Dates: ______, 2025
—Board Meeting for The National Convention of Gospel Choirs & Choruses
(Thomas Dorsey Convention)
Cleveland, OH
April 22-25, 2025
—Yale Institute of Sacred Music / Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church
Dr. Braxton D. Shelley, Director & Convener
The Reason Why We Sing: A Masterclass with Kirk Franklin
Yale Divinity School & Yale Institute of Sacred Music | New Haven, CT
April 24, 2025
—The Power of an Equitable Church Scholars & Practitioners Conference
Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Host (AME Church) & Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson, Host (AME Zion Church)
Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
April 24-26, 2025
MAY 2025
— Donald Lawrence presents Music & Arts Global
(formerly known as Edwin Hawkins Music & Arts Seminar)
Stockholm, Sweden
May 1-3, 2025
—The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership
International African American Museum
Marriott North Charleston | North Charleston, SC
May 1-3, 2025
—Fellowship Chicago Worship & Arts Workshop
Kevin T. Vasser, Convener/Pastor of Worship & Arts
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton & Conference Center | Downers Grove, IL (Chicago, IL)
May 2-3, 2025
— Yale Institute of Sacred Music - Black Sacred Arts Conference
Centering The Black Sacred Arts: Research, Education, and Public Life
Greenberg Conference Center | New Haven, CT
May 12-14, 2025
— Festival of Homiletics
Peachtree Road United Methodist Church | Atlanta, GA
May 12-15, 2025
JUNE 2025
— Hampton University Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors & Organists Guild Workshop
HU Ministers' Conference / Hampton University Ministers' Conference
Hampton University | Hampton, VA
June 2 - June 5, 2025
https://home.hamptonu.edu/minconf/. | Pre-Registration Ends MAY 16, 2025
—Born 2 Danz Worship & Arts Conference
Dr. La’Boris Cole, Founder | Dallas – Ft. Worth, TX
June 5 - June 8, 2025
—Annual Worship & Music Conference | Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM)
Montreat Conference Center | Black Mountain, NC
June 15-20 and/or June 22-27 | Registration Opens December 5th, 2024
— iElevate 2025 Conference & United Progressive Pentecostal Church (UPPC) International Convocation
Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen, Presiding Prelate & Convener | Atlanta, GA
June 16-22, 2025
— Yale Institute of Sacred Music Academy
Yale University Institute of Sacred Music | New Haven, CT
Applications available February 15, 2025
June 23-27, 2025
— Music & Worship Arts Week
The Fellowship of Worship Artists
Lake Junaluska Conference Center | Lake Junaluska, NC
June 23-27, 2025
—The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) International Convocation
Bishop Yvette Flunder, Founder/Presiding Prelate | Atlanta, GA
June 30 – July 6, 2025
JULY 2025
Wayne State University | Detroit, MI
July 13 - 16, 2025
July 13 - 16, 2025
Professor Craig Hayes, Convever
Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina | Ft. Lauderdale, FL
—The Gospel Music Workshop of America International Convention / GMWA National
(James Cleveland Convention)
Montgomery, AL
July 13 - 18, 2025
— The National Convention of Gospel Choirs & Choruses
(Thomas Dorsey Convention)
Atlanta, GA
July 26 - August 1, 2025
—The National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM)
Renaissance Center | Detroit, MI
Dates: July 12-17, 2025 | Scholarship Competition: Piano/Organ
—Master of Black Sacred Music Degree Summer Intensive (2025)
University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR
July – Early August 2025 | Exact Dates: To be announced.
Degree Information & How to Apply: https://catalog.uark.edu/graduatecatalog/programsofstudy/blacksacredmusic/
Arkansas Center for Black Music: https://music.uark.edu/black-music/index.php
AUGUST 2025
—The Sacred Sound Beyond The Notes: A Gospel Choir Music Symposium
Min. Reginal Jefferson, Convener | The Royal Priesthood Chorale
Woods Memorial Baptist Church | ATL, GA
August 16, 2025
SEPTEMBER 2025
—Women In Ministry Conference
Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel | Atlanta, GA Dr. Cynthia Hale, Convener
Dates: September 15-18, 2025
www.cynthialhale.org - Registration opens March 1st
—Baylor University African American Preaching Conference
Baylor University | Waco, TX
Dates: September 23-25, 2025
OCTOBER 2025
Mixed Methods Preaching Conference
Dr. Frank E. Thomas, Convener
October ______
WomanPreach 15th Anniversary Celebration | Sophie's Table Preaching Intensive
Alfred Street Baptist Church | Alexandria, VA
October 16-18, 2025
NOVEMBER 2025
—Ellison-Jones Convocation
Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University | Richmond, VA
Dates: November 10-13, 2025
—The Foundation Conference 2025
Min. Tiffany Boone, Convener
The Worshiper's Canvas | Macon, GA
Dates: November 13-15, 2025
—How Shall They Hear Preaching Conference
Dr. Jerry M. Carter, Founder/Host | Morristown, NJ
Dates: November _________, 2025
Comments