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.
DECEMBER 2024
— Gammon Theological Seminary Pastors and Leaders Conference 2024
Gammon Theological Seminary | Atlanta, GA
December 3-4, 2024
https://gammon-itc.org/plc/ | Online & In-Person Registration
JANUARY 2025
— The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership & The Leadership Institute
Womanist Preaching Course | Virtual
January 14 - February 18th, 2025
FEBRUARY 2025
—The International Worship Symposium | Host: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI
February 5 -7, 2025https://worship.calvin.edu/events/2025/2025-calvin-symposium-worship
— Prairie View A&M University Annual Ministers’ Conference
Prairie View A&M University Johnson-Phillip All Faiths Chapel | Prairie View, TX
February ___, 2025
Statehouse Convention Center | Little Rock, AR
February 17 - 20, 2025 | Pre-Conference: Feb. 16th; Post-Conference: Feb. 21st
MARCH 2025
—The Gospel Music Workshop of America Annual Board Meeting | GMWA National
(James Cleveland Convention)
Las Vegas, NV
March 9 - 12, 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
— 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
—Seeing the Future of the African American Church in the Rainbow
Dr. Ralph Basui Watkins, Convener
Dates: To be announced
Location: To be announced
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...
—The Alexander-Pegues Ministers Conference
Shaw University Divinity School | Raleigh, NC
April 2-4, 2025
—The Global Black Worship Summit & The British Forum for Ethnomusicology Conference
University of Cambridge, England
April 03, 2025
—Board Meeting for The National Convention of Gospel Choirs & Choruses
(Thomas Dorsey Convention)
Location: To be announced
Dates: ______, 2025
—Yale Institute of Sacred Music / Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church
Dr. Braxton D. Shelley, Director
Yale Divinity School & Yale Institute of Sacred Music | New Haven, CT
April ____, 2025
—Board Meeting for The Music and Christian Arts Ministry of the AME Church
Open to the public.
Location: To be announced
Dates: ______, 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
— 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
—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 ____, 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
Location: ________________________
—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)
Detroit, MI
Dates: July ____, 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
SEPTEMBER 2025
—Baylor University African American Preaching Conference
Baylor University | Waco, TX
Dates: September _________, 2025
OCTOBER 2025
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 _________, 2025
—How Shall They Hear Preaching Conference
Dr. Jerry M. Carter, Founder/Host | Morristown, NJ
Dates: November _________, 2025
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