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A LIST OF RECOMMENDED CHURCH MUSIC, WORSHIP, & PREACHING CONFERENCES FOR 2025



Complied by Dr. Tony McNeill

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

 

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 

 

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.

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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