This year’s Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ Worship & Music Conference, “Clothed in Love,” got underway at Montreat Conference Center in June with opening worship. It was a moment that a dedicated team of planners and organizers worked hard to bring about, and they were eager to greet the nearly 1,400 people who were set to arrive June 15 and on June 22 for Week 2 of the gathering.
“Worship is so important to our identity, and this is where we come to be renewed, get creative ideas and be inspired to lead our churches,” said the Rev. Elizabeth Deibert, who serves alongside Amy Cerniglia as co-director of the Worship & Music Conference, the largest annual gathering of Presbyterians. “This is the conference I’ve always found the most beneficial in my ministry.”
About one-fourth of those attending were under the age of 20, Cerniglia noted, and many of them helped lead worship each day of the conference. Young people are “the future of church music and worship life in the church,” she said, and conferees had ample opportunity to witness “weaving younger church members into worship.”
“Children and youth know they belong when they’re asked to be leaders,” Deibert said.
The co-directors served together on the staff of Peace Presbyterian Church in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, before Deibert’s retirement. Cerniglia is now the interim congregational accompanist at First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa, and is communications coordinator for the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. Deibert is now PAM’s development manager.
On Monday, June 16, — traditionally the night of an organ concert — organist and composer Tom Trenney and guitarist and singer David LaMotte performed both individually and together.
The Rev. Kendra Buckwalter Smith and Dr. Eric Wall led a first call community for pastors and musicians who are serving on the staff of a faith community for the first time. This year, meet-up gatherings were offered to young adults, those who belong to small churches, BIPOC conferees and LGBTQIA+ attendees.
By popular demand, both drumming and dancing classes were offered this year, and both were incorporated in daily worship.
Attendees have donated more than $2,000 to the Presbyterian Giving Catalog’s Links of Love activity to purchase sewing machines for Ugandans who need them. “Because we are 'clothed in love,'” Cerniglia said, “we wanted to make sure we are clothing the world as well as ourselves.”
Rides on golf carts were offered to people who need transportation at hilly Montreat Conference Center.
This was “a big year for the fine arts,” she said, including a class on understanding Eastern church iconography.
The conference featured the preaching of Dr. Margaret Aymer, vice president for Academic Affairs at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, the PC(USA)’s Associate for Worship, penned the liturgy.
“Margaret has come to this conference and rung handbells,” Deibert noted. “She says this is her favorite conference, and she was hoping for the opportunity to preach.”
The co-directors praised Montreat Conference Center staff and contractors for all their work since Hurricane Helene’s devastation last fall. “We were so impressed and grateful for the restoration work, and for all the donations that made that possible,” Cerniglia said.
PAM’s Worship & Music Conference by the numbers:
- 1,387 people registered for one of the two weeks. About 86% of those conferees were Presbyterians, while 101 Methodists registered. Thirty-nine states were represented, with South Carolina (333) and North Carolina (290) topping the list.
- 574 conferees attend churches with 200 to 500 in worship each week, while 429 are in churches with 100 to 200 worshipers present. 165 conferees worship alongside 50-100 others, and 120 are in churches with 50 or fewer in worship each week. 91 conference attendees are in churches with an average of 500 or more in worship.
- Ninety-five percent of conferees were white. About 2% were Black or African American, with 1.3% Asian or Asian American and another 1.3% Hispanic, Latino, Latina or Latinx.
- After the 25% who were under 20 years old, the next largest group was people 70 and older, who were 20% of conferees. About 17% were 60 to 69, with about 13% 40 to 49. 333 were first-time attendees.
Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)
Let us join in prayer for:
Serrita Bell, Director of Communications and Marketing, Presbyterian Foundation
Barbara Betts, Manager, Presbyterian Distribution Services, Administrative Services Group, A Corporation
Let us pray:
Lord God, thank you for the growth of your church and the millions of lives touched with your love. Be with them and their leaders as they holistically proclaim the gospel through witness, service and advocacy. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
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