Hearn Symposium Focuses On Current State Of 'Music And The Church'
• Billy Ray Hearn Symposium on Christian Music
The findings of a survey assessing the current state of music in worship will be released during the Billy Ray Hearn Endowed Symposium on Christian Music, which will be held Oct. 7-9 at Baylor University.
"Music and the Church: Relevance in a Changing Culture" is sponsored by Baylor's Center for Christian Music Studies.
George Barna, founder and directing leader of Barna Research Group, will present findings of the survey, which was commissioned by the symposium, at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Jones Concert Hall in the McCrary Music Building. The findings will include types of music currently used, attitudes toward music and worship, how churches deal with music-related challenges, and more.
In addition to Barna's address, sessions include:
• "An Apologetic from the Christian Music Industry to the Church," 8 a.m. Oct 8, with award-winning recording artist, songwriter and author Charlie Peacock;
• "Songs of the People: Perspectives on Congregational Music," 10 a.m. Oct. 8, with Michael Hawn, associate professor of music, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; Gwen Williams, From the Heart Ministries, New Orleans; Carl Daw, executive director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada; Mike Coleman, president and CEO of Integrity Music; and Scott Dyer, Willow Creek Community Church, Barrington, Ill.;
• "Congregational Song and the Church: Three Perspectives," 1 p.m. Oct. 8, with Nathan Corbitt, professor at the Campolo School for Social Change at Eastern College, Philadelphia, with the evangelical church perspective; Emily Brink, senior research fellow at the Institute for Music and Worship at Calvin College, with the mainline church perspective; and Jack Hayford, pastor of Church on the Way and chancellor of King's College and Seminary, Los Angeles, with the charismatic church perspective.
Hearn, president and CEO of EMI Christian Music Group and a former member of the Baylor Board of Regents, established the symposium to address issues in Christian music, to explore the role of Christian music in culture, and to ensure dialogue and facilitate interaction between church musicians, pastors, Christian music industry executives, artists and composers.
In addition to Hearn, conference participants include recording artists Twila Paris, Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio; Don Cason, president of Word Music; Peter York, president of the Sparrow Label Group; and other academic and worship leaders from throughout the country.
The plenary sessions will provide opportunities for in-depth inquiry into elements which affect all aspects of worship. Break-out sessions will include special interest topics such as "Youth/Gen X/Y," "Music and Culture," "Christian Music in a Theological Context" and "What's New in Congregational Music."
Worship services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8 in Jones Concert Hall. The Oct. 7 service will feature congregational music led by Al Travis, Distinguished Professor of Organ at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Baylor choirs. The next evening's service will focus on praise and worship led by Peacock, Paris, Tomlin and Giglio.
The worship services are free and open to the public. The fee to attend the conference is $100 and includes all plenary, break-out and worship sessions.
For more information, contact the Baylor Center for Christian Music Studies at (254) 710-2360 or visit the conference web site at https://www.baylor.edu/christian_music/. For media inquiries, contact Lori Scott Fogleman, director of media relations, at (254) 710-6275.