On April 29 to May 2 of 2026, I attended a joint conference by the “Junius B. Dotson Institute for Music and Worship in the Black Church & Beyond” and “SBC21” hosted at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. There were many wonderful moments of singing and worship and many educational workshops. One workshop in particular struck me as something that our readers and members might find particularly interesting. The program is called “Hymn and I” where the church puts a particular focus on hymnody and hymn singing for an entire month each year.
To learn more about the program and to hear about what fruits Rev. Phelps and Rev. Jennings have seen since implementing the program, check out the 30 minute interview below:
A special thanks to Rev. Phelps and Rev. Jennings for taking the time to chat with me about this. After hearing their story, maybe you have an idea of a program like it that would work in your context?
Brian Hehn is the Director of The Center for Congregational Song. He also serves as the Director of Adult Discipleship and Liturgical Worship for St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Phoenix, MD.
