REBIRTH: Singing Death, Singing Life

Those who sign up for the Digital Option will be able to tune-in daily and watch Morning Prayers, Plenary Addresses, Hymn Festivals, and the Organ Recital in real time.

One Featured Session and one Sectional in each time slot will also be streamed and recorded. They are:

• Featured Session: Emerging Scholars Forum
• Sectional A: Dancing On the Grave that I Once Lived in: An Exploration of Christian Congregational Song Utilizing Death Imagery – Bruce Benedict
• Sectional B: Singing the Saints Home: Life, Death, and the Music of Rebirth– Anderson Harrison, III
• Sectional C: Singing the Witness: Hymnody, Martyrdom, and the Ecclesiology of Justice – Adan Fernandez & Lola Bobrow
• Sectional D: The Sound of Science: God’s Wonders to Perform – Jan Kraybill, FHS
• Sectional E: The Sacred Spectrum: Enhancing Worship for Neurodivergent Children Through Music and the Arts – Nathan Myrick & Eric Amouzou

At the end of the conference, all recorded events will remain available to view online for an extended period.

Click here for details about sectionals organized by schedule.

Click here for details about sectionals organized by topic.

Click here to read the biographies of this year’s conference leaders.

This special addition to the 2026 conference is unique to Princeton Seminary. Founded in 2015, the Farminary Project is directed by our Plenary Speaker Nate Stucky, who said “The project’s main goal is to form leaders by cultivating agrarian sensibilities within them like paying attention to the seasons, understanding the interconnectedness of life and death, and becoming comfortable with failure.” Participants will work with Director Nate on the farm while connecting our song to death and life. Participants in this session will miss on-campus activities while at the farminary and will need to be able to withstand the New Jersey summer heat while participating in farm work.

There is a cap of 25 participants each day. Attendees can choose to attend either or both days. Farminary activities will take place during the morning, so you will be back on campus in time for the plenary addresses and later sessions. There is an additional fee for participation, and transportation will be provided.

Registration Fees

*Non-member registration includes a one-year membership.

Housing & Accommodations

Please note that all dormitories are air-conditioned.

• Standard Dorms: The majority of rooms feature a single twin bed with shared or hall bathrooms.
• Off-Campus Options: For those staying off-site, local hotels include the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hyatt Place, Nassau Inn, Doubletree, Hyatt Regency, Graduate Hotel, Courtyard, and Homewood Suites. Attendees choosing to stay off-campus are responsible for arranging housing themselves.

Fees cover the full duration of the conference (4 nights).

Housing Options 

• Double Room: $325 per person
• Single Room: $375 per person

Housing Disclaimer
Note: While registration for in-person attendance remains open until June 30, we cannot guarantee the availability of on-campus housing for registrations completed after June 1. We recommend booking early to secure your preferred accommodations.

Meal Plans

• On-Campus Residents ($250): Includes Sunday dinner; Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday breakfast, Monday/Tuesday lunch; Wednesday banquet. (Wednesday lunch is on your own).
• Commuters/Off-Campus ($225): Includes Sunday dinner; Monday/Tuesday lunch; Wednesday banquet. (Wednesday lunch is on your own).
• Wednesday Banquet Only: $30

Other

Farminary Add-on: $30/day

Printed Programs: $25

Click below to learn more about our opportunities!

Lovelace Scholarship

Emerging Scholars Forum

Click here for a map of the campus.

The Princeton Theological Seminary campus is situated on 1 square block. The campus is primarily flat, with sidewalks leading to all buildings. Downtown Princeton is about a 10 minute walk from campus, as is Nassau Presbyterian Church.

Princeton is located between New York City and Philadelphia and is easy to reach by public transportation or by car. The closest and most conveniently accessed international airport is Newark Liberty International (EWR). If your location offers a direct flight on either Frontier or Allegiant to Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN), this could be a good option, too. TTN is less than 15 minutes away from campus (single gate, small airport).

The University is easily accessible by train, which runs along the Northeast Corridor line and also stops at Newark airport. Both Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains stop at Princeton Junction. Travelers can then transfer to a single-car train operated by NJ TRANSIT, known locally as the “Dinky,” for the five-minute ride to Princeton Station. The station is located on Alexander Street at the southern end of campus.

Parking will be available for conference attendees at no cost.

N.B. The FIFA World Cup Final will take place in East Rutherford, NJ, on July 19, the first day of our conference. At a minimum, expect EWR airport to be busier than usual that day. We encourage you to keep this in mind when you make your travel plans so that you don’t face unexpected obstacles.

Emily Swan Perkins Plenary: $2,500

Plenary Address (2): $1,750

Hymn Festival (3): $1,500

Lovelace Scholars Luncheon (2): $1,250

First Timers’ Reception (2): $1,000

Featured Session (3): $750

Refreshment Break (4): $500

Banquet Sponsorship (10): $500

Morning Prayer (3): $150

Sectionals

One: $275
Two: $500
Three: $750

Corporate Sponsorships

Bronze: $500
Silver: $1,000
Gold: $2,000
Platinum: $3,000+

The Hymn Society Executive Committee is engaged in an ongoing process of articulating and reviewing a process in the event of instances of sexual harassment within this community. We hope it will never be necessary, but we take seriously our responsibility to be prepared for any eventuality. Our goal is to take a trauma-informed approach to any reports.

We are committed to ensuring that all our activities uphold our stated mission: “We believe that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace.” As such, The Hymn Society aims to foster a safe environment for all people. We do not tolerate sexual harassment or abuse in any shape or form in the context of our gatherings. We also aim to provide a clear pathway for reporting traumas or unwanted incidents.

In the event of an incident or trauma, please reach out to any member of the Executive Committee (or ask someone you trust to make this disclosure on your behalf), who will inform the Executive Director, President Elect, or Past President, as appropriate. We will honor the sensitivity of all reports, and will protect the confidentiality of the complainant.

1. General Statement

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada is a non-profit organization. Conference registration fees are a vital part of our operating budget, and we commit to financial obligations with venues, speakers, and vendors based on confirmed registration counts. Therefore, we have established the following refund schedule.

2. Refund Schedule

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to office@thehymnsociety.org. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment according to the timeline below:

• Before May 10, 2026 (60 days before the Conference): Full refund of registration, housing, and meal fees, minus a $100 processing fee.
• Before June 14, 2026 (35 Days Before the Event): 50% refund of all registration, housing, and meal fees.
• June 15, 2026 and after (Less than 35 Days Before the Event): No refunds will be issued. At this stage, The Hymn Society has finalized guaranteed counts with the venue and is responsible for the full cost of your attendance.

Processing Times:

Refunds will be processed within 30 days of the request.

Note regarding Scholarships:

Scholarship recipients are only eligible for refunds on personal funds paid; fees covered by scholarship funds are non-refundable and non-transferable.

3. Substitutions

If you are unable to attend, you may send a substitute in your place. Please notify us in writing with the new attendee’s full name and contact information.

• Before June 10: Substitutions are free of charge.
• After June 10: Substitutions will incur a $50 administrative fee to cover late adjustments for meals and housing.

4. Event Cancellation

In the unlikely event that The Hymn Society or the venue must cancel the conference due to circumstances beyond our control (e.g., extreme weather, public health emergencies, or “Acts of God”), our priority is to act fairly while ensuring the organization’s financial stability.  In such an event, we will:

• Attempt to Reschedule: If the event is moved to a new date, your registration will automatically transfer. If you cannot make the new date, the standard refund schedule (Section 2) will apply unless otherwise stated.
• Issue Pro-Rated Refunds: If the event cannot be rescheduled, we will issue the maximum possible refund to all registrants. This amount will be the total registration fee minus any non-recoverable costs already paid to venues and vendors (e.g., catering deposits or facility fees).
• Donation Option: Attendees will be given the option to waive their refund and convert their registration fee into a tax-deductible donation to The Hymn Society. A donation receipt will be provided for your records.

Note: The Hymn Society is not responsible for any personal travel expenses (e.g., airfare, car rentals, or non-conference hotel bookings) incurred by the registrant. We strongly recommend purchasing independent travel insurance.

5. No-Shows

Refunds will not be granted for “no-shows” (registrants who do not attend and do not provide written notice within the windows listed above).

6. Extenuating Circumstances Clause

Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis for medical emergencies or death in the family, subject to board approval.

An estimated 10 million Native Americans lived in North America before the arrival of European colonizers.  Many thousands lived in Lenapehoking, the vast homeland of the Lenni-Lenape, who were the first inhabitants of eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.  The recorded history of the Princeton area began in the late 17th century when European travelers crossed New Jersey between the Delaware and Raritan rivers along paths created by the Lenni-Lenape peoples. One former path became the King’s Highway, New Jersey’s main road for well over a hundred years.  Wealthy settlers established public houses along this road in a location which first became known as “Princeton” in 1724.  In 1756 the College of New Jersey moved from Newark and erected Nassau Hall on this land with no recorded consultation with the Lenni-Lenape peoples and now Princeton University sits on land considered part of the ancient homelands of the Lenni-Lenape peoples. Source