We Believe: Faith, Community, and the Holy Act of Singing

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: “Indian Melodies by Thomas Commuck” – Carol Scott
• Sectional B: “Pastoral Musician Burnout: Faith Crisis, Clinical Diagnosis, or Both?” – Kensley Behel
• Sectional C: “Emulating Hispanic Styles on the Keyboard for Worship” – Peter Kolar
• Sectional D: “The Unholy Act of Singing – Grosser Gott Wir Lobe Dich: The Hymnal of National Socialism” – Andreas Teich
• Sectional E: “Found in Translation: The Role of Mission Hymnody on the Formation of the Brazilian Baptist Identity” – Maria Monteiro and Armindo Ferreira

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.

Organists participating in The Hymn Society’s Annual Conference may also take advantage of an intensive institute on leading congregational song and playing hymns. For a modest additional fee of $50, registrants will be able to enjoy the morning plenary events and evening festivals while devoting the rest of their time to instruction and master classes on playing and leading communal singing. The institute will be directed by Nicole Keller, Organist and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Michigan. This program is made possible by generous financial support from the George M. Hartung Memorial Fund.

We have various scholarships available. Click below to learn more about our opportunities!

Lovelace Scholarship

Hartung Organ Scholarship

Emerging Scholars Forum

The campus is extremely flat, so golf carts will only be provided for people with mobility issues. You must indicate your need for assistance on your online conference registration so that we may plan accordingly.

The longest walk will be from the housing/meals building to the Cathedral, which is 0.6 miles (14 minutes at a leisurely pace). Wide sidewalks and controlled crossing points are available for all walking routes.

For attendees that are coming by car, parking will be provided for a fee, which you’ll need to include during your online conference registration. The parking garage is adjacent to the on-campus housing building.

Emily Swan Perkins Plenary: $2,500 Sponsored!

Plenary Address (2): $1,750

Hymn Festival (2): $1,500

Lovelace Scholars Luncheon (2): $1,250

First Timers’ Reception (3): $1,000

Organ Recital (2): $750

Featured Session (3): $750

Refreshment Break (4): $500

Banquet Sponsorship (10): $500 Sponsored!

Morning Prayer (3): $150 Sponsored!

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.

Due to the policies of Wayne State University, we will not be registering children for this year’s conference, and they will not have access to campus property or facilities.

Wayne State University rests on Waawiyaataanong, also referred to as Detroit, the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Three Fires Confederacy. These sovereign lands were granted by the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Wyandot nations, in 1807, through the Treaty of Detroit.