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Church Music

About Us

Church MusicYour Church Music Department serves in a supportive role to our associations and churches. We seek to undergird the entire music ministry by providing materials, personnel, and program guidelines. We also plan and conduct festivals, clinics, camps, workshops, and retreats with music ministry needs in mind. Our priority objectives are to assist you as you seek to fulfill the Great Commandment through meaningful worship and the Great Commission in reaching others here in Mississippi and around the world by “Sharing the Song of Jesus.”

PRESCHOOL/CHILDREN’S CHOIR

The 2007 preschool/children’s music events began with the Young Musicians’ Festival, March 31 at A.E. Wood Coliseum, Mississippi College. Twenty-one choirs participated with 453 attending. The adjudication of choirs was held Friday evening, March 30, FBC, Clinton with 284 participating. Two Young Musicians’ Camps were held at Blue Mountain College, June 18-22 and July 16-20 with 68 and 171 attending, respectively. “Truth Works” was the theme. Our two Preschool/Children’s Choir Leadership Clinics on July 28 reached 24 choir leaders at Hernando BC, Hernando and 52 at FBC, McComb.

YOUTH MUSIC DRAMA

The 2007 Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir and Orchestra had 265 participants and judges involved in auditions in 7 locations throughout Mississippi. There were 140 adult personnel team and youth choir/orchestra members representing 89 churches and 42 associations. Their ministry included a worship concert at Camp Shelby and 7 concerts in Mississippi churches with approximately 5200 in attendance.

Members of the Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir and Orchestra presented 825 international phone cards totaling 140,000 minutes to be given to the 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard as they deployed for a tour of duty in Iraq. While at Camp Shelby the choir and orchestra presented the music for the celebration of the U S Army’s 232nd birthday and shared a program with the Youth ChalleNGe cadets.

One 2006 Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir alumni was chosen to represent Mississippi Baptists as a featured youth soloist at the 2007 Southern Baptist Church Music Conference in Orlando, Florida.

HANDBELLS

The handbell ministry continues to grow in Mississippi Baptist churches. Many of our churches beginning handbell ministries use a lay director or a bivocational director. Training opportunities for many of these churches require personalized instruction as well as state training events. The state handbell committee responds by offering personalized instruction to directors and beginning choirs in their area of the state.

The Young Ringers Festival had an attendance of 104 ringers and sponsors. The two State Handbell Festivals held in April were represented by a total of 20 choirs. A total of 11 individual one day church workshops were held throughout the state guiding directors and ringers in their growth.

ASSOCIATION/SMALL CHURCH

The greatest musical need in the Southern Baptist Convention is a long-term training of the bivocational and volunteer leadership in our approximately 30,000 small and mid-size churches. Two Saturday Skill Shoppes were held this year. These and other short-term clinics are available in Mississippi through our state music department. In Mississippi there are approximately 190 full-time ministers of music, 520 paid bivocational, and 1300 volunteer music directors. Therefore we are extremely thankful for the long-term training offered by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. This year students of this two-year certificate program that meets 2 hours a week for 8 weeks for each of 8 courses averaged 45 per course.

INSTRUMENTAL

KEYBOARD

God’s Presence in our Lives…Promise to Our Lives…Purpose for Our Lives fall accompanist conference was held at FBC, Madison on September 29-30 with 3 clinicians, and 50 conferees attending.

Area Keyboard Festivals were held January 25-27. Throughout our state, 1101 students from grades 1-12 participated by playing either piano or organ in 11 festivals which were held in 9 areas. They were adjudicated on their ability to play hymns, hymn arrangements, selections from traditional literature, accompanying, modulation and transposition, and sight reading. Participants were from 56 associations; 106 cities/towns; and 488 churches. Students were assisted by 11 festival leaders, 5 co-leaders, 314 group leaders, adjudicators, monitors, runners, hosts or hostesses, and greeters.

State Youth Keyboard Festival was held on February 24 at Woodland Hills BC, Jackson. Of the 28 students invited from grades 10-12, 9 participated and 5 were awarded summer music scholarships. One participant, a senior, was awarded a college scholarship to study organ. Five faculty members from our 3 Baptist colleges served as adjudicators.

CONFERENCES / SEMINARS / ACTIVITIES

Contact our staff for assistance in all areas of church music.

View our 2008 “Noted Events” publication Link to PDF filepdf for quick access to event information and registration forms.

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