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Music directors seek gifted United Methodists for '08 assembly

A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose The Spiritual Image choir from Melrose United Methodist Church in San Leandro, Calif., sings during morning worship at the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh.

MADISON, N.J. (UMNS) -- Local church choirs, ensembles and bands, instrumentalists, singers, dancers and dance groups, as well as visual, video, textile and performing artists from around the world, are invited to send audition tapes for a chance to perform at worship services at the 2008 General Conference.

Mark Miller, a co-music director for the 2008 conference, is seeking United Methodists interested in sharing their gifts in worship to submit a recording (DVD, CD, VHS, cassette, mpeg, mp3) plus a brief bio and other supporting materials by postal mail by March 30, 2007. Address them to Mark A. Miller, director of music, Drew Theological School, 36 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J., 07940, or send them by e-mail to mamiller@drew.edu.

The United Methodist Church's top legislative assembly will meet April 23-May 2, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas. The 1,000-member international body meets every four years to decide issues of church law and polity.

Miller, of Plainfield, N.J., and Marcia McFee of Truckee, Calif., were selected by the Commission on the General Conference as co-music directors.

Miller is well known throughout the United Methodist connection as a worship leader, teacher and performer of sacred music. He is director of music and instructor of church music at the Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J. He also serves as the director of contemporary worship at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City and is a lecturer at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. He has directed music for numerous United Methodist annual conferences and youth events. He has composed a number of hymns, including a collection, Amazing Abundance, Hymns for a Growing Church, published by Abingdon Press.

He received a master's of music degree in organ performance from the Juilliard School in New York and a bachelor's degree in music from Yale University.

McFee is the principal of Peace by Peace Productions, where she serves as a consultant on worship, arts and preaching. She has preached, taught and led worship at numerous United Methodist gatherings in the United States, Europe and Asia.

In addition to consulting on worship, music and dance, McFee has been a guest lecturer on worship at six United Methodist seminaries and is the author of The Worship Workshop: Creative Ways to Design Worship Together, a book for worship teams and published by Abingdon Press. She earned a doctorate degree in liturgical studies from the Graduate Theological Union at the University of California, Berkley; a master's degree in theological studies from Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Mo.; and a bachelor's degree in dance education from New York University. She is a recipient of the Hoyt Hickman Award for scholarship in the study of liturgy and effective worship leadership.

The music directors will work with the Council of Bishops and staff from the United Methodist Board of Discipleship to plan worship services for the General Conference. They also will lead hymn singing, coordinate additional music performances and venues, and audition and select vocal and instrumental musicians for the conference.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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Resources

General Conference 2008