Creating a sense of community. Celebrating the voices of the global church. Those are goals of the team planning the worship and music for the 2016 General Conference.
The Rev. Laura Jaquith Bartlett of Oregon is the Worship and Music Director. Her goal is to provide balance during the ten days of debate and voting. “It’s scary for a lot of us right now…” Bartlett notes. She remains convinced that in the midst of heart-wrenching struggles,  “Most all of us want to be as one.”

Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey is on Bartlett’s Worship Team. She and others auditioned dozens of performers. They chose 27 choirs, a third of them from outside of the U.S.

“We at least want to provide a depth and breadth of music experience so that … every person there will have the opportunity to sing his or her heart music at some point,” Bartlett says.

This short video provides a window into the worship planning process. Lay delegates from both Detroit and West Michigan appear … see if you can spot them.

Last Updated on January 12, 2023