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

Sponsored by James & Kathleen Hart Brumm

This sectional will explore the research findings of the presenter, whose D.Min. thesis utilized collaborative congregational song and hymn writing as a tool for preaching social justice while maintaining the unity of the church in divisive political times. The research was conducted during two four-week sermon series during the 2024 US Presidential Election. The first straddled Election Day and explored "Loving Your Neighbor in an Election Season" and the second was an Epiphany sermon series focused on the lack of affordable healthcare. Both sermon series included "home-grown" hymns written in collaboration with a scripture-study group at Rev. Fearing's congregation in Greensboro, North Carolina, a left-leaning "purple" congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The findings will be presented along with a selection of hymns written for this research intervention. A Q&A will follow where we'll share best practices for utilizing congregational song to be "repairers of the breach" in increasingly politically volatile contexts.