The series begins on June 3, with the Rev. John Bell from the Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland, preaching on the topic “Divine Contrariness.” Dr. Bell is a hymn-writer, a Church of Scotland minister, and a member of the Iona Community. Well-known throughout the world, Dr. Bell is a much sought after lecturer and preacher whose primary concern is the renewal of congregational worship at the grass roots level.
Serving as summer liturgy writer is Dr. Mel Bringle, Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and chair of the Humanities Division at Brevard College in western North Carolina. She first remembers coming to Montreat when she was so little she had to crawl up the steps to Assembly Inn on her hands and knees. Since those days, she has been a Montreat regular, having led seminars in worship and music. As a noted hymn writer, she served on the Executive Committee of The Hymn Society in the US and Canada, and more recently as chair of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song. She grew up in the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC.
Eric Wall, who recently came on staff as Montreat Conference Center’s Conference Musician, will provide and lead worship through music each Sunday. In addition to his responsibilities at Montreat, Wall is director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville. Much appreciated for his vast realm of musical genres, his creative vision, and his gift for drawing congregations of all ages and backgrounds into the celebration of music, Wall’s leadership is a major part of the Sunday summer worship series.
The Rev. Dr. Ann Laird Jones, Director of Arts Ministry at Montreat Conference Center, will use her talents to include the arts each Sunday morning, translating the theme of the day in various forms of creative expression. She will be assisted by Lisle Gwynn, a Columbia Theological Seminary student and Montreat’s summer intern in arts and theology.
For additional information and a complete schedule, visit the Summer Worship page on Montreat.org.
















