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The National Conference on Worship, Music, & the Arts—in pictures

July 30–Aug. 2 at Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis.

Woship Conference 2024
More than 950 people attended the four-day conference that included recitals, 2 concerts, 5 worship services, and 60 presentations.
retirement of Bryan Gerlach, director of the Commission on Worship since 1996
This conference marked the retirement of Bryan Gerlach, director of the Commission on Worship since 1996. Gerlach has helped plan all nine worship conferences. He received a collection of organ music commissioned in thanks to God for his years of service.
Worship conference children’s choir.
WELS members from grade-school age and up participated in concerts and worship services throughout the conference, including 105 instrumentalists, a 112-voice festival choir, a 58-voice high school honor choir, and a 50-voice children’s choir.
The visual arts played a part in this year’s worship conference. woman looking at artwork
The visual arts played a part in this year’s conference. Jason Jaspersen, an artist and art professor at Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minn., and members of the Bethany Art Service designed and created sculptures, banners, and more to enhance various worship services held throughout the conference.

International connections

“I am passionate about composing songs, directing the choir, and teaching others about music,” says Hatembo Chijoka, a member at St. Matthew, Lusaka, Zambia.

While visiting his wife’s family in Wisconsin this summer, Chijoka was able to attend the 2024 worship conference in Kenosha, also participating in the festival choir.

Hatembo Chijoka, a member at St. Matthew, Lusaka, Zambia worship conference“I am a civil engineer by profession, and I have never had formal training in music. Since I was 12 years old, I have been a member of our congregation’s choir, which sings weekly during worship. Currently, I am serving as the choir director,” says Chijoka. “My hope was to gain a broader understanding of choral music and experience the worship service settings in the new hymnal.”

Chijoka plans to bring back what he learned and share it with his congregation and other churches in the Lutheran Church of Central Africa–Zambia (LCCA), WELS’ sister synod. He appreciated the use of instrumentation in worship, something few of the Zambian congregations do. “Most songs are either sung a cappella or with the rhythm of African drums. In the future, the hope is to build up the instrumental music program in the LCCA,” he says. “Additionally, I am eager to share information from presentations on conducting and motivating and teaching children to sing.”

He continues, “The fellowship opportunity between our sister church bodies is incredibly meaningful to me. Being surrounded by individuals dedicated to worshiping God through music and the arts was an amazing experience. I have been to a few churches in Wisconsin, but that fellowship at the conference felt like a glimpse of heaven.”

Author: FIC
Volume 111, Number 10
Issue: October 2024

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