The Institute has a four-fold purpose:
1. To provide ongoing training and mentoring in the areas of contextual worship and sacred musics born out of Black Church traditions while seeking to give homage to the global ethos of Africana musics.
2. To enrich, revitalize, and strengthen leaders of congregational worship for the 21st century.
3. To create an archive of music and scholarship that will p
reserve and promote the rich history and legacy of Black Church musics.
4. To acknowledge, uplift, and celebrate the contributions of past, present, and future Africana church musicians. The Institute’s initial efforts will focus on professional development for practitioners who have experienced limited or no formal training in the areas of sacred music and worship unique to the Black church. In the spirit of the former Methodist Circuit Riders, the Institute will be itinerant, holding events and trainings around the country to reach churches, musicians, and choral leaders.
