Emily Snider Andrews, assistant professor of music and worship in Samford University’s School of the Arts and executive director of the Center for Worship and the Arts, has been awarded a grant from the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities.
The grant will provide funding for her to convene a national seminar that will reimagine how colleges, universities and congregations prepare pastoral musicians and worship leaders for today’s church. Titled “Reimagining Pedagogy for Pastoral Musicians and Worship Leaders: A Collaborative Seminar for Higher Education and Congregational Partners,” the project responds to a national need for a dedicated venue focused on teaching and formation—not only research or performance—within worship leadership programs.
“Across the country, programs that train worship leaders are eager for space devoted to the craft of teaching and formation,” Andrews said. “This grant allows us to convene diverse voices, clarify shared principles and translate insights into practical tools for classrooms and congregations.”
Planned for 2027 on Samford’s campus, the seminar will feature keynote addresses, case-study workshops and collaborative sessions on course design, assessment and nontraditional formation pathways such as residencies, apprenticeships and certificate programs. The three-day, symposium-style gathering will bring together faculty from Lilly Network member institutions and congregational practitioners to identify shared challenges, exchange proven practices and create actionable strategies that better connect classroom learning with local-church realities.
The initiative aligns with the Lilly Network’s mission to strengthen the quality and shape the character of church-related higher education by deepening collaboration between academy and congregation and by generating resources that serve institutions across the Network and beyond. This project also deepens the Samford Division of Music’s longstanding focus on excellent, vocationally grounded preparation for pastoral musicians.
“Samford is uniquely positioned to lead this conversation,” Andrews said. “With our academic programs in worship leadership and church music, and the Center for Worship and the Arts’ national partnerships, we can gather a diverse cohort of experts and, ultimately, elevate everyday classroom practice.”
With support from the Center for Worship and the Arts, this initiative will convene both educators and practitioners around concrete pedagogical practices, helping ensure that Samford graduates are equipped not only as skilled performers but as thoughtful pastoral leaders in worshiping communities.
About the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges & Universities
The Lilly Network seeks to strengthen the quality and shape the character of church-related institutions of higher learning in the 21st century.
About the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University
The Center for Worship and the Arts equips leaders of all ages for faithful and artistic worship through research, resources and transformative gatherings—for the glory of God, for the good of the Church.
