2026 Annual CGPI Conference
June 4-8, 2026
Meet Our 2026 Annual Conference Keynote Speaker
Rev. Dr, Catherine Williams
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Rev. Dr. Catherine E. Williams is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, and Director of Chapel Worship at the Lancaster, PA campus of Moravian University’s School of Theology.
An ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, Dr. Williams earned her BMus. in Church Music from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, her MDiv. from Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University, and her PhD in Homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary.
In her scholarship and teaching, Dr. Williams embraces her dual identities of musician and homiletician. Her article in the Yale Journal of Music and Religion, “Sermon and Song: A Musically Integrative Homiletic”, makes the claim for conjoined preaching and music as a homiletical method. Her chapter in The Future Shape of Christian Proclamation: What the Global South Can Teach Us About Preaching, edited by LaRue and Nascimento, is titled “Trinidad & Tobago Preaching: The Gospel According to Calypso.” This is the first sustained homiletical analysis of this Caribbean musical genre. Catherine’s most recent book, Preaching and Music: Powerful Partners in Proclamation, sustains her ongoing claim that preaching and music is a synergistic method of proclamation in worship. Dr. Williams is a member of the Editorial Board of Homiletic, the peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Homiletics. She also holds memberships in the Hymn Society of the US and Canada, and the American Academy of Religion.
The annual conference is a 4.5 day conference beginning with Opening Worship on Thursday, June 4th, and ends with lunch on Monday, June 8th. All meals and housing is covered for active participants in the Beta and Gamma cycles through the participant fees. Alumni are welcome to attend an alumni track (registration coming soon). The conference will include several engaging workshops introducing participants to the specific ways of preaching in the reformed tradition. There will also be dynamic worship led by the new Gamma Mentors. All participants will be assigned to a mentor and a cohort before the conference. At the conference you will also meet with your cohort several times. This conference is sure to spark your love for preaching, and the community and worship will leave you feeling inspired!​
What to Bring
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The participant accommodations are typically used for dorm rooms during the school year. Most rooms will have a microwave, but rooms do not have any flatware, cups, or dishes. If you think you may want to eat in your room at anytime, or you need a morning cup of coffee in your room or need a cup for medication, please bring those items with you.