Please join me, and all of us at the Brehm Center, in congratulating Dr. Edwin M. Willmington as this year’s recipient of the National Association of Church Musicians’ Fred Bock Lifetime Service Award.
Founded in Los Angeles in 1938 by Fred Bock’s mentor Charles Hirt, NACM has grown to embrace members across the United States. Ed is being honored for his contribution to ministry, outstanding vision and leadership, achievements in church music, and the embodiment of the NACM creed: “The worship of God is mankind’s most noble endeavor. As church musicians, we must accept the responsibility of leading people through music to an awareness of God and a continuing spiritual growth.” Ed considers himself to be in good company: “The list of previous award recipients include individuals who have been my heroes and models of faithful, artistic service to Christ and his church,” he says.
Ed serves as the director of the Brehm Center’s Fred Bock Institute of Music and the faculty appointed Fuller Composer-in-Residence. In addition to teaching classes, Ed is the music supervisor for the Fuller Chapel Ensemble. The composer/ arranger of more than 100 published works, he served on the Advisory Board for the Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, and has been the recipient of multiple ASCAP awards for his contribution to church music.
Ed’s recent compositional and CD projects include “Jubilate! An Ancient-Future Concert Mass” commissioned by the Brehm Center for the Pasadena Arts & Ideas Festival and “Reconciled in Christ,” works Ed composed and arranged for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, held in Cape Town, South Africa. Deeply committed to encouraging the creativity of musical artists, Ed created Jubal House Publications with a grant from the Brehm New Music Fund as a means of commissioning and sharing new sacred music compositions, and developing resources for worship planning.
Ed is passionately dedicated to encouraging creative corporate worship gatherings that connect people with God, and to create opportunities for worship ministry leaders and congregants to live out their giftedness. I invite you to read more about our gifted colleague here, and to join me in congratulating him on receiving this distinguished award!
Dr. J. Frederick Davison
Executive Director
Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts