Friday, April 17, 2020
Greetings from PAM! We continue to give thanks to all of you and the many ways you continue to serve your churches in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are updates on several areas we are working on this week in the PAM office:
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Thank you to for Jessica Tate and Eric Wall who kicked off our Worship & Music Now series. Over 450 of you have tuned in to watch the video over the past week and we are grateful! This week, Eric Wall met with David Eicher. David is the service organist for this summer’s conferences. David was Hymnal Editor for Presbyterian Publishing Corporation where he served as Editor for Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (2013). You may view both videos at https://www.presbymusic.org/worship-and-music-now.
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Our weekly Town Hall Forums continue today with Rev. Dr Kim Long and PAM Board Member, Phillip Morgan. We had to delay this week’s forum to Friday (April 17) due to severe weather. The forums are free to all. You just need to register for a link to attend at https://www.presbymusic.org/covid-19.
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I am asked, “What is happening with this summer’s Worship & Music Conferences at Montreat?” Please know we are doing all that we can to preserve this summer’s conferences and keep everyone safe. A committee (consisting of PAM Board members, myself, and Montreat staff) continue to meet weekly to evaluate the current situation and plan alternatives should we not be able to all physically gather at Montreat. Our decision will depend upon the guidance and directives of health agencies and government authorities. Again, if we can be of help to you with any questions you may have, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
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A financial update. PAM is ok at the moment. However, because over 65% of PAM’s annual operating revenues come from the Worship & Music Conferences, it is crucial we not only present these conferences, but that those of you who have already registered (and those who are planning to do so), commit to participate and support the conferences in whatever form that may be. We want to be able to present the conferences and serve you for years to come. That said, I’ve spoken to many PAM members this week. Your support, energy, and encouragement continue to be remind me how grateful I am to have the privilege to serve PAM and its members.
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On that note, last week, PAM submitted its application for an SBA loan under provisions of Payroll Protection Program of the CARES Act. We are prayerful it will be funded. This will help PAM to continue to serve its members and churches amidst this pandemic.
With gratitude,
Kelly Abraham
PAM Executive Director
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Dear Friends,
PAM continues to work to provide the information you need to best serve your choirs, ministries, and congregations. We hope you’ve visited PAM’s website for resources, joined PAM Connect on Facebook, or attended a weekly Town Hall Forum to assist with your needs. We are grateful for the ideas you’ve shared. It is amazing how quickly we’ve adapted to virtual presence in the absence of physical presence. We acknowledge the work and time that went into this conversion, for many, was monumental. And while this doesn’t replace our physical communities, it does help us to connect with one another as we worship and seek God who is in the midst of this.
In an effort to be connected with all of you PAM will send bi-weekly emails with updates and announcements.
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We continue to host weekly Town Hall Forums. All are recorded and available at PAM’s resource page, https://www.presbymusic.org/covid-19. On Monday, April 6th, David Gambrell will host to answer your questions about worship. Kimberly Bracken Long will be the guest panelist on Monday, April 13th.
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Please visit PAM’s social media pages and join PAM Connect on Facebook. We will continue to post resources on these pages for you. And, please, share your ideas with the community. We want to hear from you!
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Like us, many of you are looking forward to this summer’s Worship & Music Conferences at Montreat. We are in ongoing conversations with Montreat Conference Center, since the conference depends, in part, on Montreat’s ability to host us. Our intent is for the conferences to be hosted in some format. We are currently exploring several options to hold virtual events should we prevent from all gathering in person in Montreat. A decision will be made in May. As the conference dates draw closer, we will keep you informed in as timely way as possible about the conference status and platform. Whatever the preparations we have made, still have to make, or will need to change, we know that, in God’s economy, all things work together for good, that God’s Word does not return empty, and that our work may be used or re-purposed but never wasted. If we can be of help to you with any questions you may have, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Peace to you,
Kelly Abraham, Executive Director
Eric Wall & Rich Richards, Conference Co-Directors
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Dear Members and Friends,
We are thinking about you and the many ways your lives are changing with the spread of COVID-19. Today, the Board gathered and prayed for all of you, our community leaders, the many people affected by this illness and those who are in positions of care for those who are sick.
We will continue to monitor the situation as it pertains to PAM’s upcoming events. For now, we want to be supportive to you. With that in mind there are several things we want to be sure you know:
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We will begin to host weekly Town Hall Forums as a place to ask questions, share ideas, pray, collaborate, be together. The first Town Hall forum is Monday, March 23, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. You may join for any part of the hour by clicking here. This week’s facilitator is Eric Wall, PAM’s President-Elect.
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Your PAM Board representative is available to you for questions. Their contact information is available here.
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If you are connected to social media, please visit PAM’s social media pages and request to join the PAM Connect page on Facebook. PAM Connect is a forum for PAM members and friends of the organization to exchange ideas, ask questions, offer suggestions, and interact with other professionals in the worship and music community.
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At this time, we expect to host the 2020 Worship & Music Conferences at Montreat June 21-27 and June 28 - July 3. We are in communication with Richard DuBose, President of Montreat Conference Center, and will continue to be in communication in the days and weeks ahead to be sure we are doing all we can to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of PAM.
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Because the situation is changing daily, the Board has voted to eliminate the late-registration rate for the Worship & Music Conferences. The on-time registration rate will remain in place through June 20.
Thank you for your patience. Our prayers will continue to be with you, your churches, and your families.
With gratitude,
Kelly Abraham
Executive Director
David VanderMeer, CCM
Board President