Lipscomb University receives $250,000 grant to launch national collegiate gospel choir network and conference
Kim Chaudoin |
Lipscomb University has received a $250,000 grant from the Creative Arts Collective for Christian Life & Faith to support Joyful Noise in the Wilderness: A Collegiate Gospel Choir Network and Conference, a national initiative designed to educate, connect and sustain collegiate gospel choirs across the United States.
The one-year grant, running from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, was awarded through the Creative Arts Collective’s Create, Educate & Network Grant Program, a highly competitive biannual program that supports faith-based arts initiatives nationwide. Lipscomb’s project was one of 10 projects representing institutions and organizations across nine states and Washington, D.C., collectively receiving nearly $2 million in funding.
Led by Aaron Howard, assistant professor of ethics and reconciliation in Lipscomb’s College of Bible & Ministry and founding director of the Lipscomb Gospel Choir, the initiative will culminate in a three-day collegiate gospel choir conference hosted on Lipscomb’s campus in October.
“Gospel music has always been a powerful vehicle for faith, resilience and hope, yet many people are unaware of how deeply it continues to be nurtured within colleges and universities,” Howard said. “This grant allows us to build a national network of collegiate gospel choir directors and students who can encourage one another, exchange resources and celebrate the beauty and significance of this music together.”
The Joyful Noise in the Wilderness conference will culminate in a live audio and video recording featuring a 150- to 200-voice mass choir composed of students from universities across the country. The initiative also includes the development of a nationwide network of collegiate gospel choir directors who will convene monthly in virtual sessions. In addition, the project will result in an album being recorded and an accompanying songbook published, contributing to the choral literature and enabling broader use of gospel repertoire in collegiate and church settings.
Aaron Howard, front, directs the Lipscomb Gospel Choir.
“The Lipscomb Gospel Choir has been an inspirational presence in our campus and broader community and has demonstrated the power of music to shape faith, build community and tell God’s story in meaningful ways,” said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “This project beautifully aligns with Lipscomb’s mission to prepare students for lives of purpose through rigorous academics and transformative experiences. Through this initiative, Lipscomb is helping preserve a vital musical tradition, inspiring and encouraging the next generation of artists and leaders, and creating resources that will serve universities, churches and communities for years to come.”
“This grant underscores the role of the arts as a powerful form of teaching, scholarship and spiritual formation,” said Lipscomb Provost Jennifer Shewmaker. “Dr. Howard’s leadership and the excellence of the Lipscomb Gospel Choir create an extraordinary opportunity for learning, collaboration and national impact.”
Joyful Noise in the Wilderness is guided by the Creative Arts Collective’s Fall 2025 theme, “Finding Freedom in the Wilderness,” and is designed to address what Howard describes as a “wilderness landscape” for gospel music in contemporary culture, even as it continues to thrive within collegiate choirs.
Founded approximately five years ago, the Lipscomb Gospel Choir has quickly gained national and international recognition for its musical excellence and emotional impact. The ensemble has performed across the country, been featured in a BBC program broadcast worldwide, and has collaborated on projects with Christian artists. The 2025-26 choir includes 35 students representing 25 academic programs, hailing from 15 states and four countries. The Gospel Choir is a collaboration with Lipscomb’s College of Bible & Ministry and the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts.
About the Creative Arts Collective for Christian Life & Faith
Launched in the spring of 2024 with the support of Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) is a nationwide initiative that provides grants, education, and networking opportunities that explore and nurture the integral relationship between Christianity & the Arts. The CAC is housed on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, establishing a hub focused on a nationwide level of reach and impact. This unique endeavor offers individual grants to help fund a variety of programming that creates and curates new works of art across multiple media, including sacred and popular music, performing arts, digital animation, sculpture, architecture and more. Each grant is intended to nurture spiritual life through the use of the arts, cultivating and sustaining a national collaborative network of artists, theologians, and other leaders. For more information about the Creative Arts Collective visit CreativeArtsCollective.com.