Registration is open for October 16–17, 2026. Reserve your seat
All About Hymn
2026 conference guests
Leaders who teach, create, serve, and sing.
Meet the pastors, musicians, educators, and ministry leaders joining Still We Sing 2026. Additional details will be added as they are confirmed.
Gil Hamm Jr
Founder, Musician, Educator & Producer
Pastor Gregory Ross
Pastor & Music Ministry Leader
Pastor Daren Miller
2026 Conference Guest
Austin Woodlin
Musician, Educator & Producer
Samori Coles
2026 Conference Guest
Craig White
2026 Conference Guest
Apostle Arlinda Cornish-Barnes
2026 Conference Guest
Morgan Turner
2026 Conference Guest
John Payton
2026 Conference Guest
Dr. Lisa Denise
2026 Conference Guest
Pastor & music ministry leader
Pastor Gregory Ross
Rev. Gregory Ross is the sixth Senior Pastor of Thankful Baptist Church in Philadelphia, where the ministry embraces a vision of spiritual excellence. A Philadelphia native, he has served the Church as a deacon, preacher, administrator, teacher, choir director, and pastor.
Pastor Ross earned degrees from Drexel University, La Salle University, and Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. For more than three decades he directed the Drexel University Gospel Choir, traveling nationally and internationally and contributing original songs to the choir’s recorded projects.
Across ministry, music, education, and professional leadership, he continues to encourage others to walk in excellence, speak life, and lift up Jesus Christ.
Musician, educator & producer
Austin Woodlin
Austin Woodlin is a Philadelphia-born multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, worship leader, and educator whose work spans gospel, jazz, and classical music. He serves in worship and music leadership across churches, recording projects, citywide events, and professional creative organizations.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in Music Theory and Composition, Austin is also the founder of AMW Music and Every Key Music Studio. His experience includes performance, arranging, production, teaching, and developing emerging musicians.
Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, his aim is to use music in service to God, strengthen other artists, and help every generation pursue excellence with purpose.
Pastor, Producer & Educator
Pastor Daren Miller
A classically trained pianist, accomplished arranger, producer, educator, and pastor, Pastor Daren K. Miller brings a rare combination of musical excellence and ministry experience to this session. With dual degrees in Piano Performance and Music Education from Temple University and decades of experience as a Minister of Music, songwriter, choir director, and clinician, he understands not only how music works—but why certain songs stay with us.
In “Musical Elements That Make a Hymn Memorable,” Pastor Miller will uncover the melody, harmony, rhythm, structure, and musical choices that help transform a hymn from simply a song into something a congregation remembers, sings, and carries for generations.
Music Executive, Producer & Audio Engineer
Samori Coles
Samori has spent 30 years inside recording studios as an audio engineer, then producer, then songwriter. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy (the GRAMMY organization). His work has touched gospel, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, spoken word, and just about every genre that tells the truth
About two years ago, generative AI arrived and Samori made the biggest pivot of his career. He now directs AI-driven film and music video work. He sits on the Creative Advisory Council of the Sonic Intelligence Academy, the people building the world's first AI music charts. He runs AI Creator Society, a paid community where real musicians finish real AI music videos together. His live show "Sound & Screen" pulled 128,000+ likes on it launch night.
Samori is going to walk us through both sides. The friend:how AI can take the friction out of your week, faster demos, clearer charts, and mockup for your band.
Foe: the lines we should never cross. When the "hymn" stops being a hymn. When the tool becomes a substitute for the call. When convenience quietly replaces consecration.
It won't be theory. It will be a working musician and industry pro sharing real life applications that will elevate your music and ministry.
Audio Engineer, Producer & Educator
Craig White
Craig White’s career spans over 40 yrs of working on projects with artists from virtually every genre of music, including 17 years as Chief Engineer for the legendary Producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at Philadelphia International Records.
Craig has Engineering credits on several GRAMMY nominated and Grammy Award winning projects, including Patti Labelle, Celine Dion, Tito Puente, Ziggy Marley, Lou Rawls, Gerald Levert, Celia Cruz, The O’Jays, Billy Paul, Phyllis Hyman, Kool and The Gang, James Mtume, Rev. James Cleveland, Rev. Donnie McClurkin, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Five Blind Boys, Sergio George, and the list goes on.
Craig White will reveal how the right key, musical choices, and understanding of mood can transform a song and help you create an emotional connection that listeners remember.
Vocal Coach, Musician & Educator
Apostle Arlinda Cornish-Barnes
Apostle Arlinda Cornish-Barnes is a seasoned musician, Minister of Music, worship leader, and mentor whose ministry has been shaped by decades of serving churches, praise teams, choirs, and young people through music. From her early classical training to years of building and strengthening music ministries, she brings both musical skill and a deep understanding of how to lead with authenticity, purpose, and the Spirit.
In “Sing It Like You Mean It,” Apostle Arlinda will help singers move beyond simply delivering notes and lyrics to communicating the heart, message, and meaning behind the song. Participants will learn how vocal expression, interpretation, phrasing, dynamics, and spiritual connection can transform a performance into ministry—so when you sing, people don’t just hear the song, they feel it.
Songwriter, Worship Leader & Educator
Dr. Lisa Denise
Dr. Lisa Denise is a lifelong worship leader, singer, songwriter, musician, playwright, author, chaplain and community leader whose passion for sacred music has shaped both her ministry and her life's work.
With decades of experience leading worship across local, district, and jurisdictional ministries within the Church of God in Christ, Dr Denise has become a respected voice in preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of gospel music, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
She currently serves a District Jurisdictional Worship Leader for the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Ecclesiastical Jurisdictional Church of God in Christ and is the founder of The Sings My Soul, a ministry highlighting local gospel artists, and My Soul Sings, an initiative dedicated to the ministry of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Founder and Host
Gil Hamm Jr.
With over three decades of musical mastery, Gilbert dedicated his life to the art of sound. In 1999, he founded Isaiah Record Incorporated, marking the beginning of a journey that led to the release of their first project just a year later. Gilbert's passion for music extends beyond albums, as he composed scores for independent films and produced a multitude of local projects, including live recordings of Drexel University's Gospel Choir.
In 2023, Gilbert expanded his mission by founding Play4Hymn LLC, a subsidiary of Isaiah Entertainment Group LLC. Through the website www.play4hymn.com, he created a platform dedicated to teaching musicians the proper techniques for playing hymns and sacred music. Additionally, Gilbert launched the All About Hymn Conference, a gathering aimed at preserving these timeless hymns and helping churches foster a deeper connection with God.
In February 2024, Gilbert graduated from the Lil Drummer Boy Audio Engineering program in Philadelphia, further enhancing his skills as a producer and audio engineer.
Gilbert's career is a testament to the transformative power of music, driven by a relentless pursuit of creativity, education, and spiritual enrichment.
Musician, educator & producer
Morgan Turner
Morgan Turner is a 4x Stellar Award-winning producer, Dove Award and Grammy-nominated musician, whose career has placed him alongside some of gospel music’s most influential voices—from legends such as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Karen Clark Sheard, Rance Allen, and Kurt Carr to contemporary artists including Tye Tribbett, JJ Hairston, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Anthony Brown, and The Walls Group. His experience gives him a rare understanding of how gospel music has evolved while still honoring the musical foundations that shaped it.
In “Building a Hymn Setlist That Bridges the Gap,” Morgan will show worship leaders and musicians how to create musical journeys that connect generations instead of separating them. Participants will discover how song selection, musical flow, keys, transitions, arrangements, and familiar hymns can work together to create a worship experience where the seasoned saint and the younger worshipper can find common ground—and sing together.
John Payton is a seasoned music industry and ministry leader with more than 25 years of experience in retail sales, music education, team development, and strategic growth. He currently serves as Director of Sales Growth at J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc., the world’s largest sheet music retailer, where he leads initiatives that support revenue growth, customer engagement, publisher partnerships, and segment leadership across multiple areas of the music market.
Prior to joining J.W. Pepper, John spent more than two decades with Music & Arts/Guitar Center, serving in roles that included Store Manager, Retail District Manager, and Director of Sales for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets. His leadership has focused on sales strategy, customer experience, training development, acquisition integration, and building high-performing teams. A lifelong musician, John has been a saxophonist and pianist for more than 35 years.
John also brings deep pastoral and worship leadership experience. He has served in ministry leadership roles including Minister of Music and Director of Fine Arts for Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship Church and Bible Fellowship Church of God, where he developed musicians, vocalists, worship teams, choirs, and fine arts ministries. Since 2016, he and his wife, Donna, have pastored Hesed Empowerment Ministries in Philadelphia. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Leadership from Peirce College and a Master of Divinity from Biblical Theological Seminary, now Missio Seminary.