Merging Churches, Merging Music

Lori Archer Raible, Dareion Malone, and Fred P. Spano

A Look at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, North Carolina

Introduction

If your congregation were to close their doors and sell their land tomorrow, who would notice or care? Would the community in which your congregation is located feel a significant loss? Are there mission partners within your town or city who would suffer?  

While the church continues to wrestle with an existential crisis of cultural relevance and power, rates of decline suggest that many congregations across the PC(USA) and other denominations will be closed sooner than later. Researchers like Ted Smith at Emory’s Candler School of Theology agree that “consolidation, individualization and the general unraveling of religious institutions” threaten the very existence of the church as we know it.¹

Certainly, there is evidence across the PC(USA) to support these alarming declarations. The largest PC(USA) churches, with more than 500 members, represent 4.5 percent of the denomination’s total congregations, and their membership represents 33 percent of the total. Meanwhile, 78 percent of our congregations have fewer than 150 members and represent less than 30 percent of PC(USA)’s membership.²

While the witness of many smaller congregations remains vital to the communities in which they are situated, more than one hundred PC(USA) congregations with a median membership of sixty-two dissolve each year. Overall, denominational membership declines at a steady rate of 5 percent each year. And every time a congregation closes their doors, the church loses not only its social standing and foothold within its local community, but also the potential to witness the power of the gospel beyond its walls.³

Pre-Merger Context of Quail Hollow Presbyterian and Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian

Charlotte, North Carolina, is the third fastest growing city in the country, with projections for metro Charlotte indicating a 47 percent surge in population in just twenty years. Charlotte boasts both the second largest banking center and the second largest presbytery in the country! Yet it seems as if more and more church buildings are being replaced with bank branches. In cities like Charlotte, culture typically changes at a rate beyond a congregation’s ability to respond. 

While Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church is faithful and committed to the community, this had been part of their experience. A dedicated congregation of one hundred members, Quail Hollow is situated on a nine-acre campus on a bustling, diverse corridor in South Charlotte. Neighbors include four public schools, a large retirement community, apartment complexes housing many immigrant and refugee families, and existing neighborhoods of affluence. While Quail Hollow understood the potential for ministry surrounding them, their small congregation knew they needed to shift from surviving to thriving but lacked the capacity for such substantial change.

They were tenacious and trusted that when they were called by the Spirit to leap, closing their doors would not be their only choice. In fact, although Quail Hollow was feeling weary, they were determined to exhibit God’s reign in the world in a new way. For more than five years, Quail Hollow discerned a way forward. As they navigated many a snare and toil, the congregation became more nimble, flexible, and willing to change. While caring interim pastors and supply preachers came and went, the congregation was sustained by their deep care for one another, and they came to rely on the consistency and creativity of Quail’s dynamic music program. 

Four miles up the road, I serve as the senior pastor of Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, nestled in the Charlotte neighborhood of Myers Park. For almost eighty-five years, Selwyn’s identity and mission has been rooted in the sacrament of baptism and the promises we make to nurture children within and beyond our walls. Like Quail Hollow, Selwyn is close to several public schools. Selwyn’s most significant mission partnerships are with schools and organizations supporting the well-being of children and their families, especially those who typically lack the resources needed to succeed. These programs include tutoring, after-school and summer enrichment programming, a food pantry, teacher support, and more.

While Selwyn isn’t considered a “small” church (600 members and 150 children and youth), by Charlotte’s standards we aren’t big either. However, our congregation has grown by almost 20 percent in the last few years, and Selwyn’s five-star, full-day child development center has a wait-list of more than 620 households. And yet, in the coming decades if churches like Selwyn hope to exist in cities like Charlotte, our identity must be clear, our vision bold, and our footholds strong within our community. 

By learning and applying the principles of community organizing, The Black Mountain School of Theology (blackmountainschool.org) helped SAPC answer crucial questions that mobilized our congregation toward action and impact:

• Who have we been? Who are we now? Who do we hope to become? 
• What makes us distinct as a congregation? 
• Who are our neighbors and how can we know them? 
• Who is suffering in our community and how can we help?
• Where is God calling us to go, and what is God calling us to do in the world? 

Selwyn Avenue is an intergenerational community of faith, and we are intent on knowing one another and our neighbors in authentic and transformative ways. Like Quail Hollow, Selwyn is marked by a deep sense of hospitality and a love for high quality music and worship. While we remain committed to our work on behalf of children, we hold a deep hope to engage our mission work in a more just, sacrificial, and embodied way. In the spring of 2023, Selwyn Avenue adopted a bold vision for our future—our “North Star” vision. Specifically, Selwyn committed to deeper and more transformative care
for children and youth within early childhood development and youth mental health, especially those underserved as we seek to relationally engage our community within Charlotte. 

While we knew what we were called to do, we had no idea how we would do it! Selwyn Avenue is landlocked, our budget is lean, and in 2023 we were still recovering from a season of destabilization caused by the COVID pandemic. These barriers prevented us from imagining a way forward. God would need to shine a light on the path ahead if we were going to pursue something “big.” 

A few months after adopting our North Star vision, the staff at SAPC learned that Quail Hollow was in need of a leadership boost and some pastoral care. Because we already enjoyed several organic relationships between our congregations and staff, the clerk of the Quail Hollow Session, Jack Rand, and the senior pastor of Selwyn Avenue, Lori Raible, met for a cup of coffee. A loose partnership was formed. Parrish associates from Selwyn Avenue offered to provide pastoral care and worship leadership, I (Lori) met with Quail’s session and their Presbytery Committee on Ministry liaison, and our two music directors, Dareion Malone (Quail Hollow) and Fred Spano (Selwyn Avenue) began to collaborate on a worship service with special music for the Advent season. We quickly realized our congregations had a lot in common. The synergies were obvious. Selwyn’s capacity, energy, and vision were pulled into focus and grounded by Quail’s fortitude and steady faithfulness. We needed each other, not out of our scarcity, but out of God’s abundance and God’s expectation for what it means to be the church. While our sessions entered a formal season of mutual discernment to consider a merger, every time our congregations gathered for combined worship, God’s hope, God’s promise, God’s possibility, and God’s call were magnified and celebrated by the beauty of what happened when our choirs joined their voices as one. 

In March of 2025, almost two years after we adopted our North Star vision, Quail Hollow and Selwyn Avenue merged. Today we are one congregation with 700 members, more than 150 children, and two campuses. Eventually, the nine-acre Quail campus will be redeveloped in partnership with other community and corporate organizations to become a community hub and multipurpose campus dedicated to the well-being of children and youth. While this vision seems bold and the campus redevelopment may take years, prioritizing our togetherness now orders our steps according to God’s call. Growing together takes time and great intention. Because worship is the essential act of every congregation, our two choirs have the unique capacity to model what is possible when we embody and share a purpose. 

In our first year as one congregation with two campuses, we are attending to our administrative and operational scaffolding creating efficiencies along the way. Admittedly, infrastructure changes have happened at a slower pace than we imagined. As a mid-size church, we don’t always have the bandwidth or resources to overhaul branding, websites, computer systems, and databases with the swiftness we would like. However, our people continue to press ahead with faithfulness. Our session is integrated with elders from both campuses; the Selwyn clergy team now includes a pastoral resident, the Reverend Allyson Anderson, who primarily provides worship leadership and pastoral care on the Quail campus; and we are aligning the patterns of our church life in simple (but profound) ways. Remember, hospitality is an essential marker for both congregations, so ministries such as Presbyterian Women and Bible studies groups have revealed open and willing hearts to try new things. We created two distinct services so that our leaders and members could move between campuses. Worship at 9:00 A.M. on the Quail campus is more intimate and casual, with a blended music program and intergenerational formation, and fellowship is offered afterward. Selwyn Avenue maintains Sunday school before traditional worship at 10:30 A.M. Rehearsals for our choirs (handbells and choral) are now combined, and our music directors are exploring how our ensembles can and should move between the two campuses. While plans for our North Star vision and redevelopment come into focus, we are rooted in our practices of worship, fellowship, study, and commitment to mission beyond our walls. 

Questions and Responses from Our Music Directors: Lori to Fred and Dareion

Dareion and Fred’s professional relationship extends over fifteen years. Their respect for one another and their willingness to collaborate create space for our choirs and congregation to experience transcendent and sacred worship. In those moments, all the committee meetings, votes, presbytery processes, fears, questions, and doubts are silenced by God’s Holy Spirit, as if she is saying, “Yes, this is the path, keep going.”

1. Lori: Before our merger, both congregations had been blessed by and committed to strong music ministries. Why do you think our choirs are especially equipped to lead us through this merger? 

Fred: Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church has valued traditional worship, and it was evident when I was hired sixteen years ago. My professional background is in music education, and I have advanced degrees in that area. My musical focuses in education have been piano, choral conducting, and music education research. I attended universities with rich musical traditions and strong national reputations, fortunately, which gave me the skills and knowledge that transfer to other musical situations. 

Additionally, I firmly believe that music in the church is about worship first and then the music. I never want our ensembles to be viewed as entertainment for the congregation. I indicated this to the hiring committee when interviewed, and this value was embraced by them also. Although they were concerned I would not be interested in leading a “smaller” music program, I was actually attracted to the position because of its size: Selwyn offered the chance to expand and create opportunities for the community; it is a relational congregation; and I felt it would be a good place to thrive as a musician and worshiper. As director of music, I inherited a small choir of about sixteen singers who mostly read (sight-singing) and learned music quickly. I also was to direct the adult handbell choir, at that time about ten ringers, and a children’s choir.

While I had some learning to do about the Presbyterian faith, governance, and worship, I quickly realized that Selwyn was a “singing” congregation: that is, the congregation sang well and participated in hymn singing enthusiastically. I found an openness, too, for learning unfamiliar (“new”) hymns. Having served other congregations who resisted singing and exploring new hymns, Selwyn’s behavior indicated a rootedness in quality music coupled with thoughtful word from the pulpit. 

Our pastor at the time—the Reverend Dr. Rush Otey—understood the theological intersections of music and worship and worked with me to shape worship in a way that deepened our congregation’s understanding and respect for our music program while bringing the word and messages to their minds and hearts. My background in music education, too, transferred to how I approached choosing literature for our ensembles. Our music program is identified as “traditional,” but it has a broad palette of genres of music that includes hymn arrangements, original compositions for church choirs, large works, classical music, spirituals/gospel, and world music. This broad palette seeks to help bridge the gap between our congregation’s predominant ethnicity/race and offer a more diverse and inclusive experience.⁴

Furthering congregational participation, I have instituted “occasional” singing opportunities such as an ad hoc men’s ensemble, a Mother’s Day choir, and congregational participation on anthems and responses. Selwyn also enjoys hosting an array of professional musicians for special services. Over the sixteen years I have served Selwyn, the music program has evolved and changed. However, my early impressions of an openness and rootedness in music and its function in worship have remained constant.

Dareion: At Quail Hollow music has always been cherished as a meaningful part of worship. While the congregation was not historically known as a “singing congregation” in the same way as Selwyn, music nonetheless held a central place in the life of the church. For many years, the choir carried the congregation’s musical witness, offering a traditional repertoire that was both faithful and beloved.

Part of this rootedness in music has come from the presence of so many gifted people throughout Quail Hollow’s history. Talented musicians, including pianists, guitarists, wind players, and those with strong music-reading ability, have long shaped and supported the worship life of Quail Hollow. In addition, many members have been, and continue to be, active in community music ensembles. This blending of church and community gifts has enriched the congregation’s life, making music not only something to be heard, but something to be lived.

When I arrived in 2021, Quail Hollow was emerging from the challenges of the COVID pandemic. The choir served as a stabilizing force during that time and has continued to provide consistency through several pulpit supply ministers and pastoral transitions since that time. Remarkably, the choir roster remained steady, allowing the congregation to maintain a level of excellence in music that anchored worship.

I came with experience from another Presbyterian congregation, but also with a rich background shaped by Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, and charismatic worship traditions. As an African American musician serving a predominantly white congregation, I saw an opportunity to bring these diverse influences into worship. That mix of traditions and perspectives has allowed me to stretch the congregation’s musical boundaries, while their openness and support have made space for new expressions of music and worship.

What has remained constant, however, is Quail Hollow’s rootedness in music as a way of expressing faith, honoring the gifts of its people, and supporting worship that is both meaningful and heartfelt.

2. Lori: Like the congregations we serve, our choirs have felt the impact of significant cultural changes. What persistent issues have you encountered as a music director? How do you see the merger impacting these frustrations?

Fred: With joy comes struggle—indeed, we appreciate joy more when it comes out of struggle—and time seems to be our most precious commodity at Selwyn. The demands on an individual member’s time, that of their children—even among the church staff—prompts more struggles and innovative solutions. Over the years, we experienced a steady decline in consistent choir participation, especially with midweek rehearsals, and fewer young members were joining our music ministries. 

As a result, about ten years ago we shifted our Chancel Choir’s evening rehearsals to early Sunday morning, and I shifted my expectations to accommodate our choir members’ busy lives. These would be augmented with larger two-hour rehearsals on Saturdays during seasons such as Advent, Lent, and Easter. While this worked for several years, it is difficult to build community and increase numbers with this approach. At times, the stress of preparing for the service, preparing future service music, and intermittent attendance presented challenges for both the choir and me. More recently, however, and with the keen suggestion from Dareion, choir retreats (full-day rehearsals coupled with fellowship) have been scheduled to build the community between the two campuses’ ensembles, and midweek rehearsals have been reinstituted. 

Perhaps more than any other area, a consistent children’s music program has been difficult to establish. Prioritizing church amidst work, school, sports, and dance, to name a few activities, seems precarious. However, the expectation of having music for children—and SAPC has a large population of children—is high. In an effort to promote more participation and to empathize with the needs of competing activities for parents and children, we structured children’s participation to a concentrated rehearsal schedule of four weeks culminating in singing for a service. 

As one can see, we sacrificed our initial expectations for both the Chancel Choir and children’s music/choir to accommodate the day-to-day pressures of the membership. Although not ideal, we retained the importance and quality of music in worship. Flexibility of rehearsal times and expansion of literature genres renewed the spirit of both campuses’ music ministries. However, the commitment to singing in Selwyn’s Chancel Choir and myths/perceptions about singing in general plague recruiting. Furthermore, children older than second or third grade often drop out of the children’s choir for various reasons (see above discussion), and presently there is no youth choir for upper elementary or middle school children. 

Dareion: For QHPC, challenges often reflected its small size, particularly the reality of having very few children. The handbell program, while an important part of worship, also reached a point where it needed renewed energy. Though the congregation was not historically a “singing congregation,” in recent years that has begun to change, with participation and confidence in worship continuing to grow.

One of the key transitions that coincided with the early stages of the merger was the sudden resignation of our handbell director, who also served as organist. Thankfully, it happened during the summer while the handbell choir was already on hiatus. With the help of substitute organists and pianists, and by covering at the piano myself, worship continued without interruption. Fred’s willingness to step in with the handbells was a tremendous gift, as that was not an area of my expertise.

What has always amazed me, however, is the commitment of Quail’s musicians. Even as a small congregation, the choir maintained strong attendance at weekly rehearsals and on Sunday mornings. In fact, about 30 percent of the church was involved in music, whether it was choir or handbells. Their consistency and faithfulness were never in question, and that strength gave me confidence rather than concern. The merger brought with it clear financial and practical realities, but I never doubted that music at Quail would thrive. Its strength has always come from the devotion of those who, week after week, give their time and voices so generously.

Lori: More recently, we are experiencing a shift toward deeper engagement across both campuses. Our clergy, staff, and elders recognize a sincere desire for Christian formation and spiritual engagement. If we do not expect ourselves and our members to prioritize and practice our faith, we won’t. For example, we just launched an ongoing midweek, all-church dinner and integrated programming for children, Music, Art, and the Bible. As a team, we are collaborating more, creating efficiencies, and deepening connections. Creating one gold-standard music ministry with two incredible music directors provides a framework for midweek rehearsals and music programming for all ages. We hope to provide more on-ramps to participate in our music program to meet the needs of our diverse membership. Dareion and Fred (and their choirs) are beginning to move various ensembles between the two campuses and worship services. Mainly, our choirs express trust, authenticity, and joy every time they gather. Their faithfulness sets the tone for the rest of us. 

3. Lori: As choir directors, what practical steps toward the merger have you taken along the way?  

Fred: The way we live our lives is by putting values into action. To realize the values of the merger, we have discovered that these approaches/practices for our music ministries are serving us well. In conjunction with the clergy, Dareion and I plan together and look ahead over the liturgical year to see what Sundays Selwyn Avenue will have combined-campus services. To that end, we discuss the experience of our singers (singing abilities, etc.) and literature, rehearsal time leading up to a combined service, the season of the church, the preaching series/lectionary, and special rehearsals. Dareion and I also decide on large works and take turns choosing pieces for Advent and Lent and subsequently conducting the works. Monthly music reports that go to all musicians, preachers, and staff allow for more transparency with service. These reports include links to any practice parts for musicians and musical groups (children, Chancel Choirs, and handbell choirs), dates for rehearsals, special services, titles of anthems, and so forth for all concerned and affected by the music ministries. 

While our worship experiences complement one another, and we strive to retain our distinctiveness, so far this arrangement has led to a more robust worship experience for congregants. This is not to say that each campus eschews the other’s musical style: that is not at all the case. Both musical traditions are embraced, appreciated, and impactful regardless of which service our congregants attend. This is especially visible with combined services where large works are presented in worship. 

While the two choirs have prepared Fauré’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (Part V) to name a few, our combined worship services celebrate a variety of music styles from traditional to Christian Contemporary Music. We feel presenting a full musical palette complements the preached word and expresses our commitment to inclusion: all kinds of music are welcome. Finally, we blur the lines between our musical groups throughout the year. Handbells might be coupled with the Chancel Choirs, or part of the Chancel Choir might sing alongside the young children for an intergenerational experience. As a common practice, we involve the congregation with singing on hymn arrangements presented as anthems (a common practice). 

We have found communication across stakeholders to be important. Planning and transparency, combined singing opportunities, complementary functions of style, congregational and intergenerational opportunities, and collaboration in the choosing and conducting of large works are easing the adjustment of a merged congregation while retaining the identity of each campus.

4. Lori: What vision do you have for our music program and congregation now that we are merged? 

Dareion: My vision for the music program across both campuses is to build something that lasts, brings generations together, and is welcoming and attractive to everyone. I envision a program that is open to people who read music and to those who do not, so that no one feels left out. I see us embracing a variety of styles, honoring our traditional roots while also reaching worshipers who connect with other kinds of music. I imagine this as the people’s music program, where everyday singers and musicians, whether highly trained or not, all have something to offer. A longtime choir member, a child just starting out, or someone who plays an instrument and wants to share a gift all help shape worship. Music has a natural way of bringing people together, and widening the circle of participation allows us to reflect the richness of the church community. Ultimately, my hope is that our music ministry will be sustainable, inclusive, inspiring, and attractive, a place where everyone, whether singer or instrumentalist, reader or nonreader, child or adult, can find a way to contribute to the song of the church.

Fred: I echo Dareion’s inclusivity for the Selwyn campus. Additionally, my vision for the music program at SAPC involves debunking myths about choral singing in the hearts and minds of the congregation.⁵ This is a nationwide issue, but the message of “anyone can sing or be taught to sing” must continually be at the forefront in order to change minds and hearts. As an intergenerational, singing congregation, I hope to create opportunities for our members to sing with the Chancel Choir on anthems, introits, and responses to engage them more in worship.⁶ This means we must expand our engagement of children with music to create an integrated approach to Christian formation and to include a choral program where continuous learning and participation leads to a deeper musical and worship experience from the ground up.⁷ I continually ask myself, “Who will be our next choir members?” If younger singers do not see themselves  as potential choir/music participants, then we run the risk of halting the momentum created. 

Finally, handbells provide a unique opportunity for ringers of all ages and experience levels. Being creative and intentional about how we retain and capitalize on our intergenerational community through music seems like a compelling and exciting challenge.

Lori: My vision is simple. I want our neighbors and our city to know who we are because of what we do and why we do it! This hurting, divided, confused world needs the hospitality, love, joy, and compassion of congregations like ours, and so our actions (including our worship) matter, and they should witness the love, mercy, and justice of God in Christ. 

What happens when two congregations amass all of their energy, imagination, intelligence, and love and then move together toward one, shared vision? Most churches who merge do so out of a need to survive, but Selwyn’s merger with Quail Hollow is one of abundance. Not because we must, but because God is calling us to impact the city of Charlotte in a way that reflects the power of the gospel and the purpose of the church.

The North Star vision (as we refer to the campus redevelopment) is bold enough to seem impossible. And yet we won’t get there if we are not honest and humble in our faith. Worship is the essential activity of the church. When we gather, God reorients our hearts, our postures, our priorities, and our perspectives about who we are and who God is. When our merged congregation gathers and our choirs join as one, something special happens. Two small choirs transcend their usual capacity. They “light up,” and it is as if we are catching a glimpse of that North Star. 

Final Thoughts

Other than the ease with which our congregations voted (unanimously), the merger of our two congregations has very little to do with the many documents, policies, and procedures we considered along the way. Our unity is expressed and deepened by our shared faith in God and an intentional approach toward ministry and worship. The merger created space for us to challenge long-held assumptions about our music ministries, programming patterns, and the current needs of our congregations. As a result, strengthened connections and new opportunities for spiritual formation through music are emerging. Since our paths merged, the road we travel is not always smooth or straight. However, as God continues to shine a light on the path ahead of us, that light shines brightest through our musicians. As our congregations continue to integrate, we hope to honor the integrity and strengths of each. The journey to our merger has been exciting, and yet in many ways it seems as if we are standing on the threshold once again. 

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. ~ Psalm 121:1–2

Notes

1. Ted A. Smith, The End of Theological Education (Grand Rapids, MI: WB Eerdmans, 2023), 97–121.

2. The Board of Pensions, PC(USA), “Living by the Gospel: A Guide to Structuring Ministers’ Terms of Call,”  2025, https://www.pensions.org/file/our-role-and-purpose/the-connectional-church/living-by-the-gospel/Documents/pln-619.pdf/.

3. Mark Elsdon, ed., Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans, 2024), 19.

4. See Michael Hawn, One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship, Alban Institute (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield,  2003), 13.

5. See Elizabeth Gaile Stephens “Formation and Prediction of the Singing Perceptions of Self-labeled Singers and Non-singers” (PhD diss., University of Miami, 2012),  https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/formation-prediction-singing-perceptions-self/docview/1023446799/se-2/.

6. Laura Keeley and Robert Keeley, “Intergenerational Connectors in Worship,” in The Church of All Ages: Generations Worshiping Together, ed. Howard Vanderwell, Alban Institute (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008). 

7. Mika Deshotel, “Unified Voices: Exploring Intergenerational Collaboration in a Unificationist Worship Model (DMin diss., HJ International Graduate School, 2025), https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/unified-voices-exploring-intergenerational/docview/3227706906/se-2/.