Montreat Conference Center announces guest preachers for 2026 Summer Worship Series

MONTREAT, North Carolina — Each summer, Montreat Conference Center partners with the congregations of Montreat Presbyterian and Black Mountain Presbyterian churches to form its much-anticipated Summer Worship Series, held each week online and in Anderson Auditorium. This longstanding tradition gathers prominent church leaders from across the country to create a series of vibrant worship services for the shared community. 

Image

Nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Montreat Conference Center has long been a place where people come to renew and reconnect. The Summer Worship Series continues that legacy by welcoming guest preachers who offer thoughtful, engaging sermons shaped by their diverse experiences and perspectives. This year’s speakers include: 

• The Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, dean of chapel and professor of homiletics and African and African American studies at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina
• The Rev. Richard Hong, pastor at Englewood Presbyterian Church in Englewood, New Jersey
• The Rev. Dr. Raymond I. Hylton, Sr., senior pastor at National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
• The Rev. Dr. Doug Hicks, president of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina
• The Rev. Ben Dorr, pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina
• The Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell, senior minister at First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.
• The Rev. Dr. Jim Morgan, parish associate for music and worship at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina
• The Rev. Emily Rose Proctor, supply associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Greer, South Carolina
• The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline E. Lapsley, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina
• The Rev. Rev. Dr. Richard Floyd, senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Hickory, North Carolina. 

The series will begin on Sunday, June 7, and will meet weekly at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time through August 9. Following the service, lunch will be provided in the Kat McKay Belk Dining Room at Assembly Inn. Lunch tickets may be purchased on the day of the service at the entrance to the dining room. Prices, menus, and other information will be published weekly on the event page. 

Support for the Summer Worship Series is provided in part by the Feeny Galloway Community Endowment Fund, established in 2006 through a gift from the Galloway family in memory of Feeny Galloway. This funding supports both the conference center’s ability to welcome guest preachers and the weekly transformation of Anderson Auditorium using original banners, paintings, and paper installations. Each piece of artwork is crafted specifically to reflect the theme of the sermon and scripture for that week’s service. Paired with musicians, liturgists, and volunteers, these elements come together to create services that feel both rooted in tradition and alive with creativity. 

All are invited to take part in this unique worship experience. For those unable to attend in person, services are streamed weekly at montreat.org/sws. We hope you will consider joining us, either in person or online, as we worship the living God together! 

Learn more about the event