The CWM Reflection and Research’s Programme Area held an international workshop, Liturgical Music of the 21st Century: An International Proclamation through the Art of Music in Kingston, Jamaica, in May 2014. Fourteen international musicians, composers and liturgists gathered to reflect on the state of liturgical music in the 21st century and to actualise their identity, tradition, heritage and spiritual narrative in liturgies and music. The composition of the group included some who were “well regarded and experienced” and others who were rather young and “willing to learn.”
One of the purposes of the workshop was to articulate CWM Theology Statement, using local cultural expressions in liturgical music and tradition in worship. Participants were divided into five working groups to create worship resources based on the five themes, “peace,” “fullness of life,” “violence,” “ecological concerns,” and “justice.” The liturgies and songs and hymns are created for different groups, such as children, young people and adults for varied worship contexts. The outcome of the workshop is the publication of the worship resources created in 2015.