Office of Worship and Spiritual Formation

The worship of God is at the heart of life at Candler. Students, faculty, staff and guests gather for worship two times each week. While Candler is grounded in the Christian faith and shaped by the Wesleyan tradition, we worship together in many different styles and Christian traditions, from Benedictine to Baptist, Anglican to Quaker, AME to UMC. Our gathering around the Word sustains us for witness to the world.

Worship Services
Music

When the coronavirus pandemic moved the Candler community online, the Office of Worship leaned in to creative and innovative ways to remain worshipfully connected, offering a variety of streaming options aimed to meet people where they were.

For the 2022-23 academic year, opportunities for worship engagement will be two in-person services per week. Generally, worship services will be held in-person on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with some exceptions for special services. In-person services will continue to be live streamed.

For specific service locations and restrictions on in-person services, including but not limited to Fall Convocation, refer to the worship schedule.

Follow Candler’s Office of Worship on:

Facebook: @candlerworship

YouTube: Candler Worship

Twitter: @CandlerWorship

Instagram: @candlerworship

Schedule of Services

The Candler community gathers for worship two times each week.

Tuesday, Service of Word and Table, 11:05 a.m.
Thursday, Service of Word, 11:05 a.m.

In addition to regular worship services, the Candler community can engage devotion moments on Mondays and Fridays through the Candler Worship social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) for times of prayer, meditation and centering. Devotion moments are archived on YouTube.

View the worship calendar or download a PDF of the worship schedule.

Worship Teams

The Worship Planning Teams are led by student staff in the Office of Worship, coordinated by Rev. Dr. Khalia J. Williams, Associate Dean of Worship and Spiritual Formation. The teams coordinate all aspects of the worship services, including recruiting and training readers, greeters, communion servers, writers and other artists.

To get involved, share your concerns or ask a question, email Khalia J. Williams.

Candler students are encouraged to volunteer their gifts as instrumentalists, vocalists and liturgical dancers, either individually or in small ensembles, or to join one of the established choirs: the Candler Singers, the Candler Chorale, and the Candler Voices of Imani. The larger Emory University choirs, orchestra, and wind and percussion ensembles also are open to Candler students.

For further information, email Khalia J. Williams, Associate Dean of Worship and Spiritual Formation.

The Candler Singers

The singers and instrumentalists in The Candler Singers are all students at Candler who are preparing for ministry in the church, the academy and the world. They come from a variety of Christian denominations and from several nations, including South Korea, Canada and the United States.

In addition to leading weekly worship, the Candler Singers perform at a wide range of churches, regional events and denominational gatherings across the Southeast. They have been a featured choir in worship and in concerts during the quadrennial General Conferences of The United Methodist Church in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Auditions for the Singers are held every August in the first week of classes. For more information, email David Daniel, Director of Chapel Music and the Director of The Candler Singers.

The Candler Chorale

The Candler Chorale is open to all members of the community and is available for credit. The Chorale rehearses and sings weekly. For more information, email David Daniel, Director of the Candler Chorale.

Candler Voices of Imani

The Candler Voices of Imani is open to all members of the community and is available for credit. Voices rehearses weekly and sings in chapel several times each semester. For more information, email David Daniel.