Note: The grand prize winning songwriter will perform his song during the Saturday, June 2 session of General Conference.
Joshua Lavender of Port Huron, Michigan, has been chosen as the grand prize winner for The Wesleyan Church’s General Conference 2012 songwriting competition. The title of the winning song is “Nothing Between.” General Superintendent Dr. Jerry G. Pence said in his letter notifying Joshua, “Your song demonstrated the qualities our panel of judges was looking for—originality, melody/congregational singability, composition, lyrics, and thematic content based upon the Wesleyan theology of holiness.”
Ten songwriters will be awarded honorable mention, along with a $100 prize for each song. They are (in alphabetical order), Joe Deckard, Danielle Ellis, David Klob, Ricky Mahoney, Joshua Ratliff, David Romero, Elizabeth Rhyno, Michelle Thomas, Emily Vermilya, and Kara Vrooman.
Over 100 songwriters from 26 states and provinces in North America entered the competition. The winning songwriter will be awarded a $1,000 prize during General Conference 2012. The grand prize winner has been asked to perform his song live onstage during the Saturday, June 2, session of General Conference.
The winning song, along with the songs of the competition finalists, will be professionally recorded and made available at the Lexington, Kentucky, 12th General Conference of the Church.
Grand prize winner, Joshua Lavendar is the son of Rusty and Candy Lavender of Port Huron, Michigan, and is a 2012 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, majoring in Church Music.
