2 October 2025
Covenant Presbyterian Church
1000 East Morehead St.
Charlotte, NC 28204
Dear Search Committee,
I am writing to express my interest in the position of Director of Contemporary Music and Worship Arts at Covenant Presbyterian Church. With over two decades of experience in contemporary worship leadership, I am committed to creating services that are theologically grounded, musically diverse, and culturally responsive. Since 2004, I have consistently designed worship that welcomes participation, honors creativity, and points the congregation toward God’s transforming presence.
At Immanuel Presbyterian Church, I lead worship weekly at our Alternative Worship Service from the piano and guitar, guiding an eclectic ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists. Beyond traditional praise band settings, I have arranged for unconventional ensembles that highlight the gifts of musicians across all ages and skill levels. A hallmark of my ministry is experimentation and inclusion: I integrate genres such as jazz, gospel, folk, and rock into worship and prioritize works by underrepresented composers, always attentive to historical context and local culture. This broadens the congregation’s musical vocabulary and reflects worship as a space for justice, reconciliation, and joy.
My work is strengthened by collaboration with pastors and staff in worship planning, creating practice tools and arrangements for ensembles, and mentoring young musicians in leadership roles. I am adept with technologies such as Planning Center, ProPresenter, and Logic, and value experimentation with multimedia and dramatic arts to deepen engagement while remaining faithful to Presbyterian tradition. In addition, I am honored to be presenting my interest session Come Sunday: Duke Ellington in Worship at the 2026 Presbyterian Association of Musicians Worship & Music Conference, where I will share my research and vision for integrating diverse musical voices in Presbyterian worship.
Covenant’s vision for creativity and collaboration in worship resonates deeply with my own calling. To share more about my background and vision, I have prepared a page specifically for Covenant at www.claywhittingtonmusic.com/covenantpresby (also accessible via the QR code below). I would be delighted to bring my passion for contemporary worship, my proven record of leadership, and my commitment to inclusivity and innovation to your congregation.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how my experience and vision can support and enrich Covenant’s worship life.
Sincerely,
William Clayton Whittington, M.M.
Career Highlights
Throughout my career as a church musician and worship leader, I have been committed to shaping meaningful experiences of worship that invite participation, deepen faith, and strengthen community. My work has spanned a wide range of contexts, including weekly parish services, large-scale revivals, studio recordings, and online worship production. Each of these experiences has reinforced my vocation as both an artist and a minister through music.
From 2020 to 2022, during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I took on the responsibility of creating, recording, and producing worship music for Spilman Memorial Baptist Church and First United Methodist Church. These projects ensured that congregations could continue to worship together virtually when in-person gatherings were impossible. By blending technology with creativity, I helped preserve a sense of sacred presence and congregational connection, an experience that shaped my understanding of how modern worship practices can meet people where they are.
My background as a piano entertainer with Carnival Cruise Line provided substantial experience in a wide variety of modern genres and in cultivating interactive performances that engage diverse audiences. That same flexibility and creativity informs my current work at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, where I lead our alternative worship service. This fully contemporary worship setting draws from both secular and sacred genres to shape the band repertoire, service music, and congregational singing. Through this ministry, I have continued to explore the ways in which worship can be both culturally responsive and theologically grounded.
Alongside my leadership in worship, I continue to draw on my academic training as a writer by contributing weekly newsletter articles for the congregation. In these writings, I place particular importance on providing historical and cultural context for the music we sing together, helping worshipers connect more deeply with both the texts and traditions that shape our shared faith.
Whether leading worship bands, arranging music for diverse ensembles, or producing recordings for online services, my goal has always been to create spaces where the Spirit can move freely and the congregation can sing with joy and authenticity. I remain dedicated to lifting up the evolving voice of the church as a vital and living witness of faith.