James Abbington

James Abbington (1960-2025) held Master of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He served as professor of music at Morgan State University, associate professor of music and director of the Concert Choir at Shaw University, and for nearly two decades as associate professor of church music and worship at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University. In 2025, Abbington reached a pinnacle of recognition when Duke Divinity School appointed him the inaugural Joseph B. Bethea Professor of the Practice of Sacred Music and Black Church Studies.