Northcutt Lecture Series

Since its founding in 1985, the Northcutt Lecture Series has grown to become a cornerstone of the academic and spiritual life within the Baylor University School of Music. With a distinguished history spanning decades, this esteemed lecture series was established through a generous endowment from the late LeGrande and Cassandra Northcutt of Longview, Texas, whose vision and support have left a lasting legacy in the field of church music scholarship.

The purpose of the Northcutt Lecture is to bring prominent and influential scholars from across the nation and around the world to Baylor University, enriching the intellectual and spiritual community through thought-provoking lectures and scholarly dialogue. These lecturers represent the pinnacle of academic achievement and thought leadership in church music, contributing fresh insights and fostering meaningful discussions on worship, theology, liturgy, music history, congregational song, and more.

Recognized as one of the most prestigious lectureships in the field, the Northcutt Lecture has attracted many of the most respected voices in church music scholarship. These events serve not only as academic milestones but also as moments of inspiration, challenging and encouraging students, faculty, and the wider Baylor community to think deeply about the role of music in the life of the Church.

Spring 2027: Swee Hong Lim

Dr. Swee Hong Lim is the Deer Park Associate Professor of Sacred Music at Emmanuel College and the director of the Master of Sacred Music Program. Before joining Emmanuel on July 1, 2012, Lim served as an assistant professor of Church Music at Baylor University in Texas. Prior to his work at Baylor, he served as a lecturer of Worship, Liturgy and Music at Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

Lim is widely recognized as a leader in global seminars and conferences focused on worship and sacred music. He served as director of music for the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2022, and as director of research for the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada from 2014 to 2020. In 2013, he served as co-moderator of the Worship Committee for the 10th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea, and was a member of the Worship Planning Committee for the 2011 Ecumenical Peace Convocation sponsored by the World Council of Churches in Jamaica. From 2006 to 2011, he chaired the Committee on Worship and Liturgy for the World Methodist Council and designed and supervised the worship services for the 20th World Methodist Conference in Durban, South Africa.

Lim holds a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University, where his dissertation won the Helen LePage and William Hale Chamberlain Prize for Outstanding Dissertation. He also holds a Master of Arts in Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology. He completed his undergraduate studies in Church Music at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music in the Philippines. Lim is widely published in the field of global music, with his monograph Giving Voice to Asian Christians recognized among global music scholars. He is also a prolific composer of congregational songs.

Lim’s research focuses on postcolonial contextual worship music practices, particularly in Asia, and contemporary praise and worship music-making in North America. His work examines how worship music-making shapes Christian identity and spirituality.

Past Presenters Include

John Bell, Karen, Westerfield Tucker, Anton Armstrong, James Abbington, Mary Louise Bringle, David Music, Constance Cherry, John Witvliet, Lester Ruth, Jeremy Begbie, Ruth Duck, Carl Shalk, Brian Wren, I-to Loh, Carl P. Daw, Jr., Emily Brink, Don Sailers, Harry Eskew, Carlton Young, Helen Kemp, Donald P. Hustad, Paul Westermeyer, Thomas Troeger, Marva Dawn, Alice Parker, Jane Marshall, Benjamin Harlan, Michael Hawn, Terry York, Allen Walworth, Harold Best, Gordon Borror, Jerry Warren, Robert Shaw, Paul Manz, Milburn Price, William O'Brien

View Past Recordings

To view recordings from past Northcutt Lecture Series presentations visit our Academic Research & Resource Library.