PRAYZEHYMN Online | where gospel music lives [Don't Forget to Remember: The Unofficial Timeline of the GMWA]

By J. MATTHEW COBB
Editor-At-Large, PRAYZEHYMNOnline.com
Special Thanks to Keisha (Lilmama) of The Gospel Fill Up
Posted: August 15, 2008

ASK ANYONE OR THE WHO'S WHO IN GOSPEL MUSIC where they are heading for the summer and you are bound to hear for their response - the Gospel Music Workshop of America. The convention remains one of the most popular destinations in the year for gospel music lovers. Thousands of individuals, both registered delegates and newcomers, head to the annual meetings to get a taste of gospel’s finest and this rich tradition continues to foster the many generations of gospel music with powerful ministry, excellent training, industry networking and hours of great singing. And since the unfortunate passing of its founder, Rev. James Cleveland, in 1991, the forty-year old organization still marches on as one of America’s treasured music institutions ever birth. To this day, it is the largest artistic organization of its kind in the world with 75,000 members in more than 185 chapters stretching from the United States to Asia. The Gospel Music Workshop of America, also called GMWA for short, has a beautiful history that finds some of gospel’s greatest paying their dues to eventually become legends in the evolving forms of traditional and contemporary gospel. According to their website, about 75 percent of the recordings on Billboard's Magazine gospel charts are written, arranged, produced and or performed by GMWA members.

The idea to start up a music institution like this is still a mystery to some, but Rev. James Cleveland, one of the reigning gospel superstars at the time, decided to pour his talents and humanitarian efforts into an institution that would help educate and empower present and future gospel artists.

In an undated interview with Cleveland, he mentioned, “There are young folk that have talent but have no where to get instructions as to how to put that talent to work. And so I thought how could we help upgrade the music in the church and bring sometime of education to the youth since there is no formal education in schools where they can get the training...so I had the bright idea to get all the best exponents of gospel from all over the world together, asked them what they thought about the idea of coming together forming a workshop to try to teach the young folk whatever they wanted to know about gospel.”

	1968 Detroit, Michigan Rev. Cleveland, with the help of some of gospel’s finest, organized the convention in March 1968 at the London Inn in Detroit and also adopted the convention motto: “Where Everybody Is Somebody;” which is still used to this date. Nightly services of the first ever GMWA board meeting took place at the Prayer Tabernacle Church in Detroit. The first convention was held in August that year at King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. Approximately 3,000 delegates attended the first historic event.
	1969 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In 1969, more than 4,000 delegates met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the M.E.T. Auditorium for the second annual convention. It was here that Rev. Cleveland recognized the need to unite the religious radio announcers as a division and to include ten daily workshop classes.
	1970 St. Louis, Missouri In 1970, the convention took place in St. Louis, Missouri at the Keil Auditorium Opera House with 5,000 delegates attending. By this time, Cleveland began to extensively tour across the country establishing chapters in major cities across the country; helping to bring add on to the annual list of registrants.
	1971 Dallas, Texas In August 1971, the organization decided to record its first recording in Dallas, Texas. Featuring a list of workshop clinicians and performers that included Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Dr. Margaret Douroux, Thruston Frazier, the O’Neal Twins and Sarah Jordan Powell, the Workshop choir was made up of an impressive 3,000 singers. With Rev. Lawrence Roberts producing, the album bolstered a number of historic selections including “I’m Glad;” penned by Douroux. Eight additional workshop classes were added at the Dallas gathering making a total of eighteen workshop classes presented.
	1972 Los Angeles, California The convention converged in Los Angeles in 1972, the number of delegates doubled from 5,000 to an amazing 10,000. The Women’s Council was also organized that year and was operated by Mrs. Elman Hendricks; the first Women’s Division chairwoman.
	1973 Chicago, Illinois In 1973, the convention was held in Chicago at the McCormick Place Auditorium and the McCormick Hotel. The convention’s membership continued to grow and so did the classes offered - growing to a total of thirty-three. The Youth Department was also organized that same year.
	1974 Cleveland, Ohio In 1974, Cleveland, Ohio was the host city and saw new additions to the ever-growing convention. Three auxiliaries (Nurses’ Unit, Evangelistic Board and the Usher’s Board) were installed along with the official introduction of the Morning Prayer services. This was also the year when the Convention organized the Mass Choir committee. Rev. James Cleveland also appointed Rodena Preston, Helen Stephens and Rev. Donald Vails as mass choir coordinators.
	1975 New York City, New York In 1975, the convention met at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. A reported 20,000 attendees made their way to the New York event. Because of the magnitude of the convention’s growth, all departments were fully operational and the workshop’s curriculum was evaluated by professional education personnel.
	1976 Kansas City, Missoui In 1976, Kansas City, Missouri was the host city for the ninth annual convention. It also underwent a number of changes with its workshop classes now being structured into an Academic Division. Better organization was also present with a printed publication of the classes along with their schedules. The Mass Choir recorded their takes on “God Is Still Working Miracles” and Margaret Douroux’s ‘He Decided to Die.” The latter remains a classic in the chambers of the Convention’s history. The Convention recorded the song again in 1982 and became a hit for the Donald Vails Choraleers in 1979.
	1977 Detroit, Michigan 1977 marked the tenth year anniversary of the convention and returned to Detroit; the birthplace of the convention. The Mass Choir was made up of 1500 voices and featured an incredible set of presenters that include Carol Antrom, Harold I. Williams, Jr., Charlene Moore, Gabriel Hardeman and Quincy Fielding, Jr.

OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO:
We perish because of the lack of knowledge. Get schooled.
GMWA Timeline: Part Two - Online timeline of the GMWA. Part 2.
GMWA Timeline: Part Three - Online timeline of the GMWA. Part 3
GMWA Timeline: Part Four - Online timeline of the GMWA. Part 4
Bishop Albert Jamison Unplugged - PRAYZEHYMN Exclusive. 2-part audio interview featuring with the Chairman of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.
James Cleveland Online Memorial - Online memorial to Rev. James Cleveland. Pictures, audio and commentary.
Gospel Music Workshop of America - Official website