A Life Shaped by Music and Ministry
From my earliest days in church music to my work today as an author and educator, I’ve been guided by one belief: music serves the church best when it serves people.
Those lifelong experiences led me to write Servanthood of Song, a book that explores the story of church music in America and why it still matters today. This is where I share that work, along with ongoing reflections on music as ministry.
December 2, 2024
October 16, 2024
September 8, 2024
What people say
Book Reviews
With "Servanthood of Song," Stanley McDaniel has done a vital service not only for the religious establishment in the United States but also to all those who care about the place of music in the life of our society. Reaching back to the eighteenth century and continuing through the 21st century, we have here an encyclopedia of the sources, history, trends, and application of worship and music in the American church. It is clearly the work of a lifetime of loving music and its vital place in the life of the American church. This book deserves a place in every church and university library as well as in the collection of church professionals who value the place of music in their work...."
- W. T. Soeldner
“Dr. Stan McDaniel has done a wonderful job connecting the dots of American church music for the colonial era to the present. A book full of richness for the mind and soul.”
The scope of this book is enormous and impressive, and the author rises to the challenge of outlining and examining the winding history of sacred music in America. Stan's voice comes through so clearly with warmth and humor, transforming what might have been dry facts into a vibrant tapestry. If my music history textbooks in college had been like this, I would have read them cover to cover.
Copyright 2026 Stan McDaniel, all rights reserved.