ASBURY FIRST MONDAY READER | OCTOBER 27, 2025

CONTENTS: MEET THE STAFF: DUANE PRILL, PRINCIPLE ORGANIST |

WHERE WE CAME FROM: THE BIRTH OF METHODISM

You've been the organist at Asbury First for almost 20 years now. What initially drew you to this position, and what has kept you engaged and passionate about serving this congregation for so long? This is my 30th year! I knew David and Marian (Craighead) quite well and David told me after Marion passed away that she had heard me play and mentioned that I would be a good candidate for Organist at Asbury. It's a fantastic organ, sanctuary and congregation and has been a real blessing and honor to play at Asbury for all these years. I hope the congregation will have me for a few more!

Your educational background includes studies at both Ohio Wesleyan University and Eastman School of Music, plus post-graduate work with the renowned David Craighead. How did these different educational experiences shape your approach to organ performance and church music? I had amazing professors at Ohio Wesleyan. One in piano where I learned how to be expressive, one in voice and choral accompanying where I accompanied many voice recitals and choral concerts—learning the art of being a good collaborator. And, most importantly, a fantastic organ professor, who gave of his time unselfishly. I learned so very much from him! At Eastman I focused more on performance practice. Studying with David Craighead after I left Eastman was a real blessing as he gave me many lessons right here at Asbury where his wife used to play. The Craigheads were both such gracious and supportive mentors.

You have a unique dual career as both a church musician and tonal director for Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. How does your hands-on experience with organ construction and voicing inform your work as an organist, and vice versa? Each job absolutely informs the other. When I'm voicing a pipe organ, I'm thinking about organ and choral repertoire and when I'm playing in church, I'm thinking about the best combination of sounds and how the organ is affected by temperature and humidity; so that I can hopefully make it sound its very best! I also love the fact that I can crawl up into the organ (on almost a weekly basis) to "tweak” things. I try to keep this 70 year old fantastic instrument in as good condition as possible!

What are some of the most challenging or rewarding projects you've worked on? I've been blessed to voice more than 60 pipe organs in my 35 year career at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders. There have been many fantastic and noteworthy projects, but most importantly I've enjoyed working with the various church personnel and musicians who make music every week on the instruments I've given voice to… such a blessing this is! Unfortunately, as churches close and fewer and fewer buy quality pipe organs, each instrument somehow becomes even more important. If a church is going to invest (sometimes millions of dollars) into a pipe organ, it has to be perfectly "wed" to the room, and as beautiful as possible!

You've worked with various ensembles including the Rochester Oratorio Society, Madrigalia, and Concentus, even touring internationally. How do you balance your church responsibilities with these collaborative musical opportunities? Again, when I was younger and seemed to have more energy, I would accompany these various groups upon invitation. I fondly remember these concerts, especially programs with Roger Wilhelm and the Rochester Oratorio Society. We performed some fantastic concerts in the first couple of decades of my tenure at Asbury. I do less accompanying outside of the church now just because of time constraints, but will always consider accompanying these ensembles some of the most important moments in my musical career.

After nearly two decades at Asbury First, how do you approach selecting music that serves both the liturgical needs of the congregation and your artistic goals as a musician? How has your philosophy of church music evolved over time? Three decades at Asbury! I try to pay attention to the lectionary and certainly the season of the year when selecting preludes and postludes. Over time, I've noticed that church music has generally become more varied and eclectic, and I've tried to adapt my style of playing to "keep with the times!”

Given your extensive experience and professional involvement, what advice would you give to young organists just starting their careers in church music? What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the field today? I would give them the same advice that Dr. Roger Wilhelm gave to me: "A career in church music can last for decades so make sure you pace yourself!”. Also, I asked Marian Craighead how she lasted so many years at Asbury and she said “I kept my nose in my knitting and my trap shut!” ….The biggest challenges are that many churches are closing and the ones that remain open don't always fully fund musicians with a living wage. I think many church musicians today have to have more than one job in order to succeed. I guess I'm an example of that!

As you reflect on your career spanning church music, organ building, recording, and professional leadership, what projects or goals are you most excited about pursuing in the coming years? To be honest, I MIGHT be at a high point in my career: possibly playing more musically than ever and also understanding the importance of fine voicing work. I am blessed.

Why We’re United Methodist: A Monday Reader Primer

Ever wonder what makes The United Methodist Church who we are? This six-part Monday Reader series offers a simple look at our roots, beliefs, and structure—from John Wesley’s first “methodical” movement to the way grace still shapes our life together today. Whether you’ve been United Methodist for decades or are just curious about what we stand for, these short reflections invite you to rediscover the heart of a church built on connection, grace, and doing good.

Part 1: Where We Came From: The Birth of Methodism

Long before there was a denomination called “United Methodist,” there was simply a group of college students who wanted to live their faith more seriously.

In the 1730s, at Oxford University in England, brothers John and Charles Wesley and a few friends began meeting regularly for prayer, Bible study, fasting, and service to the poor and imprisoned. Their classmates teased them, calling them “Methodists” because of their methodical habits. The name stuck—and so did the movement.

John Wesley never intended to start a new church. He was a priest in the Church of England, committed to its traditions, but frustrated by how little it seemed to shape everyday life. He wanted to renew the church from within—to help ordinary people experience God’s grace personally and practically. His motto might have been summed up as “faith that works.”

The movement spread quickly, especially among working people who often felt excluded from the established church. The Wesleys and other preachers took to the fields and town squares, proclaiming a message of grace: that God’s love was for everyone, not just the privileged few. They organized converts into “societies” and “classes” for accountability and growth, helping people connect spiritual devotion with acts of compassion.

When Methodism came to America, it took root in a land of wide distances and restless energy. Lay preachers and circuit riders—clergy on horseback—carried the gospel across mountains and frontiers, forming societies wherever they went. Because communication and travel were slow, these groups began meeting regularly to coordinate their work. Wesley’s structured approach turned out to be exactly what the growing colonies needed: a faith organized for mission.

In 1784, after the American Revolution, Methodists officially formed the Methodist Episcopal Church at what’s known as the Christmas Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. They ordained their first bishops, published their own version of the Book of Discipline, and began the Methodist tradition of holding “conferences” to set policy and send out preachers. From that point forward, Methodism became one of the fastest-growing movements in American religious history.

Still, the heart of it remained simple. John Wesley once summarized the faith this way:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can, in all the places you can,

at all the times you can, to all the people you can,

as long as ever you can.”

That’s the spirit that shaped us—organized faith, passionate grace, and practical love in action. We began not as a new church, but as a movement to help ordinary people live extraordinary faith.