Worship

At The Summit, our worship rocks.

From our start in 2005, we’ve been on the edge of modern worship trends. The Summit band provided contemporary worship music in Cullowhee before there were other options for the style. Many of our original band members still lead worship at The Summit, and others have joined our team of musicians. Our focus is providing moments of God-revelation through music, and we choose to cross the sacred/secular divide to show God’s redemption and revelation in all music. We believe that all music is spiritual and that God can use a popular song to speak truth and grace.

Nowadays you’ll find a variety of styles at The Summit because our incredible musicians provide diversity in skill and sound. On Sundays, you may hear a female vocal lead, a male vocal lead, an old worship song updated, a recent song played on the banjo, a small acoustic group, an intense full band, emotional worship ballads, high energy rock songs, or a song you just heard on the radio reimagined. It’s always fun, and we always give God the glory.

Our two worship leaders keep our gang of musicians organized and inspired.

Chris Pressley is the original – he’s been a part of The Summit from the very beginning. His twangy vocals and steady guitar skills give a country/rock feel to any song. You may have heard him singing around town with the Buchanan Boys, a western North Carolina gem. Chris enjoys watching football, camping with his wife, Jen, and supporting his daughter, Grace, in her many musical endeavors.

Tracie Jernigan moved to Cullowhee with her family in December of 2013 and quickly became a part of The Summit. Besides her ability to organize creatives, she adds her fancy keyboard skills and Allison Krauss-like vocals to the mix. Tracie enjoys going on adventures with her two young boys, listening (and dancing) to live music with her husband, Nick, and traveling to her mother state, Texas.

Come experience worship for yourself. All are welcome at The Summit.