Guild of Church Musicians

The Guild of Church Musicians is a charity to help encourage high standards in church music. It offers members examinations, courses, and awards. The guild is a fellowship of those who sincerely desire to offer the best in music to the service of the church: amateur and professional musicians unified in a common ideal.

The Guild was founded in 1888 as the Church Choir Guild. It was incorporated in 1905 to become known as the Incorporated Guild of Church Musicians. The founding patrons were Archbishop Frederick Temple and Sir George Elvey, organist of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Although the organization was mainly Anglican since its founding, in 1988 in the Centenary Year of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster was invited to become a joint patron, and the Guild's openness to all branches of the Christian Church was affirmed.

Since 1961, the Guild has been charged with the responsibility of administering and examining for the Archbishop of Canterbury's Certificate in Church Music. After 1988, the Certificate was renamed The Archbishops' Certificate in Church Music, incorporating the Archbishop of Westminster's patronage. The Guild now offers five levels of professional awards plus a preliminary award for young people new to church music.

The Guild leadership also includes:

The Guild church is St Michael, Cornhill in London.

The Guild of Church Musicians have published two member study guides, which help the members pass the examination:

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