Cheri Sykes serves as the Leader of St. Philip’s Worship Band, bringing decades of experience, creativity, and passion to worship ministry. Since beginning her work at St. Philip’s in 2019, Cheri has shared her love of music by helping create meaningful worship experiences that engage both heart and spirit. Throughout her ministry career, she has directed choirs, played organ, and led contemporary worship bands, but contemporary band leadership has always been her favorite.
Cheri is passionate about incorporating a variety of musical styles into worship, including jazz, rock, Latin, gospel, and world music. She especially enjoys using rhythm to encourage a whole-body worship experience and finds great joy in helping musicians discover and share their unique gifts. For Cheri, one of the most rewarding parts of ministry is watching a group of individuals grow into a joyful and collaborative team.
In addition to her work at St. Philip’s, Cheri performs as a solo jazz pianist for special events, plays keyboard synthesizer with Emerson Avenue Band, a 1970s-inspired horn band, and entertains seniors as a solo performer. She previously led her own jazz gospel group, Wild Honey and the Locusts, for fifteen years. Cheri holds a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from Luther Northwestern Seminary and a Master of Sacred Music from Emory University in Atlanta.
One of the things Cheri loves most about St. Philip’s is its extraordinary commitment to serving the community. Her favorite Bible verse comes from Micah 6:8: “Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” When she’s not making music, she enjoys creating new adventures on her electric bike, experimenting in the kitchen, and indulging in anything caramel-flavored.
