ASHLAND, Ohio — A local Ashland pastor and his wife are receiving national recognition after winning first place in a prestigious songwriting competition that draws worship leaders and musicians from across the United States.
Assistant Pastor and Worship Pastor Josh Cehulik of Calvary Baptist Church announced that he and his wife, Bec Cehulik, recently earned first place in the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference (SBCMC) National Songwriting Competition for their hymn titled “Christ, My Resting Place.”
The song was selected from 110 entries submitted by worship leaders and songwriters from across the country, highlighting the couple’s work among a large and competitive field of musicians serving churches nationwide.
The Southern Baptist Church Music Conference has spent nearly 70 years equipping worship leaders throughout the Southern Baptist Convention, which includes nearly 47,000 churches across the United States. Because of the large network of congregations and musicians involved, the annual songwriting competition draws submissions from experienced worship leaders writing music for churches nationwide.
Cehulik explained that the hymn was inspired by a well-known historic Christian prayer often associated with St. Patrick.
The song draws its theme from the “Breastplate of St. Patrick,” also known as “St. Patrick’s Lorica,” one of the most recognized prayers in Christian tradition. The prayer centers on placing Christ at the heart of every aspect of life, declaring:
Christ beneath me, Christ beside me, Christ around me, Christ above me.
“Christ, My Resting Place” reflects that same spiritual framework, emphasizing Christ’s presence in every direction and circumstance.
With St. Patrick’s Day approaching on March 17, Cehulik said the timing felt meaningful to share the news about the hymn and its inspiration.
The award-winning song will soon be introduced to worship leaders and church musicians from across the country.
“Christ, My Resting Place” will be presented for congregational singing at the 2026 SBCMC Conference, which will be held this April at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
Following the conference, sheet music for the hymn will be published through SBCMC.org and made available to churches through major worship music distributors including J.W. Pepper and PraiseCharts, making it accessible to congregations across the nation.
In announcing the competition results, the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference praised the winners for their contributions to church worship.
“We are excited to announce the winners of this year’s Songwriting Competition hosted by the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference,” the organization said in a social media announcement. “These gifted writers have used their talents to craft songs that encourage the Church and proclaim the truth of God’s Word through music. Join us in celebrating these outstanding songwriters and their contributions to worship in the local church. We look forward to featuring their compositions at our upcoming conference.”
For Ashland residents and members of Calvary Baptist Church, the recognition places a local pastor and his family on a national stage — and may soon allow congregations around the country to sing a hymn written right here in the community.
Readers can listen to a demo recording of the song here: https://soundcloud.com/josh-cehulik/christ_my-resting-place-remix?si=4b17f8ad976a402192a4f9ad39dc9414
