2026 Clinicians

Emily Snider Andrews is Assistant Professor of Church Music and Worship Leadership and Executive Director of the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. She believes worship lies at the heart of what it means to be a Christian disciple and seeks to enable Christ’s church to worship with godly wisdom and Spirit-led imagination. An ordained minister, Emily has served congregations in Alabama, Texas, and California. She is especially interested in the interlacing of music and theology, focusing her research on evangelical worship, sacramental theology, and modern worship music practices. She is married to Matt, a minister, and is mother to three little ones.

David Angerman is the Director of Choral Arts at Regents School of Austin. Additionally, he has been the Director of Music and organist at Bethany Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas, since 1980. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree and Master of Church Music Degree from Baylor University and a Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance from the University of Texas in Austin. As a composer, his published works include choral and handbell music as well as organ and piano solos. He has written the music for several youth and children's musicals, and co-authored, along with Joseph Martin and Mark Hayes, KEYS FOR THE KINGDOM, a piano method for Christian students, published by Shawnee Press.

Dr. Shannan Baker endeavors to find ways to connect contemporary worship research with the practice of the church. Primarily, this has occurred through the creation of contemporary worship workshops where students are encouraged to connect their classroom learning with practical applications in a band-led worship style. Dr. Baker has experience playing multiple instruments, including drums (her emphasis for her BA), piano/keys, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar, which allows her to communicate with the various band members. Dr. Baker is a Michigan native, who now lives in Waco and serves the local church through the many gifts with which God has blessed her. She currently serves as Senior Associate for Contemporary Worship Programs at Baylor University. 

Jeff Barnett is the Director of Worship Sales at Sweetwater. He has 25 years' experience in worship technology as a live sound and recording engineer, system designer, installer, educator, and musician. Jeff works with thousands of churches and worship artists from all over the world, including Jesus Culture, David Crowder, Shane & Shane, and many more. Jeff enjoys working in his home studio and singing with his a cappella group, Smooth Edge 2. Jeff and his wife Brit are proud parents of six kids and are still trying to figure out where the youngest one's left shoe is. (If you find the shoe, please let him know.)

Kyle is a graduate student at Baylor University and Truett Seminary, conducting original research as part of pursuing the dual Master of Music/Master of Divinity degrees. He holds three undergraduate degrees in church music, music history, theory/composition, and Christian ministry. Kyle has served Methodist churches as Director of Music and Worship Arts in Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas for over 10 years. He intends to pursue a PhD in Church Music and to further explore the intersection of church music, worship theology, and music history.

John Bolin has been singing and leading since he was old enough to stand. For more than 20 years, while serving as a Worship Pastor in local churches(including Houston’s First Baptist Church from 2008-2020, and Kingsland BaptistChurch from 2020-2025), he has also presented over 1,300 concerts nationallyand internationally, produced and sung on more than 40 albums, and publishedover 225 original songs and arrangements.John is recognized as a leadingvoice in worship ministries, choirs in worship, multigenerational worship, andfamily worship. He serves as the Vice President for the choral publisher, SemsenMusic, and has also filled the role as theconductor for the University Choir andOrchestra of California Baptist University since 2023. John frequently teaches atuniversities and conferences and was part of launching the musical andmissional organization Worship Convergence International. He isalso the authorofHow to Spell WORSHIP with Your Family, a practical guide to cultivating Christ-centered worship in the home. He and his wife, Paige, have five children:Grace, Hudson, John Luke, Levi, and Ellie.

He is the Ben H. Williams Professor of Church Music and Director of the Church Music Program and the Center for Christian Music Studies at Baylor University where he is a member of the undergraduate and graduate faculties and directs the Baylor University Men's Choir. With a passion for building bridges between Christian musicians, he continually looks for ways to create meaningful dialogue among all who are committed to serving the church through music.

A native of Germany, Horst received his first musical training in a boys’ choir. After studies in organ, church music, and theory at the University of Arts in Berlin, he continued his studies in conducting at Indiana University where he earned the Doctor of Music degree. Dr. Buchholz has been active as a performer, scholar, and educator. He has played recitals in cathedrals and concert halls around the world, and has conducted choral ensembles, symphony orchestras, and opera productions. For 10 years he was the Music Director of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Buchholz is also co-founder and Artistic Director of Pro-Arte Saint Louis, a professional vocal ensemble dedicated to Early Music.

Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Before that he was an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, and was also the graduate coordinator. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside six books about religion and politics in the United States. He has written for the New York Times, POLITICO, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in an NBC Documentary, on the CBS Evening News, as well as 60 Minutes which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics.” He served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church for over twenty years, leading First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, IL for 17.5 years until its closure in July 2024. He has been married to his wife Jacqueline for over eighteen years. They have two sons.

Cliff Duren is the Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church Dallas, TX. He has also served in multiple roles at First Baptist Church Woodstock, GA and Brentwood Baptist Church in the Nashville area. In addition, Cliff is a song writer, arranger, orchestrator, and producer for various church music publishers and Christian artists. In 2017, Cliff composed his first film score for the movie, Champion. He has also recorded three instrumental albums featuring piano & orchestra. Cliff is a five-time Dove Award winner for his contributions in Christian music. Cliff has a music education degree from Shorter University in Rome, GA, a masters degree in church music from Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and a doctorate in worship leadership from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Cliff and his wife, April, live in Dallas with their 4 children. 

A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Marianne Forman has been arranging and composing since childhood. She holds a B.S. in Music Education with concentrations in piano and choral music. Because of her extensive background in church music, in both large and small congregations, Marianne is passionate about creating music that is both beautiful and functional.She is a four-time attendee of the John Ness Bess Foundation Composers’ Workshop, studying composition under Dan Forrest, Craig Courtney, and Howard Helvey. Her sacred and concert choral pieces have been performed around the world and are appreciated for their compelling melodies and accessible settings.

Allen Hightower is a seventh generation Texan, and resides in McKinney, Texas with his wife, Dr. Kristin Hightower and their two daughters Caroline and Julianne.  As the director of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas, Allen leads the master’s and doctoral programs in choral conducting, and oversees a comprehensive choral program of eight ensembles. Allen serves as the conductor of the UNT A Cappella Choir, and the UNT Grand Chorus which collaborates annually with the UNT Symphony Orchestra in performances of major choral-orchestral works. As a member of UNT’s Early Music faculty, he leads the vocal ensemble Vox Aquilae, an artistic partner of the UNT Baroque Orchestra.

Outside of his work in academia, Allen has served as the Artistic Director of the Houston Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra, leading an annual concert series of choral-orchestral masterworks. As a deeply committed church musician, he has served Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches in Texas, California, and Minnesota. He currently serves on the music staff of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, and has served as the Church Music Vice-President of the Texas Choral Directors Association. He was as Adjunct Professor of Conducting at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Monique Ingalls serves as Chair of the Academic and Professional Studies Department and the Ammann Chair in Church Music and Worship.Dr. Ingalls is dedicated to building collaborative research networks for the study of Christian music and religious music more broadly. She co-founded the “Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives” conference, a biennial international gathering which meets in Cuddesdon, Oxford, UK (congregationalmusic.org). She is senior series editor for the Congregational Music Studies book series with Routledge Press. She also was co-founder and first president of the Religion, Music, and Sound Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology. 

With nearly 20 years of experience, Ben Johansen integrates music, technology, and creative practice through teaching, research, and artistic work. Passionate about exploration and innovation, [Name] engages acoustic and electronic music, improvisation, and the intersection of art and Christianity. Committed to equipping students as forward-thinking artists, Ben fosters creativity at the intersection of technology and the arts. He holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a Master’s in Music Composition from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Music (Composition) from the University of North Texas, with a specialization in Computer Media and a minor in Installation Art.

Sam Johnson has served in worship ministry roles in churches across Texas and Kansas, bringing a deep passion for faithful and formative worship. A graduate of Baylor University, Sam holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music as well as a Master of Divinity from Truett Seminary. Committed to equipping the next generation of church musicians, Sam has served as a camp leader at Baylor’s Worship Lab every year since its founding in 2015, with the exception of one year.

Esther Kim is a mission-focused leader passionate about fostering long-term flourishing for churches and cultivating the creative gifts of emerging leaders. She recently served as the Associate Director of the Angeles Worship Initiative (AWI), where she provided strategic oversight for major grant initiatives, large-scale events, and daily operations. A Los Angeles, CA native, Esther holds a BA in Music from Azusa Pacific University and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. With over a decade of experience in worship leadership and intergenerational ministry, she will begin pursuing a PhD in Church Music at Baylor University, Waco, TX, in Fall 2026.

In August 2023, Dr. Jens Korndörfer was appointed Associate Professor of Organ at Baylor University in Texas. Previously, he served as Director of Worship and the Arts and Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and directed the organ program at Georgia State University.

Praised as “a virtuoso in the grand Romantic tradition” who creates “performances that are deeply musically satisfying as well as exciting” (The American Organist), Korndörfer is regularly invited at the most prestigious venues and festivals around the world.

Elizabeth Laube is a Curriculum Editor and Engagement Specialist for Celebrating Grace. Prior to coming to Celebrating Grace, she worked in the Center for Christian Music Studies at Baylor University administering a Lilly Endowment Inc. grant exploring the role that music in the local church plays in children’s spiritual formation. She holds a Master’s degree in Middle Years Education from the University of Georgia and Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of South Mississippi and is a consultant for the Cambridge International Examinations music curriculum. Elizabeth taught music and general education for twelve years in the US and the UK, working with students Pre-K through High School.  Currently, Elizabeth serves in the music and children’s ministry in her local church in Waco, Texas.  

Matthew Laube joined the Baylor School of Music in 2022. Before this, Dr. Laube was a doctoral and postdoctoral research assistant at The British Library in 2011 and 2014. Between 2014 and 2017, he was a Wiener-Anspach Postdoctoral Fellow jointly at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Cambridge, where he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Robinson College, Cambridge. Most recently Dr. Laube was a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in History at Birkbeck, University of London. Since October 2018, he has been Assistant Editor and Reviews Editor of the journal Early Music History. Dr. Laube completed an MM in Trombone Performance at the University of Utah, and an MM and PhD in Musicology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Joseph Martin, a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin. He is a member of the staff of Shawnee Press, Inc. as Director of Sacred Publications, with responsibilities for overseeing the editorial and creative direction of the company and also coordinating the recording and production aspects of future sacred publishing efforts. 

Mary McDonald is well-known in sacred music. With a career that spans over forty years, her songs appear in the catalogs of every major publisher of church music. More than 1400 compositions through anthems, seasonal musicals and keyboard collections testify to her significant contribution to church music. No stranger to glass ceilings, her energy and charisma served her well when Mary became the first woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. She recently retired from serving 36 years as accompanist for the Tennessee Men's Chorale, touring internationally to Brazil, England, Wales, and Italy.

William (Will) McLean is a music educator-conductor who currently serves as Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University, where he conducts the Concert Choir, Bella Voce, and teaches courses in conducting and choral literature. Before Baylor, McLean recently served as the Associate Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Chorus and served on the faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he conducted the A Cappella Choir. During his doctoral work at the University of North Texas (UNT), McLean taught undergraduate conducting and conducted the UNT Chorale. Before pursuing graduate studies, he taught public high school. Choirs, under his direction, have performed at the National ACDA Convention, College Band Directors National Association National Conference, state music education conferences,  and toured nationally. McLean has presented sessions at national, regional, and state ACDA, NAfME conferences, and the International Symposium for Research in Choral Singing. His research on repertoire trends was featured in the Choral Journal in the May 2023 issue. An advocate for new music, he regularly collaborates with composers to commission new choral works. He holds a DMA from the University of North Texas, a master’s degree in conducting from Baylor University, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from St. Olaf College. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with his wife, Jenna, and their dog Hildy.

Originally from Recife, Brazil, Maria serves as Lecturer in Church Music at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and as Music Director at Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana (First Mexican Baptist Church), in San Antonio. Before joining the Baylor faculty in 2020, she taught for seventeen years at Baptist University of the Américas, also in San Antonio. Maria holds a Master of Music (1991) and a Bachelor of Music (1987) degrees in Music History and Literature from Baylor University, a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Musicology (1998) from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in Church Music (2021) from Baylor. 

Jake Mulder, PhD, is the assistant chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary, executive director for the non-degreed online Christian leader training platform FULLER Equip, and senior adviser for the Fuller Youth Institute and TENx10 Collaboration. He frequently speaks, coaches, and consults on congregational leadership and change. Passionate about helping individuals and churches achieve their full potential, Jake is the coauthor of Growing Young. He has a wide-ranging background of business and ministry roles, serves on the boards of Geneva Camp and Retreat Center and Baker Publishing Group, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, Lauren, and sons Will and Theodore

David Music is a retired professor of Church Music at Baylor University, where he taught from 2002-2020. He is the author of numerous publications on hymnody and Christian music history. Music has authored more than 200 articles for journals and scholarly publications. 

Brad Nix is a widely-recognized composer, orchestrator, and arranger, and has written for many of the nation’s major publishers. He currently serves as Choral and Keyboard Editor for the Lorenz Corporation, and  has well over 200 choral pieces in print, as well as many piano folios and orchestrations. Brad frequently travels throughout the country as a clinician for reading sessions and conferences, and his music has been heard in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the famed St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in central London, as well as countless churches all over the world. Brad received his DMA degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He and his wife, Pattie, along with their three children, are proud to make their home in Bastrop, TX.

Sean Paul, a native of Oklahoma, developed a profound love for music at a very young age, which led him to discover his passion for playing the piano and singing. He earned a Bachelor of Music from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.Sean has served as a Minister of Music in churches across Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma for over 30 years. In recent years, Sean has embraced the artistic and creative aspects of his music ministry through choral arranging, composition, and orchestration. His works have been published by esteemed publishers such as Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, Fred Bock Music, Celebrating Grace Inc, Hope Publishing Company, and The Lorenz Corporation.

As Children’s Worship Arts Coordinator, Stacy Porter serves a program of over 100 children and 45 adults. Stacy is in her 16th year as Children’s Worship Arts Coordinator and Fine Arts Academy Director for First Baptist Church of Keller located in Keller, Texas. She completed her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Sam Houston State University in 1990. Stacy has over 35 years teaching experience in the church, public schools, and in private instruction. She has written for Growing in Grace and Chorister’s Guild and has presented at conferences in Texas. Married to Matt Porter for more than 32 years, she is the mother of 3 sons and 1 daughter-in-love. The Porter family resides in Trophy Club, Texas.

Dylan Reese serves as Pastor for Music and Worship at First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Previously, Dylan served as Minister of Worship at Westbury Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Dylan is deeply committed to fostering intergenerational worship that is both theologically grounded and musically meaningful. Dylan holds a Master of Divinity from Truett Seminary and a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Baylor University.

David Schwoebel is a graduate of McKendree University in Lebanon, IL and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Voice and Organ Performance, and Master of Church Music with an emphasis in Composition. After nearly 40 years of local church ministry, including 22+ years as Minister of Music/Composer in Residence at Derbyshire Baptist Church in Richmond, VA, David transitioned to full-time work as a composer, arranger, pianist, accompanist, and clinician. Possessing such diverse education and practical ministry experience enables him to arrange and compose in multiple mediums including piano, organ, handbells, and instrumental, as well as choral music for all ages. As an established composer of sacred music with over 200 publications in 29 different publisher’s catalogs, David is known specifically for giving musical life to lyrics through sensitive melodies, well-crafted choral writing, and rich-sounding accompaniments. David resides in Richmond, VA with his wife, Keadron, and her daughter, Ashley Higgs.

Six-time Dove Award winner Daniel Semsen is an acclaimed choral music arranger for churches around the world as well as a composer/arranger/orchestrator for TV and film in Hollywood, CA. Writing for the past 16 years for choral companies such as Word, Brentwood Benson, Lifeway, and Prism, he and his wife Christy started Semsen Music in 2021 to serve the church in the wake of multiple companies having to close. Semsen Music exists to partner with worship ministries everywhere by creating powerful, purposeful, and practical resources that enrich worship leaders, equip choirs and worship teams of all ages, and encourage the body of Christ. Daniel is the Worship Pastor at Village Church in Burbank, CA and has a passion for leading people into the presence of God through music, as well as creating community through multi- generational choirs and orchestras. Daniel has a B.A. in Music Theory/Composition from Azusa Pacific University(2001). He and his wife Christy reside in Burbank, CA and have two adult sons, Nathaniel (25) and Noah (22). 

Sondra Tucker has an extensive history with handbells and has learned a few things along the way. She has conducted ensembles ranging from beginning church handbell choirs to professional ensembles including the Houston Chamber Ringers and the Houston Bronze Ensemble. Her compositions are published by all major church music publishers and range from easy hymn settings to multi-movement works. Sondra has led festivals and conferences at the local, state, and national level, and has served on event planning committees as well. She taught composition for Handbell Musicians of America, seeing many students go on to achieve success in their writing. Sondra knows the business side also, having served for twelve years as Editor for Alfred Handbell. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and is married with three granddaughters. Outside of handbells, she works as an organist, freelance composer, and helps with her local Sheltie rescue.

 James Wells serves as the Director of Youth and Children’s Music at Brentwood United Methodist Church. He oversees all the music and arts activities for students pre-school through college students. Additionally, he serves Nashville Children's Choir Artistic Director and Director of the Touring Choir. Prior to his full-time church music, he spent 10 years as a general vocal music teacher in the Franklin Special School District.

Edwin M. (Ed) Willmington is the Director of Brehm Music: A Fred Bock Initiative at the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts, and Composer-in-Residence, at Fuller Theological Seminary.  As the initiative director, Ed’s responsibilities include teaching graduate level classes related to music and worship studies, and serving as mentor to students who lead the Fuller Seminary Chapel. As a published composer, he serves as the editor of Jubal House Publications (jubalhouse.com). Ed's passion is to encourage creative worship in the church through spiritual practices and the arts, including the participation of all ages in worship leadership.
 

Director, Educator, Composer, Publisher, Ringer, Clinician – Kath is all about the bells…and bell people! Known for her creative teaching style, clear directing and engaging compositions, she has directed and taught at events across the US and in Canada and Japan and is currently Artistic Director of Mosaic Handbell Ensemble and Gloria Dei (an adult church group). Her compositions span a wide range - Level 1 to Level 5; Solos and small ensembles to full 7-octave concert epics; commissions/hymns/compatible pieces - many released through her publishing company “ringTrue Handbell Music.” She also develops uniquely focused resources like “Square One” (a complete Level 1 curriculum based on 18 years teaching handbells in the classroom), “Get Them Ringing!” (for introducing ringing to passersby at fairs) and "Split-Level" pieces (to accommodate ringers of different abilities in one piece). Kath currently serves on the National Board of HMA; coordinates the CHIME Loan program for Area 3 and served on the Board for 8 years; and often mentors ringers, directors, composers and new events. A former National Park Service Ranger with a degree in geology, Kath lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with husband Skip (also a former Park Ranger), teaches piano lessons and makes world-famous bread & butter pickles. Contact her at Longwalk3@aol.com

John Woods serves as the Music & Worship Pastor for the Dawson Family of Faith in Birmingham, Alabama, leading alongside a gifted team of minister-musicians to shape worship through music, the arts, and liturgy. With a deep passion for blending the timeless and the timely, he strives to give the congregation an authentic and unifying voice in worship. John holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music and a Master of Music in Church Music with an emphasis in choral conducting, both from Baylor University. He also earned a Master of Divinity in Theology from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Beyond ministry, John enjoys woodworking, backcountry hiking, and date nights with his wife, Lindsay—leaving their three children, Hudson, Emma, and Mason, at home to fend for themselves.

Terry W. York is a retired Professor of Christian Ministry and Church Music at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary. He joined the faculty in 1998 after serving three years as the Associate Pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. He has been Minister of Music in churches in California and Arizona. From 1984-1995 he served at the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) in Nashville, TN. His duties there included being the Project Coordinator for The Baptist Hymnal, 1991. In all, Dr. York has published more than 40 hymns including the well-known "Worthy of Worship." His hymn "Give Us Courage" was commissioned by the Truett Seminary administration and approved by the Truett Seminary faculty as the official Seminary Hymn in 2006. In addition to his hymns, Dr. York has published more than 60 choral anthem texts set by composers such as Bob Burroughs, David Danner, Tom Fettke, Benjamin Harlan, Mary McDonald, Earlene Rentz, David Schwoebel, Joseph Martin, Vicki Hancock Wright, and Taylor Scott Davis, Dan Goeller, and Vicki Tucker Courtney.