Our Team

Maria Monteiro

Maria Monteiro nació en Recife, Brazil y actualmente ocupa el puesto de Lecturer en Música Sacra en Baylor University, en la ciudad de Waco, Texas. Ella también trabaja como Directora de Música en la Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana de San Antonio, Texas. Antes de unirse a Baylor, Maria enseñó música y adoración por diecisiete años en la Universidad Bautista de las Américas en San Antonio. Su experiencia como docente universitaria y directora de música congregacional le ha provisto una conexión esencial entre sus intereses académicos en la música sacra y la vivencia práctica musical en una congregación local. Maria cumplió su carrera universitaria (1987) y su maestría (1991) en el área de historia de la música en Baylor University. Así también tiene un certificado de estudios de posgrado en musicología (1998) en Duke University. En 2021, Maria obtuvo su doctorado (PhD) en el área de música sacra en Baylor University.

Originally from Recife, Brazil, Maria Monteiro 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, she taught for seventeen years at Baptist University of the Américas, also in San Antonio. These roles and activities have provided the essential connection between her academic interest in church music and the practical involvement in the musical life of a present-day congregation. Maria holds a Master of Music (1991) and a Bachelor of Music (1987) degrees in Music History and Literature, from Baylor, a certificate of graduate studies in Musicology from Duke University (1998), and a Ph.D. in Church Music (2021) from Baylor University.

Brian Hehn

Brian is an inspiring song-leader equally comfortable leading an acapella singing of “It Is Well” as he is drumming and dancing to “Sizohamba Naye.” Experienced using a variety of genres and instrumentations, he has lead worship for Baptists, Roman Catholics, United Methodists, Presbyterians, and many more across the U.S. and Canada. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Wingate University, his Master of Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and is certified in children’s church music (K-12) by Choristers Guild. He has articles published on sacred music and congregational song in multiple journals and co-authored two books under the title “All Hands In” published by Choristers Guild. While working for The Hymn Society as the Director of The Center for Congregational Song he also serves as adjunct professor of church music at Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. Brian lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife, Eve, and son, Jakob.

Ben Brody

Ben Brody graduated from Whitworth University in 1998, and returned in 2003 to teach in the music department of Whitworth. Prior to his current position, Ben spent four years as director of worship and music at First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. At Whitworth, he teaches courses in church music, conducting, and music history, and coordinates music for campus worship services. Ben cares deeply about the role of music in corporate worship, and is passionate about helping pastors, church musicians, and worship committees develop faithful worship practices in their congregations. Ben is director of music at Colbert Presbyterian Church, in Colbert, Wash., and currently serves on the Washington state board of the American Choral Directors Association. He is also the president-elect of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and is a published composer of congregational songs.

Emorja Roberson

Emorja Roberson is a pianist, conductor, workshop coordinator, composer, arranger and vocalist in world of classical and gospel. In 2016, debuted “Let’s Just Praise the Lord” with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra from his project, Rejuvenate Me, with Rejuvenation Gospel Choir January 2017.
Roberson graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance, where he studied with Krzysztof Biernacki. As a young artist, he held lead roles in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), The Consul, The Mikado and La Bohème with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and performed as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah.
In October 2016 Robert Kry’s The Dante Project and Mass for the Oppressed by Emerson Eads. He has premiered Evelyn Simpson Curenton’s “Sweet Lil Jesus” and was featured as the soloist for J.J. Wright’s O Emmanuel with the Notre Dame Children’s Choir. In March 2016, Roberson was casted as Duke Frederick in Roger Steptoe’s world-premiere opera of the Shakespeare’s play, “As You Like It”, under the direction of John Apeitos. Throughout his experience in the MSM program, Roberson has worked with world-renowned soprano, Deborah Voight, Carla Rae Cook, and vocal coach and pianist, J.J. Penna. Just recently, Roberson recorded with Grammy Award Winner, Arturo Sandoval, for the NDCC’s Christmas CD, which will be released September 2018.
August 2017, Emorja coordinated the Weekend of Worship in DeFuniak Springs, FL for churches of diverse communities, which provided workshops on the liturgical sacred music of the church and the fundamentals of reading music, which concluded with a concert of various genres of music.
As of May 2017, Roberson was coined as the first African-American to graduate with a Master of Sacred Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Notre Dame. Currently, Roberson is a student of Dr. Mark Doerries and is the first African-American student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program to study Choral Conducting with a focus in African-American repertoire.  In addition to piloting the Voices of Courage choir at Madison Primary Center, Roberson serves as the Director of Music for Olivet African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Graduate Assistant for the Notre Dame Folk Choir.
In October 2018, Emorja recorded his second live project, The Evening Musicale, which has a release date of March 2019.
January 2018, Roberson’s compositions, “I Need Your Presence” and “Lord, I Am Grateful” were debuted by the South Bend Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Dr. Marvin Curtis and Dr. Alastair Willis. Roberson was the first place winner for the 2018 American Negro Spirituals competition and performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH. In 2019, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra will perform Roberson’s recently recorded, “God Is My Refuge” and “Trust In The Lord” at the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

Roberson’s personal website and resources can be accessed here.

Carolyn Moomaw Chilton

Carolyn Moomaw Chilton writes and blogs as a spiritual discipline and an invitation to conversation with others. She a leadership development coach with clergy, clergy spouses and lay employees, as well as a spiritual director. She also works as a consultant with churches and vestries in the areas of formation, development and evangelism. She can be contacted through www.episcopalevangelist.com

Wendell Glick

Wendell is a composer, choir director, and music educator, with a particular interest in contemporary hymnody and choral music. He holds degrees in music composition from Wilfrid Laurier University (BMus), the University of Toronto (MMus) and Western University (PhD), and is a life member of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.  Wendell’s compositions and choral arrangements have been performed by middle school, high school, college, community and touring ensembles in more than 20 states and provinces, as well as in Ireland, England, Scotland, Poland and Jamaica.  In addition to his music work, he enjoys model trains, tree houses, aviation, rainy days, and life with his best friend Janelle and their four lively children.

Rylan A. Harris

Min. Rylan Harris is Minister of Worship & Arts at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia while he pursues a Master of Religious Leadership with a concentration in Music and Worship at Candler School of Theology. He is a graduate of Hampton University in Virginia and remains active with the Hampton Ministers Conference each June.

Felicia Patton

Felicia Patton is a lifelong Chicago native and worship leader at Urban Village Church. Felicia received an undergraduate degree from North Park University followed by two graduate degrees from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

David Bjorlin

David Bjorlin is a worship pastor at Resurrection Covenant Church (Chicago), a lecturer in worship at North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago), and a hymnwriter.

Ginny Chilton Maxwell

Ginny Chilton Maxwell is Music Minister at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hampton, VA.

Adam Perez

Adam Perez is a doctoral student in liturgical studies at Duke Divinity School.

Rosa Cándida Ramírez

Rosa Cándida Ramírez is the Worship Pastor of La Fuente Ministries, an intercultural, intergenerational bilingual ministry in Pasadena, California.

David Calvert

David Calvert is the Creative Arts Director for Grace Community Church in rural North Carolina, and a PhD graduate in Theology and Worship from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Cristen Renee Mitchell

Cristen Mitchell is a native of Draper, Virginia and currently lives in Christiansburg with her husband, Brandon and daughter, Anna. She is the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Blacksburg United Methodist Church in Blacksburg, VA. At “BUM-C” she oversees the music ministry and works with a variety of choral and instrumental ensembles in leading worship. She is an assistant director for the Blacksburg Children’s Chorale, and president of the Professional Choir The Voices of Appalachia. Cristen is a Doctor of Pastoral Music Candidate at Southern Methodist University, holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from James Madison University, a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Radford University, and a Church Music Certificate from Virginia Wesleyan College. Cristen frequently travels with her choirs to perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall, and she has been a soloist on stage at the Lincoln Center. She was the 2018 recipient of the John & Mary Virginia Foncannon Choral Conducting/Sacred Music Scholarship, and the 2019 recipient of the John & Mary Foncannon Choral Conducting/Coaching Scholarship.

Matthew Boutda

Matthew Boutda is a conductor, organist, and singer from Toronto, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Sacred Music degree from the University of Toronto. Currently, he is pursuing his Master of Music in Literature and Performance, studying
choral conducting with Mark Ramsay at the University of Western in London, Ontario.

With a passion and desire for choral music, Matthew is delighted to be a part of the rich music program as Director of Music at Leaside United Church, in Toronto. Here, he plays the organ, conducts, and oversees the Leaside Chancel Choir, Junior Choir, and C-Flats Youth Jazz Band.

As a conductor, Matthew has been the Assistant Conductor of Pax Christi Chorale, one of Canada’s finest oratorio choirs in Toronto for the past three years.

Recently, Matthew helped to form the Uniting Voices Collective. This is a group of musicians that are dedicated to sustaining community through shared song during this time of physical distancing. Uniting Voices Collective has provided and continues to provide interactive virtual sessions that inform and uplift choristers, directors and musicians.

Anneli Loepp Thiessen

Anneli Loepp Thiessen is a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Music Research program at the University of Ottawa, where her studies with Dr. Jada Watson promote an interdisciplinary musicological approach to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the contemporary worship music industry. Anneli is the co-director of the Anabaptist Worship Network, and was a committee member for the new Mennonite hymnal, Voices Together. She holds her ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, a graduate diploma in Arts Management from Queen’s University, and was named a Yamaha Fellow of the Eastman Leadership Academy in 2020. She enjoys writing music for worship, guiding youth in uncovering their song leading abilities, and helping communities consider how their congregational song can be more inclusive.

Brett Pardue

Brett Pardue proudly serves as Minister of Music and Outreach at Rolesville Baptist Church, where he shepherds a variety of musical ensembles, coordinates the church’s community outreach, and assists in pastoral duties.

Prior to joining the staff at RBC, Brett shared his passion for worship as a church musician for congregations in North Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. During his time in the Northeast, Brett held the title of Sametz Artist-in-Residence at Lehigh University, acting as lecturer for introductory voice and voice pedagogy classes, instructor of private voice study, and tenor soloist for the Department of Music. Brett has held additional positions at Rowan University and the University of Georgia.

Brett has completed graduate studies at the esteemed Westminster Choir College and the Princeton Theological Seminary, and he holds degrees from Mars Hill College and the University of Georgia. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree through the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.

As a performer, Brett has been blessed with solo performances at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Cincinnati Opera, as well as internationally in Italy, Canada, Austria, and as an ambassador in Japan for Project Hand-in-Hand: an international music exchange designed to support disaster relief efforts. He holds awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the Bel Canto Institute of Florence, Italy.

Megan Mash

Megan Mash began serving as the Music Minister at Sebastian United Methodist Church in August 2010. She attended Simpson College in Indianola, IA and graduated summa cum laude earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Religion. In May 2010 Megan graduated magna cum laude with a Master’s of Sacred Music with a concentration in organ from Perkins School of Theology at SMU. Here she studied with Larry Palmer, David R. Davidson, Julie Scott and Michael Hawn and Christopher Anderson. She served as Dean of the Treasure Coast Chapter of AGO for the 2017-2018 season.

Slats Toole

Slats Toole is a musician, writer, educator, preacher and theater director/sound designer based in Minneapolis, MN. They are an active member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and have had formative experience in Baptist (CBF and Alliance), United Methodist, Episcopal, and Reformed churches.  They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a Master of Divinity and Certificate in Theology, Women and Gender from Princeton Theological Seminary.  They serve on the Friends of NEXT Church team, and are the resident sound designer for the In[heir]itance Project.

Slats’ Lenten poetry series has been compiled in the collection Queering Lent, and their work has also been published in “History of Hymns”, Call to Worship, Sacramental Life, and The Presbyterian Outlook. They have been a featured guest artist with A Sanctified Art. Slats has led workshops on expansive language and queer theology (with a particular emphasis on gender identity) throughout the United States and Canada.  Slats’ work centers around creating space in the church where all are welcomed, embraced, and loved.

Joslyn Henderson

Joslyn Henderson is a full-time graduate student at Truett Seminary and Baylor School of Music, having first earned her Bachelors of Vocal Performance from Spelman College in Atlanta.  She is a prolific gospel singer and worship leader. In addition, Joslyn is also an active member of the Waco Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.