Mykayla Turner is a Master of Sacred Music student attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Under the direction of Dr. Marcell Silva Steuernagel, her thesis research focuses on the role of music in rural congregations. Mykayla has completed graduate coursework at Conrad Grebel University College and Southern Methodist University in both theological studies and church music. She is an active church musician and liturgist in both Mennonite and ecumenical contexts. In 2023, Mykayla obtained her A.C.C.M. in Piano Performance.
Shannan Baker is a postdoctoral fellow in music and digital humanities at Baylor University, where she recently finished her Ph.D. in Church Music (2022). Her research interests focus on contemporary worship. She studies the theology and content of the lyrics, the music of the songs, the worship music industry, and how contemporary worship is used in the church. While her current role focuses on research, she searches for ways to connect that research practically to the church. Recently, she received the Vital Worship Teacher-Scholar grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship which allowed her to start the contemporary worship training workshops for the Church Music program at Baylor.
While Shannan currently lives in Waco, Texas, she is originally from Michigan. She received her B.A. in Music (Worship Arts) from Cornerstone University (2016), and an M.A. in Worship (2018) and Th.M. with a concentration in worship (2019) from Calvin Theological Seminary. Also in Grand Rapids, she served as the worship director for Monroe Community Church for three years. Currently, she volunteers at her local church where she leads worship and plays various instruments including drums, keys, acoustic guitar, and bass.
After obtaining her first and second bachelor degrees in Translation and Chinese (HKPU), and Music (CUHK) respectively and worked in music related work in the government and later in the church in Hong Kong, Yvette Lau furthered her study at Calvin Theological Seminary for M. A. in Worship (2008-2010). She served as a worship pastor in Hong Kong for several years after her graduation at Calvin. She also served as one of the executive committee members of the Hong Kong Hymn Society from 2011-2017. She served at the Worship Committee for the CMA Church Union of HK from 2006-2021. In 2017, she founded Anabas Ministry which is an organization for worship renewal and started to work as a freelancer for worship related ministries including consultancy work. Her passion lies in choral conducting, song writing, hymn translation from English to Cantonese (main translator for New Youth Hymns), event organization, translation of books on worship including The Art of Worship, Beyond the Worship Wars, The Worship Architect, and Glory to God, and training and teaching on worship. She has been the guest instructor on Worship for Alliance Bible Seminary, China Graduate School of Theology, Bethel Bible Seminary, and Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary. She is now pursuing Doctor of Pastoral Music at Perkins, SMU under the direction and supervision of Prof. C. Michael Hawn.
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.
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 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.
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.
