Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 25-27, 2007

Presenters' biographies

James Abbington, professor of music and worship at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; executive editor of the GIA African American Sacred Music Series; and author of several books on music and worship in the African American tradition.

Jane Anderson, recently retired organist and director of music at the First Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas, where she directed nine of the church's 15 choirs; she has directed over 75 handbell workshops and festivals throughout the United States. She also teaches handbells in the Masters in Church Music program at the University of Kansas.

Roy Anker, professor of English at Calvin College and author of Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies (Eerdmans, 2004).

Jeff Barker, chair of the department of theatre and speech as well as playwright in residence at Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa, where he has helped build a nationally recognized theatre department.

Robert Batastini, recently retired vice president and senior editor for GIA Publications, Inc., with over forty years of experience in pastoral music ministry.

Carol Bechtel, professor of Old Testament at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan, and widely known for her Kerygma Bible studies. Her most recent work is Life After Grace: Daily Reflections on the Bible (Westminster John Knox Press, 2003).

Nathan Bierma, communications and research coordinator for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, writer of the weekly column "On Language" for the Chicago Tribune, contributing editor to BOOKS & CULTURE, and author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth: Connecting This Life to the Next (P&R, 2005).

Thomas A. Boogaart, professor of Old Testament and director of the doctor of ministry program at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan.

Joyce Borger, editor of Reformed Worship, music and liturgy editor at Faith Alive Christian Resources, and program manager of resource projects at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

Carl Bosma, professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary; each summer he teaches in Brazil at various schools, including Seminário Servo de Cristo and the Andrew Jumper Center for Post-Graduate Studies in Theology of Mackenzie University, both in São Paulo, and the Presbyterian Seminary of the South in the city of Campinas.

Horace Boyer, professor of music (emeritus) at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and a legend in the field of Black gospel music; he was editor of Lift Every Voice and Sing: An African American Hymnal (1993), and author of The Golden Age of Gospel (Champaign: University of Illinois, 2000; Music in American Life Series). [Due to illness, Horace Boyer is not able to attend the symposium this year.]

Mary Louise Bringle, professor of philosophy and religion and chair of the humanities division at Brevard (North Carolina) College; two of her collections of hymn texts are published: Joy and Wonder, Love and Longing (GIA, 2002), and In Wind and Wonder (GIA, forthcoming).

Emily R. Brink, senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, editor of three hymnals, and co-editor of The Worship Sourcebook (2004); she recently retired as editor of Reformed Worship, a position she held for the past twenty years.

Frank Burch Brown, professor of religion and the arts at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana, and the author of four books, including Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in Religious Life (Oxford, 2000).

W. Dale Brown, professor of English at Calvin College; in his courses in creative writing and contemporary American fiction, he is particularly interested in stories that preach. He has published a collection of interviews, Of Faith and Fiction (Eerdmans, 1997), and a critical biography of Frederick Buechner, The Book of Buechner (Westminster John Knox Press, forthcoming).

Steve Burger, director of children and family ministries for the Evangelical Covenant Church, Chicago, Illinois.

Randall Bytwerk, professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College; he is particularly interested in rhetorical skills and the art of persuasion.

Joel Carpenter, director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity and of the Seminars in Christian Scholarship at Calvin College. He is author of Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism (Oxford University Press, 1999) and co-editor of The Changing Face of Christianity: Africa, the West, and the World (Oxford University Press, 2005).

Peter Y. Choi, pastor of Cornerstone Christian Reformed Church, an emerging congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Nathan Cole, a design consultant and project manager for Sound Planning Communications, a firm in southeast Michigan that specializes in sound, video, lighting, and acoustics, in order to provide design concepts and implement customized solutions for their needs.

John Cooper, professor of philosophical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary; his recent writing on the providence of God and the problem of evil has many implications for preaching.

Joan Cornelison, director for pastoral services, Hope Network, West Michigan, which has a large number of services to enhance the dignity and independence of persons who have a disability and/or are disadvantaged; her work is to connect clients to churches where all can grow in love and ministry with and for each other.

Ellen Davis, professor of Bible and practical theology at Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina and author of Wondrous Depth: Preaching the Old Testament (Westminster John Knox, 2005).

Phil de Haan, director of media relations at Calvin College, a post he has held for the last decade. He acts as a conduit between the many good stories happening at Calvin and the local, state, and national media who cover such topics as higher education and religion.

Lisa De Boer, associate profesor of art history at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California.

Heidi S. De Jonge, pastor for discernment at Calvin Theological Seminary. Her work includes creating relational systems to help individuals in discerning a calling to ministry, providing resources to advise individuals throughout the process, and working with various schools, churches and organizations to encourage people to consider ministry as a vocation.

Dean Deppe, professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, with a particular interest in the function and purpose of commonly identified hymns in the New Testament.

Norma de Waal Malefyt, resource development specialist for congregational song at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and co-author of Designing Worship Together: Models and Strategies for Worship Planning (Alban Institute, 2005).

Todd Farley, former director of the Institute of Dramatic Arts, the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts, Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California; he just accepted an appointment to the Communication Arts and Sciences department of Calvin College.

Susan Felch, professor of English at Calvin College, with particular interest in 16th century British literature; she has also written and lectured often on the intersections of religion, literature, and literary theory.

John Ferguson, professor of organ and church music and minister of music to the student congregation at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and widely published composer of church music.

Paul Fields, curator of the H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary.

Dennis Fleisher, an acoustics consultant and designer for worship spaces for over 25 years, including over 250 churches and chapels and 25 cathedrals, and author of many articles on the complex demands for acoustics in worship spaces, including speech, organ, and congregational song. His formal training and degrees are in music performance, music education, physics and acoustics.

David Fuentes, professor of theory and composition at Calvin College, and a composer of solo, chamber, orchestral, and film music. His “Passacaglia on the Emmaus Road" was commissioned by the CICW and performed at the January 2001 Symposium.

Doug Gay, lecturer in practical theology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland; former pastor of an inner-city Reformed congregation in London; song writer and worship leader at large conferences, including the Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival; and co-author of Alternative Worship: Resources from and for the Emerging Church (Baker, 2004).

Keith and Kristyn Getty, Irish composers of new songs for worship; Keith's hymns, such as "In Christ Alone" (co-written with Stuart Townend) are sung in churches throughout the world. Kristyn has co-written many songs with her husband Keith, including "Higher Throne." She is particularly passionate about teaching children the Christian faith though music.

Darwin Glassford, associate professor of church education at Calvin Theological Seminary, and book review editor for the Journal of Youth Ministry. He is intrigued by the confluence created when young people, cultural forces, tradition and faith issues intersect, and the guidance a Reformed biblical theology provides for addressing the issues raised.

Betsy Steele Halstead, an artist who works in oils and printmaking (woodcuts) and author/artist of Visuals for Worship (Faith Alive Christian Resources, CICW, 2006; with CD-ROM). She coordinates the visual arts work of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and serves as continuing education events manager for Calvin Theological Seminary.

Jaco Hamman, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan, and the author of When Steeples Cry: Leading Congregations through Loss and Change (Pilgrim Press, 2005).

Linda Witte Henke, an award-winning textile artist specializing in work that is spiritually-expressive and/or purposed for liturgical use. She has exhibited her art in Europe, Asia, and throughout the U.S. Having pastored two congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Linda also provides worship-space consultations, leads workshops, and facilitates retreats. She is author of Marking Time: Christian Ritual for All Our Days (Morehouse Publishing, 2001).

Scott E. Hoezee, director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary, co-editor of Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought, and former pastor of several churches. His latest books are Remember Creation: God's World of Wonder and Delight (Eerdmans, 2006) and Proclaim the Wonder: Preaching Science on Sunday (Baker, 2003).

Roy Hopp, director of music at Woodlawn Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and director of the Calvin Theological Seminary Choir; he is a composer of more than 80 anthems and hymn tunes published by GIA, Selah, and others.

Eric O. Jacobsen, author of Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith, an ordained pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA), currently a doctoral student and adjunct faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California.

Bob Kauflin, director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries and pastor of music and worship at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He was formerly a writer/arranger for the Christian group GLAD, and now trains pastors and church musicians in areas related to music and worship.

Reggie Kidd, professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida, and author of With One Voice: Discovering Christ's Song in Our Worship (Baker, 2005).

Steven Koster, English language ministry leader for The Back to God Hour in Chicago, where he is responsible for both North American and International English broadcast programming. He is an ordained minister in the CRC and also has a graduate degree in telecommunication.

Kimberly Bracken Long, associate for worship for the Presbyterian Church (USA); an ordained pastor, she has served congregations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as adjunct faculty in the areas of worship and preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and is currently editor of Call to Worship, the quarterly worship journal of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Christina Mandang, professor of church music and choir director at Jakarta Theological Seminary in Indonesia. She also is coordinator of the church music program for the Indonesian Institute for Sacred Music (Yamuger), and organist and music director of Paulus Church in Jakarta.

Stanley Mast, pastor of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Alice Mathews, distinguished professor emerita of educational ministries and women's ministries at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, widely known for her participation in the daily Bible-teaching radio program, Discover the Word, and author of several books, including Preaching That Speaks to Women (Baker, 2003).

Pedrito Maynard-Reid, vice president for spiritual life and mission, Walla Walla College, College Place, Washington, and author of Diverse Worship: African American, Caribbean, & Hispanic Perspectives (InterVarsity Press, 2000).

Tony McNeill, minister of music and arts at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina. [Due to a family emergency, Tony McNeill is not able to attend the symposium this year.]

Joel Navarro, associate professor of music at Calvin College; prior to this appointment, he taught choral music and conducting at the University of the Philippines and also at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music in Manila. He is known internationally as the former Music Director and Conductor of the Ateneo de Manila University Glee Club which has amassed a string of top prizes during the last 20 years in choral competitions in Europe.

Rory Noland, director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to turning teams of church artists into communities of grace; and author of The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide for You and Your Ministry Team (Zondervan, 1999; recently translated into Polish) and Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help for You and Your Ministry Team (Willow Creek Association, 2004). A third book, The Worshiping Artist, will be released in spring 2007.

Robert Nordling, co-director of Christian formation at Calvin College and conductor of the Orchestra and Alumni Orchestra. Prior to his appointment at Calvin he was the founder and music director of the Bay Chamber Symphony Orchestra in San Francisco. Robert also served for 14 years as Minister of Worship at First Presbyterian Church San Mateo, California.

Hughes Oliphant Old, dean of the Institute for Reformed Worship, Erskine Seminary, and author of many books on worship, including Worship: Reformed According to Scripture (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2002).

Toon Overvoorde, a Dutch teacher of floral design with a particular interest in liturgical floral arrangements that reflect the colors and symbols of the Christian year.

Roy Palavicini, pastor of Hispanic ministry at All Nations Church, a large multicultural ministry in Lake View Terrace, California; he has experience as a cross-cultural missionary in Costa Rica and Peru, and has a graduate degree in ethnomusicology from Fuller Seminary.

Cornelius J. Plantinga, Jr., president and professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary; his most recent book is Discerning the Spirits: A Guide to Thinking about Christian Worship Today (Eerdmans, 2003), co-authored with Sue Rozeboom.

Bert Polman, senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and chair of the music department at Calvin College, with a research specialty in Christian hymnody; he served on the committees for five different hymnals.

Stephen Breck Reid, academic dean and professor of Old Testament, Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Indiana, and author of Psalms and Practice: Worship, Virtue, and Authority (Liturgical Press, 2001).

David Reimer, a violinist and associate professor of music at Calvin College, teaching violin, chamber music, string methods and music appreciation.

Debra Rienstra, professor of English at Calvin College and author of several books, including a forthcoming book on language in worship (Eerdmans). Her latest book is So Much More: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality (Jossey-Bass, 2005).

Ron Rienstra, Brehm Fellow and doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, studying theology, worship and culture. He is currently living in Grand Rapids and teaching homiletics at Western Theological Seminary. He is the author of Ten Service Plans for Contemporary Worship, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (Faith Alive Resources, 2002, 2006) and a frequent contributor to Reformed Worship.

Paul Ryan, resource development specialist for worship teams for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the coordinator for Christian Formation through Worship at Calvin College.

Charsie Randolph Sawyer is professor of music at Calvin College, where she teaches voice and directs the Gospel Choir.

Greg Scheer, minister of worship at Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and music associate at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. He is a published composer of worship songs as well as author of The Art of Worship: A Musician's Guide to Leading Modern Worship (Baker Books, 2006), among other writings.

David Schuringa, president of Crossroad Bible Institute (CBI), an international discipleship ministry for prisoners. CBI equips church members to disciple prison inmates in over 60 countries in faith-based re-entry educational programs.

Christopher R. Smit, professor in the Communication Arts and Sciences department of Calvin College,
teaching mass media, including television, gender and sexuality, and popular music. His co-edited
Screening Disability: Essays on Cinema and Disability (University Press of America) was the first book
to be published on the topic of film and disability. His article "A New and Beautiful Design"
(Perspectives, January 2006) focuses on faith and disability. He is also a published singer/songwriter
whose latest CD is The New Midwest (2006).

Laura Smit, associate professor of religion and dean of the chapel at Calvin College. Her areas of academic interest include the doctrine of God, theological aesthetics, and medieval philosophical theology; she is currently working on a book on a Reformed theology of beauty. She is ordained in both the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

Kathy Smith, director of continuing education at Calvin Theological Seminary and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, project director for the Making Connections Initiative at Calvin Theological Seminary, and author of Stilling the Storm: Worship and Congregational Leadership in Difficult Times (Alban Institute, 2006).

Pablo Sosa, a minister and composer of songs sung around the world; he is professor emeritus of liturgy and hymnology at the Protestant Institute for Higher Theological Studies (ISEDET) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Carl Stam, director of the Institute for Christian Worship, and associate professor in the School of Church Music and Worship, at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He serves as the minister of music at Clifton Baptist Church.

Calvin Stapert, professor of music at Calvin College, and author of A New Song for an Old World: Musical Thought in the Early Church (Eerdmans, forthcoming) and My Only Comfort: Death, Deliverance, and Discipleship in the Music of Bach (Eerdmans, 2000).

Carrie Steenwyk, research associate at CICW; she also helps develop the CICW website through writing and editing resources.

Joel Tanis, an artist from Holland, Michigan; his art is found in many books for children, including the NIrV Kids Study Bible (Zondervan); his latest projects include illustrating a kids' book written by Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay and creating a children's television show to inspire and model creativity called "Come On Over."

Mark Thallander, a freelance organist and adjunct professor of music at Glendale College. He served as assistant director of music at The Crystal Cathedral for 18 years and on the music faculty of Vanguard University. Currently a member of Fuller Seminary's organ committee and organ editor for the Fred Bock Music Company, and widely regarded as an expert in the field of organ in blended worship.

Mark Torgerson, professor of worship arts, Judson College, Elgin, Illinois, and author of the forthcoming An Architecture of Immanence: Architecture for Worship and Ministry Today (Eerdmans).

Laura Truax, senior minister of the LaSalle Street Church, Chicago, Illinois, and teaching pastor at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Howard Vanderwell, resource development specialist for pastoral leadership at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, adjunct professor of worship at Calvin Theological Seminary, and co-author of Designing Worship Together: Models and Strategies for Worship Planning (Alban, 2005); he served in the pastoral/preaching ministry in four congregations.

Paul Westermeyer, professor of church music, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, and author of several books, most recently Let the People Sing: Hymn Tunes in Perspective (GIA, 2005).

Phyllis Vos Wezeman, director of Christian nurture at First Presbyterian Church, South Bend, Indiana, and prolific author and presenter of church education curricula and worship resources; she recently has developed and taught a worship curriculum in Malawi.

Michael Williams, professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, and author of The Prophet and His Message: Reading Old Testament Prophecy Today (P&R Publishing, 2003) and Deception in Genesis: An Investigation into the Morality of a Unique Biblical Phenomenon (Peter Lang, 2001).

Jeffrey Wilson, professor of music and director of choral studies at Greenville (Illinois) College. He also serves as organist and choir director at the Greenville Free Methodist Church. He will be attending with the Greenville College Choir, a touring choir with a widespread reputation for performing sacred choral music of the highest quality.

Paul Scott Wilson, professor of homiletics at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto since 1981. He is past president of the Academy of Homiletics and leads workshops, preaches and lectures widely in North America and Europe. He has written numerous books on the subject of preaching.

John D. Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and associate professor of music and worship at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. He is author of The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources (Eerdmans, 2007), Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice (Baker Academic, 2003), and co-editor of The Worship Sourcebook (Faith Alive Christian Resources, Baker Books, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, 2004).

Anne Zaki, resource development specialist for global and multi-cultural resources at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. She moved here from Cairo, Egypt, where she was involved in youth ministry at Heliopolis International Church and at an Arabic-speaking congregation.

Pat Zandstra, Formation for Ministry Specialist at Calvin Theological Seminary, and a spiritual director.

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