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Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 24-26, 2008

Presenters' biographies

A growing list of confirmed presenters...Also see presenters' books.

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.

Michael Abma, co-pastor of Woodlawn Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Mariano Avila, professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, Bible translator into Spanish, and former pastor. He has two PhD’s, one in hermeneutics (Westminster, 1996), and another in the social sciences from Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco, México (2006) on the relations between evangelical churches and the Mexican State.

Kenneth E. Bailey, Presbyterian pastor, author, and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament Studies; Canon Theologian of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh; and Research Professor of New Testament at the Ecumenical Institute (Tantur) in Jerusalem (Emeritus). Dr. Bailey spent more than 40 years living and teaching in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem, and Cypress. He has published 8 books and over 150 articles, written scripts for two feature-length professionally produced films, and produced four plays; his works have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Dorothy Bass, director of the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People of Faith, and author and co-editor of several books, including Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time (2000); Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life (2002); Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens (2002); and Leading Lives That Matter: What We Should Do and Who We Should Be (2006).

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).

John Bolt, professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Joyce Borger, editor of Reformed Worship, and worship and music editor at Faith Alive Christian Resources.

Ruth Boven, minister of pastoral care at Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

James Bratt, professor of history at Calvin College, and adjunct professor in the doctoral program at Calvin Theological Seminary, with a focus on American religious, intellectual, colonial, and early national history; his most recent book is Antirevivalism in Antebellum America: A Collection of Religious Voices (Rutgers University Press, 2006).

Susan Briehl, a Lutheran pastor, an associate with the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People in Faith, and Affiliative Distinguished Professor for the Art of Ministry at Wartburg Seminary. Her writings include Come, Lord Jesus: Devotions for the Home: Advent, Christmas and Epiphany; Turn My Heart: A Sacred Journey from Brokenness to Healing (with Marty Haugen), and several liturgical and hymn texts.

Michael Card, best known for his songs and Scripture studies; he has released 30 albums, written 15 books, and teaches and leads Bible studies and conferences. His recent emphasis has been on lament, including: A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament (NavPress, 2005); the recording The Hidden Face of God (DHM, 2006), a collection of songs of lament based on his study of the psalms and Job; The Hidden Face of God: Finding the Missing Door to the Father through Lament (NavPress, 2007), a 60-day devotional journey exploring the lost language of lament that guides readers through the words of Jesus, Job, the Psalms and more.

Anthony Carter, assistant pastor at Southwest Christian Fellowship in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an organizing member of the Council of Reforming Churches, author of On Being Black and Reformed: A New Perspective on the African-American Christian Experience (P&R Publishing, 2003), and editor of the soon-to-be-published book Experiencing the Truth: Bringing the Reformation to the African-American Church (Crossway Books, 2008).

Steven Caton, director of worship and the arts at Covenant Life Church, Grand Haven, Michigan.

Vikki Cook, an experienced vocalist serving vocalists and worship teams for over 20 years, by helping singers to use their God-given instrument to worship God without strain and without distraction. Her desire is to help vocalists serve their churches more effectively by giving them the tools they need to free up their voices and their hearts to worship God in spirit and in truth. Vikki, with her husband, Steve, are based in Orlando, Florida, and are active members of Metro Life Church, a part of the Sovereign Grace Ministries family of churches.

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.

Janel Curry, Dean for Research and Scholarship, Office of the Provost, Calvin College; she is also part of a working group of scholars attempting to explore at greater depths the relationship among theology, social structures, and the earth.

David A. Davis, pastor of Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author of A Kingdom We Can Taste: Sermons for the Church Year (Eerdmans, 2007).

Gerrit Dawson, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and author of Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ’s Continuing Incarnation (2004). His most recent books are Discovering Jesus: Awakening to God (2007) and An Introduction to Torrance Theology (2007, editor).

Lisa De Boer, associate professor 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.

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).

Edward Doemland, church organist, jazz pianist, and retired chemistry teacher. In the 1970s, when Episcopal church members asked for folk-mass services, he found that his piano-playing pushed the music from folk-style to jazz-style. Since then, he has planned and led services with guest jazz musicians once or twice every year.

Fred P. Edie, assistant professor of the practice of Christian education, Duke University Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina, and director of the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation. His most recent book is Book, Bath, Table, and Time: Christian Worship as Source and Resource for Youth Ministry (Pilgrim Press, 2007).

Todd Farley, former director of the Institute of Dramatic Arts, the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts, Fuller Seminary, and currently on the faculty of the Communication Arts and Sciences department at Calvin College, where he teaches rhetoric and physical theatre/mime. He also continues to travel the world as a performer and the founding-leader of Mimeistry.

John Ferguson, professor of organ and church music and minister of music to the student congregation at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and director of the St. Olaf Cantorei; he is also a published composer of many choral and organ compositions.

Makoto Fujimura, an artist based in New York City, with degrees both from the US and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and a member of the presidentially-appointed National Council on the Arts. He is the founder/creative director of International Arts Movement (www.iamny.org). His paintings are exhibited around the US and Japan and are known for themes of hope, healing, redemption, and refuge.

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).

Marnie Giesbrecht, professor of organ at the University of Alberta, co-director of music at First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, Alberta, and a concert artist, performing internationally both as a solo organist as well as with Duo Majoya, an organ/piano duo. She is co-chair of the national convention of the 2007 Royal Canadian College of Organists.

W. Hulitt Gloer, professor of preaching and Christian Scripture, Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, visiting professor of law at Baylor Law School, and author of several books.

Mike Graves, William K. McElvaney Visiting Professor of Preaching and Director of Continuing Education, Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri; Regional Minister of Preaching for the Greater Kansas City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and editor of What’s the Matter With Preaching Today? (Westminster John Knox, 2004) and Craddock Stories (Chalice, 2001). He is author of The Sermon as Symphony: Preaching the Literary Forms of the New Testament (Judson, 1997), and co-author of Preaching Matthew: Interpretation and Proclamation (Chalice, 2007) and The Fully Alive Preacher (Westminster John Knox, 2006).

Betty Grit, program manager of the Worship Renewal Grants Program of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

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

Marty Haugen, composer of liturgical music with over 400 published compositions. For the past 25 years he has led worship and workshops across North America, Europe, the Pacific Rim, Asia, and Central America, to those interested in worship renewal.

Scott E. Hoezee, director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary, editor of Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought, and former pastor of several congregations. His latest books are Proclaim the Wonder: Engaging Science on Sunday (Baker, 2003) and Grace Through Every Generation: The Ongoing Story of the Christian Reformed Church (Faith Alive, 2006).

Andrew Holmes, a Methodist minister in the Ryton & Prudhoe Circuit near Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. Before entering the ministry he worked in both broadcast television production and forensic video analysis. He is currently in the DMin program at Durham University, Department of Theology, where he is researching the use of visual media technology in worship.

Mary Hulst, newly appointed assistant professor of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary. She was a local pastor for eight years before completing a PhD in communication ethics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Trygve David Johnson, Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel at Hope College, Holland, Michigan.

Bethany Keeley, a PhD student in speech communication at the University of Georgia; her master’s thesis, entitled "Buy This Faith: Rhetorics of Consumer Spirituality and Alternatives in Religious Practice," examined ways worship can encourage or resist consumer attitudes.

Robert Keeley, professor of education at Calvin College where he teaches courses in educational psychology and religious education in the elementary classroom, and author of Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Kids (Baker, 2008). With his wife, Laura, he directs children’s ministries at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan.

Arie C. Leder, Martin J. Wyngaarden Senior Professor in Old Testament Studies at Calvin Theological Seminary

Jorge Lockward, director of global ministries for the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, and director of Cantico Nuevo, a New York City area choir of musicians from Spanish-speaking congregations.

Jeanne Logan, an artist specializing in drawings and fiber, teaches design at Indiana University; she received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Notre Dame. She works with her hand dyed silks to create intricate and rich works of art. Her large fiber commissions are found in hospitals, churches, chapels, and have been exhibited in Europe and the United States. Examples can be viewed at www.jeannelogan.com.

Ron Man, director of Worship Resources International, a division of Greater Europe Mission. He teaches on the biblical foundations of worship in Bible schools, seminaries and churches across Europe, as well as in the U.S., the Middle East, and Africa. He is author of Proclamation and Praise: Hebrews 2:12 and the Christology of Worship (Wipf & Stock, 2007), also heads up several worship networks, has a website with extensive resources and links, and produces the free online worship newsletter Worship Notes (www.worr.org).

Shelley Marinus, a clinical social worker at Pine Rest Christian Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance therapy as well as social work; she has led numerous workshops in liturgical dance.

Gerardo Marti, assistant professor of sociology at Davidson College, an ordained pastor, and Congregational Studies Team Fellow as part of the Engaged Scholars Project funded by the Lilly Foundation. He is author of A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church (Indiana University Press, 2005) and Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church (Rutgers University Press, 2008). His current research explores worship music as a means to accomplish racial diversity in churches.

Tim McCarthy, associate director of student ministries for chapel programs and instructor in worship studies at Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia.

Walt Mueller, founder and president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU), a nonprofit organization committed to building strong families by serving to bridge the cultural-generational gap between parents and teenagers. His latest book is Youth Culture 101 (Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2007).

Joel Navarro, associate professor of music at Calvin College, formerly assistant professor of choral music and conducting at the University of the Philippines and 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 that has won several top prizes the last 20 years in choral competitions in Europe.

Robert Nordling conducts the Calvin College Orchestra, Calvin Alumni Orchestra, and teaches music history, conducting, and music and worship; he is also on staff of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Along with his expertise in standard symphonic literature, his areas of interest include instrumental liturgical music, worship design, leadership across a broad spectrum of traditions and styles, and Christian discipleship.

Gerardo Oberman, general secretary (1998-2007) for the Reformed Churches in Argentina, with particular interest in liturgical issues; he is a pastor, liturgist, musician, composer, creator and coordinator of La Red Crearte (www.redcrearte.org.ar), and has written on the history of the Dutch Reformed Church in Argentina.

Richard N. Ostling, freelance journalist, recently retired after eight years as a religion writer with The Associated Press. Previously, he spent 29 years with Time magazine as the religion writer and a traveling correspondent, and also broadcast religion reports for CBS Radio and PBS's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

Michael Pasquarello II, Granger E. and Anna A. Fisher Professor of Preaching, Asbury Theological Seminary; previous pastor, North Carolina Conference, the United Methodist Church; author of Christian Preaching: A Trinitarian Theology of Proclamation (Baker Academic, 2006) and Narrative Reading, Narrative Preaching: Reuniting New Testament Interpretation and Christian Proclamation (Baker Academic, 2003), and co-editor of Sacred Rhetoric: Preaching as a Theological and Pastoral Practice of the Church (Eerdmans, 2005).

John Steven Paul, program director, The Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts at Valparaiso University, where he is also professor of theatre and director of Soul Purpose, a liturgical drama troupe.

Cornelius J. Plantinga, Jr., president and Charles W. Colson 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, chair of the music department at Calvin College, and senior research fellow for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, with a research specialty in hymnology; he served on the committees for five different hymnals, and has just begun work on a sixth one. One of his interests is the music and art associated with the Song of Mary (Magnificat).

Debra Rienstra, associate professor of English at Calvin College. She is the author of So Much More: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality (Jossey-Bass, 2005) and Great with Child: On Becoming a Mother (Tarcher, 2003). She and her husband Ron are co-authors of Worship Words, a forthcoming book (Baker, 2009) aimed at giving pastors and worship leaders the tools to use language well in prayers, songs, sermons, and all of worship.

Ron Rienstra, an ordained pastor and PhD candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is currently teaching worship and homiletics at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan. He is the author of Ten Service Plans for Contemporary Worship, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (Faith Alive Resources, 2002, 2006), a frequent contributor to Reformed Worship, and co-author with his wife Debra of the forthcoming book Worship Words, to be published by Baker.

Mark Roeda, pastor at Campus Chapel, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Bob Rognlien, senior pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Torrance, California, and author of Experiential Worship (NavPress, 2005; www.experientialworship.com).

John Rottman, associate professor of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Lester Ruth, Lily May Jarvis Professor of Christian Worship at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky and professor of worship history in the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. He has served multiple United Methodist churches in his home state of Texas.

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

David Rylaarsdam, professor of church history at Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a particular interest in the history of worship, spirituality, and biblical interpretation.

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.

Calvin Seerveld, senior member of philosophical aesthetics, emeritus, at the Institute of Christian Studies, Toronto, and past co-chair of the Canadian Society for Aesthetics. His latest book is Voicing God’s Psalms (Eerdmans, 2005; includes audio CD).

Joachim Segger, professor of music at the King’s University College, co-director of music at First Presbyterian Church, both in Edmonton, Alberta, concert pianist, improviser, and organist as well with Duo Majoya, an organ/piano duo. He is co-chair of the National Convention of the 2007 Royal Canadian College of Organists.

Laura Smit, professor of religion and dean of the chapel at Calvin College, where she helps oversee the chapel program and the integration of faith and learning at the college.

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).

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

Mark Stephenson, director of disability concerns for the Christian Reformed Church; he is an ordained minister who served as a parish pastor for seventeen years and is father of Nicole, who is severely and multiply impaired.

Tom Trenney, director of music ministries at First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Michigan, and artistic director of Many Voices...One Song, a community-focused music outreach organization. He has served as performer and presenter for regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.

Cynthia Uitermarkt, chair of the sacred music department at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois, a lecturer on church music, and a pianist with particular interest in vocal accompanying.

Howard Vanderwell, resource development specialist for pastoral leadership at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, adjunct professor of worship at Calvin Theological Seminary, co-author of Designing Worship Together: Models and Strategies for Worship Planning (Alban, 2005) and editor of new book The Church of All Ages: Generations Worshiping Together (Alban, 2008). He served in the pastoral/preaching ministry in four congregations.

Leonard VanderZee, editor-in-chief of Faith Alive Christian Resources; former pastor at South Bend (Indiana) Christian Reformed Church, and author of Christ, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship (InterVarsity, 2004).

Jane Rogers Vann, professor of Christian education at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia, and author of Gathered Before God: Worship-Centered Church Renewal (Westminster/John Knox, 2004).

Jonathan Velasco, conductor of the choir of Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music (AILM) in Manila, the Philippines, and conductor of  the internationally renowned Ateneo Chamber Singers and the Philippine Chamber Choir. One of the most respected choral conductors in Asia, in 1996 he was the first Asian invited to be the principal conductor of the World Youth Choir, a 100-member choir with selected singers from all over the world. Since then he has been increasingly requested as conductor, juror, and seminar leader in international choral festivals.

Tom Walcott, a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, based in Spain; he was involved at Ground Zero and the Mortuary in New York City after 9-11, and was part of the leadership team that directed the rescue and relief work carried out by the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in Indonesia just days after the Tsunami of 2004. Before his Navy career, he served as a missionary to the Dominican Republic. He has a DMin from Fuller Theological Seminary specializing in Disaster Response ministry.

We regret that Tom Walcott learned in early January that he was being deployed to Iraq for the next fourteen months, so he will not be able to be with us at Symposium.

Phyllis Vos Wezeman, director of Christian nurture at First Presbyterian Church, South Bend, Indiana, and author of several books and curricular materials, most recently Worship for Life: Equipping God’s Children to Grow in the Community of Faith (forthcoming).

Rae E. Whitney, a widely published writer of hymn texts, many of which are gathered together in With Joy Our Spirits Sing and Under the Fig Tree (Selah, 1995 and 2007). Nearly a hundred of her hymns, set to tunes by about 40 contemporary composers, are published in Fear Not, Little Flock Volumes I & II (Selah, 2006 & 2007).

Dallas Willard, an American philosophy professor and author of many books, especially in the area of Christian spiritual formation; his Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (NavPress, 2002), won Christianity Today’s 2003 Book Award for books on spirituality. His latest book is The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship (Harper, 2006).

Stephanie Wiltse, founding member and music director of Embellish, a professional community handbell ensemble, and director of the Calvin Handbell Ensemble. She has also chaired the Grand Rapids District of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR), organizing several mass rings and director’s sessions.

Anne E. Streaty Wimberly, professor of Christian education and program director of the Youth Hope-Builders Academy at the Interdenominational and Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of In Search of Wisdom: Faith Formation in the Black Church (Abingdon, 2002), Nurturing Faith and Hope: Black Worship as a Model for Christian Education (Pilgrim Press, 2004), and Soul Stories: African American Christian Education (Abingdon rev. ed. 2005). This year marks her 50th year of teaching; she has been involved in music instruction in all age levels from preschool through graduate level.

John D. Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and 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).

Nicholas P. Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale University, Fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University, Senior Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is author of Until Justice and Peace Embrace: The Kuyper Lectures for 1981 Delivered at the Free University of Amsterdam (Eerdmans, 1983) and Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic (Eerdmans, 1980); two of his forthcoming books are Justice: Rights and Wrongs (Princeton Univ. Press, 2007) and Justice and Love.

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 Community Church and children and young adults ministries at an Arabic-speaking congregation.

Pat Zandstra, formation for ministry specialist at Calvin Theological Seminary. She has worked on staff with Wycliffe Bible Translators, with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, as the Director of Spiritual Growth and Development of a large congregation, and has served as a spiritual director for many years. She has a special interest in Benedictine spirituality.

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