2023 - 2025
Executive Board & Nominees

Members of The Fellowship will be electing new National Board members in May. The Nominations Committee has completed its work and submits the following report for consideration.

There is one modification of our process this year. Normally, the Nominations Committee is charged with nominating two candidates for each of the four elected positions: President-Elect, Vice-President of Administration, Vice-President of Community, and Vice-President of Content. However, for the role of Vice President of Administration, the 2023-2025 Nominations team was unable to secure a second nominee. Therefore they present one highly-qualified candidate for that role. The Nominations Committee requested and received a Standing Rules suspension from the Executive Board, to allow them to only nominate one candidate. All other positions include two candidates.

Executive Board

Stephen Mitchell

Nancy Farrington

President (Previously Elected)

Stephen Mitchell

Immediate Past-President (Previously Elected)

Nancy Farrington

Nominated Officers

President - Elect

J. Pick

T. Teegarden

President - Elect Nominee

Rev. Jennifer Pick

Geographic Region: South Central Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: New Church Start – Revive United Methodist Church As an ordained woman that serves as pilgrim, priest, prophet and poet within specific communities in the UMC, I have let music and worship arts shape my identity as a leader of God’s people. I hold a M.Litt in Biblical Studies through the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, a MDIV through Drew Theological School and am a current candidate for a DMIN in Pilgrimage and Spirituality. Through the last 15 years, I have served differing ministries, most recently launching a new, inclusive church start with my co-pastor and partner in life, Rev. Todd Pick. I have worked on the 2009 and 2015 National Convocations and chaired Worship for the 2019 National Convocation. I have worked Music and Arts Week in 2013 and 2023. The Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for those who pour their hearts and souls into church leadership everyday not only to fill their lives with the harmonies and grace found at all fellowship events, but also to fill their toolboxes for ministry with fresh, innovative, creative, concrete, Spirit-driven visions for their specific contexts. As a nominee for President-Elect, I would seek to find new pathways for the Fellowship to meet the unimaginable challenges we face moving forward as leaders of people of faith. With such broad experiences that evoke a wide vision for God’s work in the world, I whole-heartedly believe in conspiring with the Spirit to make that vision a reality.

President - Elect Nominee

Trenton Teegarden

Geographic Region: South Central Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Modern Worship and Phkids Worship at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church Greetings, my name is Trenton Teegarden, and I have been nominated for President Elect for our community, the Fellowship of Worship Artists. I currently live in Little Rock, Arkansas, with my spouse, Jessie, and our daughter, Georgia, who is 3 years old. I currently serve as the Director of Modern Worship and Phkids Worship at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church. I am originally from Nashville, TN, and attended Brentwood United Methodist Church, where my calling into music ministry began. I attended Martin Methodist College on a music and soccer scholarship where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Church Music. During my time in Nashville, I held music internships at West End UMC and an interim youth choir director position at Christ UMC, in Franklin. I attended Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary where I obtained my Master’s Degree in Music Ministry while serving as the Director of Music at Granville Avenue United Methodist Church. I have also served as a worship leader and youth choir director for Bartlett United Methodist Church in Memphis, TN. I believe we exist as worship artists to proclaim the Gospel through the arts, to serve God, and to help lead our communities of faith in their spiritual gifts. We all have a voice to share and gifts to give and the Fellowship exists as a community of support and care for each other as we live into our calls as worship artists. As President Elect, I will work to enable all people to utilize their spiritual gifts to enliven worship, to support, encourage, and empower worship artists, and to affirm each member as we live into call to the worship arts. I would be honored to serve as your President Elect.

Vice President of Administration

A. Youngblood

Vice President of Administration Nominee

Amy Youngblood

Geographic Region: South Central Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Music and Worship Ministries, Stuttgart First Methodist Church, AR My passion is to organize and empower individuals to develop their God-given gifts and to execute their task from start to finish. I believe that the foundation of leadership begins with building relationships that result in trust. I am a team player with an open mind to new ideas and possess the ability to organize a process to accomplish the task.All these gifts with help of our Creator are what guided me in my past service to The Fellowship. If elected I will be a trustworthy, faithful servant to the task, ministries, and confidences of The Fellowship. I have held several positions on the State and National level. The positions I have shown my greatest leadership capabilities were serving on the Design Team of the 2005 San Francisco Convocation and Chair of the Design Team for the St. Louis Convocation in 2007. For 32 years I have served in music ministry in Stuttgart, AR where I have built a program of vocal and handbell choirs for ages 5 through adults. I received a Bachelor of Music from Millsaps College, Jackson, MS in 1983 and a Masters of Church Music from Scarritt Graduate School, Nashville, TN in 1985.

Vice President for Community

Vice President for Community Nominee

Josh Voiles

Geographic Region: Southeast Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Music Ministries, Trinity United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama I have been a member of the Fellowship since 2014 and am delighted to be nominated for this position. The connections I have made at Fellowship events like Music Week and Convocation are some of the most important and meaningful connections both in my career and personal life. For that reason, I would be delighted to work ensuring all members have many opportunities to form meaningful connections with other worship artists. I currently serve as Director of Music at Trinity UMC in Birmingham, AL, where I direct a choral and instrumental program with more than 400 participants of all ages and oversee traditional worship services.

Vice President for Community Nominee

Thomas Williams

Geographic Region: South Central Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Music and Worship Arts, at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, Texas My name is Thomas Williams, and I am running for Vice-President for Community. I currently serve at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, Texas as the Director of Music and Worship Arts. My main responsibilities are leading the chancel choir, handbells, and planning worship. I have completed a Master of Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an emphasis in conducting and Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. I currently serve on the Greater Dallas Handbell board and on the Dallas Chorister’s Guild board. I have served the United Methodist church since 2002, from small satellite churches to large downtown locations and suburban churches. One thing is constant no matter the size of your ministry, people want to feel connected. I am very passionate about collaborating with neighboring churches in worship services, hymn festival or concerts. I believe my servant’s heart and enthusiasm for people would help me serve as Vice-President for Community. I also believe that my experience serving in previous positions as Assistant Director of Music, Contemporary Worship Leader, Young Adult Ministry Director, and Confirmation Teacher gives me a well-rounded approach to help the upcoming generation of Fellowship members.

Vice President for Content

J. Voiles

T. Williams

S. High

T. Kennedy

Vice President for Content Nominee

Sarah High

Geographic Region: Southeast Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Music at Salem United Methodist Church I am thrilled to be nominated to the Fellowship’s Board as the Vice President of Content and I thank you for your consideration! In over a decade of music ministry experience, I have had the opportunity to hone my skills as a worship leader and choir director of ensembles ranging in size and age. I currently serve as Music Director at Salem United Methodist in Columbia, SC and as the Choral Area Chair of the Fellowship’s Music and Worship Arts Week. My growth and experience in music ministry would have been impossible without the resources of The Fellowship, and I hope that my time in this position will allow me to help promote and spread the good news of our organization to others around the country and world. I represent a younger generation of The Fellowship and hope to broaden the organization by connecting not only those in my generation, but a full spectrum of ages, to the incredible resources and connections The Fellowship has to offer. If elected, one of my goals would be to broaden the reach of The Fellowship beyond those in the Methodist Faith tradition and help cater our content to the entirety of Christ’s Church Universal.

Vice President for Content Nominee

Tim Kennedy

Geographic Region: Western Jurisdiction Current Ministry and Setting: Director of Music and Worship Arts at Arvada United Methodist Church in Arvada, Colorado I have served as Arvada United Methodist Church's Director of Music and Worship Arts for eleven years. In my position, I oversee all of the Arts Ministries of the church and collaborate with the pastors on curating in-person and on-line worship experiences. During the pandemic, this included a major expansion of our use of video for pre-recorded services, video communications, and livestream services. I also serve as the conductor of the Chancel Choir, Voces Sacris, Shabach Ensemble, and Gospel Gagas; and as Director of the Theater Troupe as well as Camp Director and Stage Director for the AUMC Summer Arts Camp, for which I write a new world-premiere children’s musical each year. In addition to my ministry at AUMC, I work in the Colorado Community as a Stage Director, Music Director, Performer and Teaching Artist as well as the Artistic Director for Loveland Opera Theatre.

Elections Coming Soon

In addition to the board members listed above, the following appointments will be made by the Executive Board, in consultation with the Nominations Committee following the election. These appointments will be made to ensure diversity on the entire Board, particularly as related to ethnicity and gender.

Recording Secretary
Financial/Personnel Coordinator
Development Coordinator
Chapter Coordinator
Membership Coordinator
Events Coordinator
Publications and Media Coordinator

Voting is now available for Fellowship members. You should have received an email from The Fellowship of Worship Artists with the subject reading: "Vote Today – 2023 Fellowship National Board Elections Are Now Open!" If you did not receive this email, please check your email's spam folder. If it is not in your inbox or spam folder, please email info@thefellowshipowa.org.

2023 - 2025 Executive Board & Nominees