Leadership
Worship Team
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson
Worship Planner and Leader
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Jacqueline Thompson is an Elder in the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church. She currently pastors Burns UMC in Des Moines – founded in 1866 as the first Black Methodist Episcopal Church in Iowa. She also serves as the co-chair of the Iowa Conference Order of Elders and sits on the board of the Iowa United Methodist Foundation as its treasurer. While earning the Master of Divinity at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, she won awards in public worship and scripture reading. Jacqueline has served as a member of the Iowa Annual Conference Worship Team, a member of The Fellowship’s 2017 Convocation Worship Design Team, a member of The Fellowship’s 2019 Convocation Design Team, and is currently part of the writing team for “Memos for Preachers” that are published by the Iowa Conference’s Communication Ministry and appear in UM Insights. Prior to ordained ministry, Jacqueline served as a church musician and a fine arts Academy. She earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory and holds a permanent professional teaching certificate in the State of Iowa.
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Rev. Dr. Ronald Bell
Preacher
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Ron Bell is passionate about emotional formation and the intersection of faith and mental health. In his current role with The Upper Room, Ron has been tasked with creating an Institute for Healing and Wholeness. This initiative will prioritize the mental health of pastors and leaders throughout the Denomination. Ron has also served in the past as both a new church plant pastor and also a pastor of an existing traditional church. He is an author, a regular guest columnist for the Saint Paul Monitor. He has written articles for The Upper Room, UMNews.org, and has published articles in the Minnesota Coalition for Death Education and Support quarterly journal among other publications. He has created an ongoing webinar series on Trauma and Empathy that he has led with several universities as well as with numerous nonprofits and county agencies. He serves on many boards at the state and national level. Ron has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Morgan State University, a master’s degree in Theology from Regent University School of Divinity, a doctorate degree in Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary, and has been certified in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention from Rutgers University School of Social Work. Ron is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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Marianne Kim
Organist
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Marianne Kim is a Chicago-based composer, pianist, organist, and harpsichordist, known for her vibrant performances and compositions in a wide diversity of musical styles, such as classical, jazz, Broadway musical, R&B, gospel, traditional & contemporary church music, and more. As a soloist and collaborative artist, she often performs piano and organ recitals, chamber music, and jazz. Marianne enjoys sharing her skills and knowledge with many church musicians through workshops and seminars, and taught jazz piano classes at Northern Illinois University. She joined the faculty of North Park University to teach Gospel Contemporary Piano in 2022. She has worked with the Ravinia Festival for several years and has over 400 published titles to her name. Born and raised in Korea, Marianne studied piano and composition at Pusan High School of Arts and earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition at Pusan National University and a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies and Organ Performance, with scholarships and prizes from School of Music of Northern Illinois University.
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Hannah Nickolay
Theatre in Worship
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Hannah Barker Nickolay is a theatre artist, writer, and worship designer who is passionate about helping others engage scripture with curiosity and creativity. She has an M.Div. from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI, and a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. She is a member and co-founder of the liturgical arts company Wayfolk Arts. Hannah and her spouse, Jackson, work with churches and academic institutions to explore how the intersection between enactment and scripture can give vitality to the worshipping life of the church.
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Jackson Nickolay
Theatre in Worship
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Jackson Nickolay is originally from the North Woods of Minnesota along the shore of Lake Superior, but has lived in Holland, Michigan for the last 6 years. He recently graduated with a Master of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary with a focus on Worship Design. He has a passion for living into the dual vocation of a minister and an artist and finds application for these callings in worship music, embodied scripture, theatre, and liturgical arts. He is married to Hannah Barker Nickolay and together with a group of friends they run a small liturgical arts ministry called Wayfolk Arts.
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Rev. Jennifer Pick
Worship Visuals
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Jennifer Pick is an ordained Elder currently serving a church in the Central Texas Conference. Through the years, Jenn has served congregations of all sizes and has a proven track record of growing churches and moving them toward a new vision of ministry, especially within the areas of creative worship, children’s ministry and local community mission. Jenn fully participates in a multi-layered ministry that focuses on the local church but expands far beyond that setting. Knowing that many members in church learn best through visual culture, Jenn and her husband work to create engaging worship art centers that draw people deeper into the word proclaimed. Jenn has served as a worship coordinator for the School of Congregational Development, the National Church Planters Gathering, the Northern Jurisdiction’s Gathering for Millennials, and for national convocations of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. As Co-Pastors, Jennifer and Todd enjoy consulting, writing, teaching, and shepherding the life of the people of God together in their church.
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Adult & Youth Choral Music
Rev. Todd Pick
Worship Visuals
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Todd Pick is an Elder in The United Methodist Church serving in the Central Texas Conference. He is a pastor, painter, and poet. He is also an award-winning graphic designer who views artistic expression as a vehicle for proclamation and prayer. He has created stage visuals for many United Methodist conferences including General Conference 2012 and 2016, national convocations of The Fellowship, and Music & Worship Arts Week at Lake Junaluska. He holds a Master of Divinity from Drew Theological School where he was artist-in-residence, adjunct faculty, and was twice awarded the Hoyt L. Hickman Award for Liturgical Studies. He has been commissioned by churches to create paraments, banners, and logo designs; as well as to lead workshops on visual arts in worship. His art and poetry have been featured in Magnet Magazine and he has contributed articles to WorshipArts. Todd and his wife, Jennifer, enjoy a partnership in life and ministry. They are co-pastors together and enjoy writing, planning worship, and leading workshops and retreats.
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Lynne Gackle
Adult Choir
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Lynne Gackle is the Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University and holds the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Music Chair. She conducts Baylor Bella Voce, Baylor Concert Choir, teaches choral conducting, choral literature and serves as the Chair of the Ensemble Division. Previously, she was on the faculty of University of South Florida, University of Mississippi, and University of Miami. She received her education from LSU (B.M.E.) and the University of Miami (M.M./Ph.D.). Lynne is an active choral clinician and conductor. She has conducted All-State, Festival Choirs, and Clinics in more than 30 states. Her choirs have also performed at American Choral Directors Association state, regional, and national conferences, as well as at the Music Educators National Conference Biennial Convention. Internationally, she conducted the Australian National Choral Association’s High School Women’s Choir in Brisbane, the Alberta Choral Federation’s High School Honor Choir in Calgary, the DoDDS-Europe Honors Music Festival Mixed Choir, (Wiesbaden, Germany), the Haydn Youth Festival in Vienna, the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) International Women’s Honor Choir in Beijing, China as well as Luxembourg, and the International Honors Performance High School Honor Choir at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. For the past 20 years, she has served as guest conductor for various National Honor Choirs at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
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Bryan Ijames
Senior High Choir
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Bryan Anthony Ijames, a native of North Carolina, is a doctoral candidate in choral conducting at the University of Michigan. Last year he served as the Assistant Conductor of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club and had the opportunity to make his Lincoln Center Conducting debut at Alice Tully Hall, New York City. Bryan also serves as Chancel Choir Director at First United Methodist Church in downtown Ann Arbor. Prior to coming to Michigan, Bryan taught Secondary Choral Music Education in Central and South Florida for six years. Most recently, he served as the Director of Choral Activities at Park Vista Community High School. His previous conducting experience includes The Ebony Chorale in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Genesis Gospel Choir in High Point, North Carolina. In addition to conducting, Bryan regularly performs as a tenor soloist and is a former member of the semi-professional ensemble Expressivo. He holds Master of Music degrees in Choral Music Education and Choral Conducting from Mississippi State University and Eastern Kentucky University respectively, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice from High Point University. Bryan is an active member of ACDA, NANM, NAfME, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
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Mark Miller
Young Adult Choir
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Mark Miller is Associate Professor of Church Music, Director of Chapel Music, and Composer in Residence at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and is a Lecturer in Sacred Music at Yale University. He is also the Minister of Music of Christ Church (UCC) in Summit, NJ. A renowned composer of sacred music, Mark’s hymns and anthems are sung by communities of faith throughout the country, and are published by Choristers Guild, Hinshaw, Hal Leonard, Abingdon Press, Santa Barbara Music Publishing and others. Mark believes that everyone is a child of God and that music can help heal the world. He also adheres to Cornel West’s belief that “justice is what love looks like in public.”
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Children's Choral Music
Sam Ordung
Young Adult Choir
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Sam Ordung has been a regular attendant of MWAW since he was 15 years old. His time at the Lake has evolved into assisting in developing the Young Adult Program & The Evening Prayer Services. Away from the Lake, Sam is a Coach, a Chaplain, a Dad, and a husband. He is currently pursuing ordination in the UCC.
Amanda Page Smith
Children's Choir
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Amanda Page Smith currently serves as the Parish Choir Director at Christ Church Methodist, and the Lower School Music Teacher at The Buckley School for boys in New York City. She previously served as Director of Children’s Music at the Brick Presbyterian Church and School in NYC. Ms. Smith holds an M.M.E. from Westminster Choir College, a B.M. in Vocal Music Education from St. Olaf College, Kodály Music Education certification from New York University, and Music Together Certification. Amanda writes for Growing in Grace curriculum and leads workshops and festivals through the USA. She was named an “Outstanding Choir Leader” by Choristers Guild in 2006. She has several publications to her name related to children and early childhood music.
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Handbells
Beth Judd
Bronze Level Handbells
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Beth Judd is retired from Music and Arts Ministry after 40+ years of conducting singing and ringing choirs for children, youth and adults, overseeing Liturgical Dance and Art Gallery ministries, and multiple concert series. Beth has been active with handbells most of her life, having attended the AGEHR National Convention in 1965 in Washington, DC, as a ringer. She began teaching at regional, area, and national events in the mid 1980s. She has served as Music Chairman and President of AGEHR (now HMA), as President of the Greater Dallas Handbell Association, Secretary/Treasurer for Area 9 AGEHR, Associate Conductor of the Dallas Handbell Ensemble, and the first conductor and artistic director of Concert Bells of Fort Worth. Beth continues as conductor and clinician for seminars, festivals, and denominational worship and music conferences, and conducted the 2015 East and 2021 West HMA Distinctly Bronze events, as well as the International Symposium in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Manhattan School of Music, New York City, and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma. She has taught at several colleges and universities.
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Quint Harris
Copper Level Handbells
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Quint Harris (D.M.A.) is the Director of Music & Arts Ministries at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL where he directs the Chancel Choir, Bell Choir, Youth Choir, and Children’s Choir, as well as supervises the music staff. In addition to his position at VHUMC, Quint is an adjunct professor at Birmingham Southern College where he conducts the Southern Chorale and teaches theory/ear training. He also served as Director of Music Ministries at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church in Phoenix, AZ. He holds a bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Mississippi, a master’s in Music Education from the University of Alabama, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Alabama. Throughout his career, Quint has enjoyed teaching and directing on the middle school and high school levels, as well as part-time and full-time church music ministry. Quint is a member of ACDA. He serves as Life-Long Committee Chair for the Alabama ACDA Board. Quint is also a member of The Fellowship and has severed in several positions including Membership Committee Chair.
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Dance
Haley Martin
Dance
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Haley Martin serves as the President of a non-profit dance ministry called EncounteredHeart, based in Harrisburg, PA. She has been a part of this ministry for seven years and has had many opportunities to teach and perform at churches, dance schools, camps, correctional facilities, conferences, and in partnership with other ministries. She loves using dance as a way to worship because dance can often communicate and express a story or emotion in a way that words cannot. Haley also believes that anyone can dance! Whether you have been dancing for a long time or are brand new to it, the Holy Spirit can move powerfully through you, and in you, through movement. Her favorite dance style is contemporary, but she's also done a variety of other styles including ballet, jazz, and hip-hop. Haley also loves to choreograph and teach people how to move in a way that is glorifying to God.
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Orchestra
David J. Stanley
Orchestra​
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David J. Stanley works as a teacher and musician to champion public music education, affirm regional identity, and promote community. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Furman University and has served as Director of Bands at William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia. Currently he is a doctoral conducting associate in the Music Department at the University of Georgia. His service to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music has also included work to foster coalitions and partnerships for actionable antiracism, justice, and engagement. In conjunction with his master’s degree, he worked to join musicians across the school to present “Appalachian Spring. Music Exploring Regional Identity and Race” alongside an exhibit at the Georgia Museum of Art. David completed work toward his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in May. He currently serves as Interim Director of Music for Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens, Georgia where he and wife Molly are active members.
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Molly M. Stanley
Orchestra​
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Molly M. Stanley is the Academic Advisor for the Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia and an experienced music educator having taught middle school orchestra in South Carolina and Virginia before moving to Georgia. Her wide range of experience includes Suzuki violin, elementary strings, middle and high school orchestra, and children’s ministry. Molly received the Master of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. Her undergraduate degree is in Music Education from Furman University. A native of Waynesville, NC, and raised in the First United Methodist Church, Molly remains connected to her hometown and Lake Junaluska. She continues her work in church music as a choir member and violinist and attended MWAW as a child and has been a staff member for several years. She and husband, David, are members and active in the music ministry at Oconee UMC in Athens, Georgia
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Sunday, June 18
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Registration and Handbell Placement Auditions
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First Rehearsals for Children, Youth, Choral, and Dance Ensembles
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Opening Worship
Monday, June 19
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Morning Worship
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Rehearsals for Children, Youth, Adult Choral, and Dance Ensembles
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Seminars and Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsal
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Organ and Piano Recital with Frode Gunderson and Scott Montgomery
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​Orgiano Duo
Scott Montgomery, organist, and Frode Gundersen, pianist, officially became Orgiano Duo after embarking on a Baltics concert tour in 2018, performing programs in Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden. Prior to this Scott and Frode worked together at Central UMC in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was during a 9-month construction phase for a new pipe organ that they placed two pianos in the sanctuary and began playing two-piano duets. This eventually led to the exploration of organ-piano repertoire. In 2019, Orgiano Duo embarked on another European concert tour, this time to Belgium, and since then have played concerts in numerous churches. During the pandemic, Orgiano Duo found a larger audience after producing numerous short concert videos, which were widely viewed and shared over social media. And while Frode and Scott are exploring recording their first album, nothing brings Orgiano Duo more pleasure than sharing their music with an audience
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Morning Worship
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Rehearsals for Children, Youth, Choral, Handbell, and Dance Ensembles
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Seminars
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Annual Youth Talent Show
Tuesday, June 20
Wednesday, June 21
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Morning Worship
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Rehearsals for Children, Youth, Choral, Handbell, and Dance Ensembles
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Seminars and Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsal
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Organ Recital
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FUMC Waynesville
Thursday, June 22
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Morning Worship
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Elementary Music Concert
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Instrumental Ensemble Concert
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Dance Concert
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Handbell Concert
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Choral Concert
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Mid High, Senior High, Young Adult Choirs and Adult Choir
Friday, June 23
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Closing Worship
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Have a safe journey home - see you next year!!!
Event notebooks will be available June 6th for printing and preparation purposes.