Leadership
Worship Team
Rev. Jacqueline Thompson
Worship Planner and Leader
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.
Rev. Ronald Bell
Preacher
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.
Marianne Kim
Organist
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.
Hannah Nickolay
Theatre in Worship
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.
Jackson Nickolay
Theatre in Worship
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.
Rev. Jennifer Pick
Worship Visuals
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.
Adult & Youth Choral Music
Rev. Todd Pick
Worship Visuals
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.
Tesfa Wondemagegnehu
Adult Choir
Tesfa Wondemagegnehu serves as the conductor of the Viking Chorus and the Chapel Choir at St. Olaf College. He also served as the guest artistic director of one of North America's Largest LGBTQ+ choirs, Minnesota's One Voice Mixed Chorus. Tesfa maintains an active voice studio and teaches Music & Social Justice with the goal of helping bridge the gap of social injustice through music, dialogue, and inspiring participants to take action in their communities. Wondemagegnehu previously served as the Director of Choral Ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, where he co-founded the Justice Choir movement. Tesfa has served as guest conductor of the children’s choir at the Aspen Music Festival; artist-in-residence for the Harvard University Glee Club, where they co-created the truth-telling W.E.B. DuBois Musical Project, and recently collaborated on several nationally distributed radio programs on Black Music on American Public Media. He is a native of Memphis.
Lynne Gackle
Chamber Choir
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.
Bryan Ijames
Senior High Choir
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.
Dustin Ousley
Mid-High Choir
Dustin Ousley is Assistant Professor of Music/Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of Choral Music Education at Charleston Southern University. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Furman University, Dr. Ousley received the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of South Carolina respectively. He served as the conductor of the USC Women’s Chorus. He taught choral music in the public schools of North Carolina. As a church musician, he has served as music director for several congregations in the Carolinas. He served as the director of the Catawba Valley Community Chorus in Conover, NC and Artistic Director of the Sandlapper Singers in Columbia. In May of 2022, Dustin became Artistic Director of the Hilton Head Choral Society. He is also employed part time at the Charleston School of the Arts as a student interventionist for 6th and 11th grade students. Dr. Ousley is in frequent demand throughout both North and South Carolina as a choral clinician. In addition to his teaching/conducting experience, Dr. Ousley has performed in over 50 operas/musicals.
Children's Choral Music
Mark Miller
Young Adult Choir
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.”
Handbells
Amanda Page Smith
Children's Choir
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.
Beth Judd
Bronze Level Handbells
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.
Dance
Quint Harris
Copper Level Handbells
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.
Haley Martin
Dance
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.
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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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 and Chamber Choir Concert
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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!!!