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Carole Lea Arenson served as the Director of Music Ministry at King of Glory Lutheran Church (KOG) in Tempe, Arizona for over 35 years. She began with a 
vision of "Helping Children Become and Remain Life-Long Worship Participants." She started with 12 people in one choir and, with help, developed KOG's Music Ministry to include choir for all age groups plus instrumental ensembles and a music education course for children. Carole grew up in Minnesota and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She taught choral music in the public schools of New York, Connecticut, and Iowa and a Luther College in Decorah, Iowa before coming to Arizona. Carole is known as a conductor, soloist, writer, arranger, educator, worship leader, consultant, clinician, and a writer of curriculum, including the Alleluia Series and the Carole Series. She is published by Augsburg Fortress, Kjos Music and Lorenz Publishing. Her work with an interdenominational Worship Task Force culminated in the publication of her first children's book "Boots, the Church Cat," featuring KOG's real church cat. Carole has served on the St. Olaf College Alumni Board, the National Board of Directors for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), and on an Ecumenical Worship Task Force sponsored by Choristers Guild; chaired ALCM Regional Conferences; co-chaired a National ALCM Video Project advocating for congregational support for children in worship, "Empowered to Join the Song," which won a national award; a writer for Augsburg's Sundays & Seasons (2009), is editor of the ALCM Region IV Newsletter and chaired the ALCM Region IV Gathering in Boulder 2010.
Anton Armstrong received a B.M. in vocal performance from St. Olaf College, an M.M. in choral music 
from the University of Illinois, and a D.M.A. in choral conducting from Michigan State University. He has studied voice with Robert Scholz, Burr McWilliams, James Bailey, and Ethel J. Armeling. Armstrong is active as choral clinician and festival conductor (including numerous all-state choirs) throughout North America, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. He has special interest and experience in training the young and adolescent singer. He is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and Choristers Guild (Past President, National Board of Directors) and former artistic director of Albermarle (the coeducational summer program of the American Boychoir School, Princeton, N.J.)
Scott Barker, born and raised in Seattle, began ringing bells in 1976. He has directed handbell choirs inPresbyterian and Lutheran churches in the Seattle area. He served as Chair of Area X of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR) and was an active member of Bells of the Sound Handbell Choir in Seattle. This past year, he lead the handbell portion of the Augsburg Fortress Summer Music Clinic in Seattle.
Beth Ann Bonnecroy is in demand as a conductor, singer, and teacher of voice. Beth Ann's foundation as a singer and extensive experience as a voice teacher shape her priorities in conducting. Healthy singing and development of singers' personal vocal technique are emphasized in the choirs she conducts, and contribute to the free, beautiful sound her choirs achieve.
On the staff of the Northwest Girlchoir, Beth Ann conducts Vivace, a choir of 35-40 middle school level singers. Under Beth Ann's direction, Vivace performs extensively around the Puget Sound region and travels annually to share their music outside the Seattle area. Past travels include choral festivals in Oregon, Montana, Colorado, British Columbia, and Hiroshima, Japan and, in 2010, a performance tour in Hawaii.
In 2006, Beth Ann and colleague, Rebecca Rottsolk, founded Mirinesse Women’s Choir. They co-conduct the choir of 60 auditioned singers, performing a rich variety of challenging, classical repertoire by composers old and new. As a young organization, Mirinesse was especially thrilled to receive the high honor of performing at the American Choral Directors Association national conference in Oklahoma City in 2009.
A life-long church musician, Beth Ann has conducted church choirs and handbell choirs of all ages. She is currently a member of the music staff of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle where she conducts the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choirs.
An accomplished soprano, Beth Ann is a frequent recitalist in the Seattle area. Students, aged 14 to adult, fill Beth Ann's active voice studio. Beth Ann holds a Bachelor of Music degree in church music/voice from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and a Master of Music degree in voice performance from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ.
Lacey Brown received her Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performance at Seattle Pacific University and is 
pursuing a Master of Music at the University of Washington. Brown has performed most recently with three-time Grammy Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith. In March 2010, she toured Japan with the University of Washington Wind Ensemble and has been active in the SPU and UW music ensembles. Currently, she drums for the band, The Opiate Mass, a Seattle-based Christian band that uses music, art, text, and silence as an aid for worship. Brown has been working at Church of the Apostles in Seattle, WA since 2003 as Music Director. She has released two full-length albums through the church: Ordo in 2005 and Laudamus in 2008 that are available as resources for the devotional life of individuals and communities.
Lorraine S. Brugh is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Chapel Music at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. She is University Organist and the Frederick J. Kruse Endowed Chair in Church Music. Dr. Brugh is the director of the Kantorei, a select choir with major leadership in campus worship. She teaches organ and church music.
Dr. Brugh helped lead the development of the ELCA’s Evangelical Lutheran Worship and is co-author of the Sunday Assembly, published in 2008 to help church leaders incorporate the hymnal’s materials into worship services. She has been involved in the development of Lutheran music and worship practices for many years and serves as executive director of the University’s Institute of Liturgical Studies, which annually brings church leaders across the country together to study and reflect upon worship practices. Dr. Brugh is president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.
Dr. Brugh received her Ph.D. in Religious Studies in the Joint Program at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University in Evanston.
David Cherwien is currently serving as Cantor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Mn. and in 2002 
was appointed Music Director for the National Lutheran Choir, also based in the Twin Cities. He has also held full time parish music positions in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, Chicago, Seattle, and Berlin. During the 2000-2001 academic year he served as Organist/Cantor of Christ Chapel and Visiting Instructor of Music at Gustavus College, St. Peter, MN. While in Chicago, he served as Teaching Associate in Service Playing and improvisation at Elmhurst College. He completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance, and the Master of Arts degree in Theory and composition, both from the University of Minnesota. His undergraduate work was in organ performance and music education at Augsburg College, Mpls., where he was honored as distinguished alumni in the fall of 2000. Following his undergraduate work he studied for two years at the Berlin Church Music School in Berlin, Germany. There he studied improvisation with Renate Zimmermann, organ Literature with Karl Hochreither, and composition with the late Ernst Pepping. He has also studied organ with Christian Baude in Aix-en-Provence, France, and with Paul Manz, Heinrich Fleisher and Earl Barr in this country, and is a Fellow with Melodious Accord, studying composition with Alice Parker.
He has published an extensive amount of choral music, and liturgical music for choir, organ and congregation with AMSI, Abingdon, GIA, Morningstar, Concordia, Augsburg/Fortress and Chrositer's Guild. He is author of the book Let the People Sing, a practical guide for those who lead the congregation in song published in 1997 by Concordia. He has produced CD's of choral music with the National Lutheran Choir, as well as congregational hymns, organ arrangements, and entire hymn festivals available for purchase through www.nlca.org, and www.mountolivechurch.org.
Dr. Cherwien has distinguished himself among American organists by his ability to play an entire church service: including prelude, postlude, liturgy, and hymns; with very little reference to printed music. In the European tradition of church organists, going back to the time of Bach and before, he composes or improvises much of the music he plays in a worship service. The music is based on the lessons and liturgy appointed for the day and even on the texts of the hymns to be sung.
David is a founding member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians serving in its leadership in a variety of capaticities, including National President from 1993 to 1997. Hs is also active in the American Guild of Organists, and Chorister's Guild.
His workshops on church music, service playing and improvisation, and his hymn festivals and other worship leadership roles have brought him to many parts of the country.
Aaron Christie graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, M. Div. in 1997 and was assigned to be
associate pastor at Faith Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS) in Antioch, IL. At Faith, he served as Pastor for Worship and Adult Education, directed the Sr. Choir, and regularly played organ. A special joy in his ministry was to take part in designing Faith’s new 525 seat sanctuary. (See pictures at www.faithantioch.org) While serving at Faith, Pastor Christie earned a M.C.M. at Concordia University, Mequon, WI where he studied organ under Dr. James Freese and Dr. John Behnke. Pastor Christie transitioned in ministry this past summer to Trinity, Waukesha, WI.
Pastor Christie serves the church at large as a regular presenter for WELS Schools of Worship Enrichment, District Worship Coordinator for the SE-WI District (WELS), member of WELS Commission on Worship, Treasurer for the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Alumni Society, Member of WELS Institute for Worship and Outreach, and as guest preacher and essayist for local, district, and national conferences and conventions. He will present the keynote address to this summer’s WELS National Conference for Worship, Music, and the Arts.
Pastor Christie and his wife Kristin live in Waukesha, WI with their three children.
David Dahl is well-known to many members of ALCM, serving as Organ and Church Music Professor at Pacific Lutheran University for a number of years. He has been very active in AGO and Organ Historical Society, is a renowned teacher, improviser, and published composer. David Dahl has served as a mentor to many members of ALCM and especially those on the West Coast and the Northwest. His session will be on the newly completed Wech Orgelbau organ installed at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, Seattle, mechanical action, twenty-five stops, thirty ranks.
John Ferguson is the Elliot and Klara Stockdal Johnson Professor of Organ and Church Music and Cantor to 
the student congregation at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. His responsibilities include directing the church music-organ program, teaching organ and conducting the St. Olaf Cantorei. Ferguson came to St. Olaf in 1983 from Minneapolis where he served Central Lutheran Church as Music Director and Organist, an appointment accepted in 1978 after a 15-year tenure on the music faculty at Kent State University. While at Kent State he also served as Organist-Choirmaster of the United Church of Christ, Kent, Ohio during which time he served as music editor for the United Church of Christ Hymnal, 1974. He has spent summers as visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame and was invited to spend sabbatical leave time as visiting professor at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
A native of Cleveland, Ferguson's degrees are from Oberlin College, Kent State and the Eastman School of Music where his doctoral study in organ was with Russell Saunders. He is respected as a fine teacher and performer, and his skill as improviser and leader of congregational song has received national acclaim. Each year he prepares and leads many festivals across the country both for local congregations and professional gatherings. A Ferguson hymn festival is much more than an inspiring organ recital, according to Emily Brink, Past President of the Hymn Society, “He involves everyone present in a glorious community of sound. Everyone gets to perform.”
Dr. Ferguson is the author of numerous books and articles on church music and organ building. His choral and organ music is published by Augsburg, Concordia, Galaxy, G.I.A., Hope, Kjos, Morning Star, Selah and Stainer and Bell. In 2005 his composition, “Who Is This” for choir and viola was awarded the prestigious Raabe Prize for excellence in sacred composition.
Since joining the St. Olaf faculty, Ferguson's skills as choral conductor and creative arranger have become more widely known. He brings a special combination of experience as choral singer (Oberlin College Choir under Robert Fountain), church musician (both part-time and full-time) and participant in the St. Olaf choral tradition to his workshops in conducting and repertoire for church choirs which are considered highlights at conventions of professional organizations. He has been invited to design and present hymn festivals for national and regional conventions of both The American Guild of Organists and The American Choral Directors Association as well as many national gatherings of church musicians. He has presented such events abroad as well both in Asia (Seoul, Korea) and Europe (in the National Cathedral of Norway, Nidaros Dom, Trondheim, as a part of the celebration of the millennium of the birth of St. Olaf).
Ferguson is married to Ruth Hofstad, an organist herself, and their son, Christopher, teaches history at Auburn University. In his spare time, John enjoys his Corvette, his dirt bike and driving and caring for his collection of antique military vehicles.
Pamela Fickenscher is a lifelong Lutheran and music lover. Raised in the LCMS in California, she grew up taking
lessons in piano and flute, and just enough organ to appreciate its difficulty. She received her B.A. from Valparaiso University, majoring in German and the Humanities, but often being mistaken for a music major. At Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee she received her M.Div and was the Founder’s Medalist. She has also been involved in congregations in Tubingen, Germany, Washington, DC, and Jersey City, New Jersey. She is a lover of choral music and has sung with choirs at Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, and with Phillip Brunelle’s Vocalessence in Minneapolis.
Her first call in ordained ministry in 1997 was to start a worshipping community in the young adult neighborhood of Uptown Minneapolis, which led to the founding of Spirit Garage: the Church with the Really Big Door. In 2002 she moved to the position of co-pastor at Edina Community Lutheran Church, where she works with three very different and very talented musicians in creating liturgical, vibrant worship.
Pam has published writing for Augsburg Fortress, Christian Century, and journeywithjesus.com, and blogs frequently about the lectionary, ministry and parenting at http://pastorpam.typepad.com/living_word_by_word/ .
She prefers dogs to cats, winter over summer (good thing), bicycles over cars, and Bach to Beethoven (not that we should have to choose!).
Dr. Faythe Freese, Professor of Music at the University of Alabama School of Music, holds degrees in organ 
performance and church music from Indiana University. She has held faculty positions at Indiana University, Concordia University in AUstin, University of North Dakota-Williston, and Andrew College. As a Fulbright scholar and an Indiana University/Kiel Austausch Programme participant, she studied the works of Jean Langlais with the composer in France, and the works of Max Reger with Heinz Wunderlich in Germany. Her organ teachers have included Marilyn Keiser, Robert Rayfield, William Eifrig and Phillip Gehring.
With performances described as "powerful...masterful...impressive...brilliant," Dr. Freese is in demand as a recitalist throughout the United States, Germany, Denmark, South Korea and Singapore. She was a featured artist and lecturer at teh 2010 American Guild of Organists National Convention in Washington, D.C. and a featured performer at the 2001 American Guild of Organists Region VII Convention in San Antonio, TX. Ms. Freese recruits and teaches undergraduate and graduate organ students majoring in Organ Performance and Church Music at the UA School of Music.
Rebekah Gilmore Since graduating from Luther College, Decorah, IA in 2001 Rebekah Gilmore has dedicated much of her work to the faith and musical development as well as the liturgical integration of parish children’s choirs. She currently serves St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, WA and St. James Catholic Cathedral, Seattle, as a soloist and conductor, specializing in children’s music. From 2008-2010, she served Cross of Christ Lutheran in Bellevue, WA as the Children’s Music Specialist and from 2001-2008, Rebekah served as full-time Minister of Music at Grace Lutheran Church, Wenatchee, WA. Rebekah’s other passion is the performance of early music. She founded and conducts Seattle’s Ave Renaissance Women’s Choir, has appeared as a soprano with members of the Tallis Scholars (UK) under the direction of Peter Phillips, and regularly performs with the Tudor Choir (US) under Doug Fullington. As a soloist, she has performed with the Seattle Academy of Baroque Opera (US), Allegro Baroque Orchestra in Spokane, WA, Baroque Northwest and has been presented by the Early Music Guild of Seattle. She is the managing director of the Tallis Scholars Summer School, USA and can be heard on numerous movie, TV, and video game soundtracks.
Mark Glaeser has led a very successful music program for many years at Christ Lutheran in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a skilled organist as well as a fine contemporary worship leader. He has been very involved in all levels of leadership in ALCM, regionally and nationally and most recently served on the editorial team for the new ELCA hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
Jerry Gunderson is the Director of Worship and Music at All Saints Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he has primary responsibility for planning worship and leading the congregation in liturgy and song. He serves as organist/pianist, directs a 45 voice adult choir, a handbell ensemble, brass ensemble, woodwind/string ensemble and guitar/percussion ensemble, and provides supervision for children’s and teen music programs. Jerry is a creative musical arranger for choral groups and instrumental ensembles, and his choral compositions have been published by Augsburg Fortress and Concordia Publishing. He has served as ALCM Region 4 President and Secretary/Treasurer, has been a member of several conference committees, and has presented workshops and choral reading sessions at ALCM conferences.
John Helgen currently serves as Director of Music Ministry at Roseville Lutheran Church (ELCA) in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he leads music in four weekly services and conducts several vocal and instrumental ensembles. He received a bachelor’s degree in music theory/composition and a graduate degree in law. Since 1979, John has lived in Minneapolis and has been active as a piano player, arranger, composer, performer, and producer, including many years as the keyboardist/arranger with the Jay Beech Band. A member of ALCM, ACDA, and ASCAP, he has about sixty published choral anthems and arrangements as well as numerous liturgical pieces published through Neil Kjos Music, Augsburg Fortress, MorningStar, Choristers Guild, Concordia, and Porfiri & Horvath Publishers.
Zebulon Highben is a choral conductor, composer, and church musician. He is currently Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Lansing and a doctoral student in choral conducting at Michigan State University. Since 2005 he has served as the Paul Bouman Chapel Choir Director at the annual Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival. Highben is an Associate in Ministry in the ELCA and past president of ALCM Region 3. His choral and liturgical compositions are in publication with Augsburg Fortress, Boosey and Hawkes, GIA Publications, and MorningStar Music.
Scott M. Hyslop's educational background includes the DMA in Organ/Church Music at The University of Michigan, where he was a student of Marilyn Mason, a Master's Degree in Church Music from Concordia University- River Forest, IL, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. In addition to his formal studies, he studied with Paul Manz through the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the Paul Manz Institute of Church Music in Chicago. He has also had additional study in organ performance with Maurice Clerc at the Cathedral of St. Bénigne in Dijon, France. As a composer Hyslop has studied with Conrad DeJong, Richard Hillert, and James Aikman. Dr. Hyslop has numerous compositions for voices, organ, and instruments published with a variety of publishing houses. His biography on Paul Manz “The Journey Was Chosen: The Life and Work of Paul Manz” was published in June of 2007 by MorningStar Music Publishers. He has served congregations in Minneapolis, MN, Chicago, IL, and Stuart, FL. Dr. Scott Hyslop presently serves as the Director of Parish Music at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, MI, and he is member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Music Program, which is the home for Lutheran Summer Music. He and his family reside in Birch Run, MI.
Rev. David A. Johnson served since 2008 as executive director of the LC-MS Commission on Worship. Pastor Johnson also served as director of music/worship resources as Concordia Publishing House, where he authored numerous books and published resources on music for the church. From 1992 to 1994, he served as pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, Manchester, NH. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Johnson received his master's degree in church music from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, and his undergraduate degree in organ performance from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Thomas Keesecker moved to Billings, Montana in August 2005 to become the Director of Worship and Music at American Lutheran Church after serving as Director of Music at St. Margaret Catholic Church in Bel Air, Maryland for fifteen years. He grew up in Germany and Northern Virginia and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Catholic University School of Music in Washington, D.C. His church music is published by several publishers. He and his wife, Tricia, are parents of three sons.
Tom Leeseberg-Lange has been accompanying/leading worship since the third grade.
He serves full time at First Lutheran, Ellicott City, MD, directing the choral and handbell choirs and planning worship.
Originally from St. Louis, he received his Masters in Music from Valparaiso University. He was editor of the ALCM journal CrossAccent from 1997- 1999 and served as ALCM Administrator from 1997-2007. He received the Faithful Servant award at the 2007 Houston Conference.
Tom credits an extraordinary list of mentors and friends who have contributed to his lifelong interest in church music.
Mark W. Lawson has served as President of MorningStar Music Publishers since 1997. Mr. Lawson is an active member of the Church Music Publishers of America and has served as chair of the education committee. He has been actively involved with groups such as the AGO, ACDA, AGEHR, as well as with several denominational Church Music organizations. Mr. Lawson is active as a conductor of children's choir and handbells choirs, and has served churches in Missouri and Louisiana as Minister of Music.
Richard Nace has had a very successful career in choral conducting at the high school and university level, serving as Faculty Artist at both University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University, conducting choirs and teaching conducting. Richard received his undergraduate degree in music education at PLU. He received a Master's in Music from the University of Arizona and has done extensive graduate work at the University of Southern California, where he studied with renowned teacher and conductor Rodney Eicheberger. Mr. Nace is also an active and lifelong church musician, currently directing choirs at Mount Cross Lutheran in Tacoma, Washington. His workshop experiences include church choir festivals, retreats, workshops and reading sessions throughout Asia, Canada, and the United States.
Dr. Donald C. Nevile is a retired pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. He holds degrees from the University of Manitoba, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, McGill University, Montreal, and the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto. He has served parishes in Vancouver, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Calgary, and Waterloo, Ontario. He has taught at Concordia College, Edmonton, Alberta, and at the Calgary Extension Division of the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute. He has served as Chair of the ELCiC’s National Worship Advisory Committee, and as the Ecumenical Officer and Liturgical Officer of the Synod of Alberta and the Territories. He has represented the ELCiC on the Faith and Witness Commission of the Canadian Council of Churches, and with the Canadian Liturgical Society. He has been the founder and musical director of two choirs which focus on singing the early music of the Lutheran Church, and other church music rarely performed today: the Calgary Lutheran Chorale (1996), and the Leupold Chorale (2009). He is member of ALCM, The Hymn Society in the USA and Canada, The Royal Canadian College of Organists, the American Society of Aesthetics, and Societas Liturgica. He presently serves as Director of Music at St. James Lutheran Church, Hespeler (Cambridge) Ontario, where his daughter Suzanne is pastor.
Ann Sponberg Peterson serves Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as Director of Development for Principal Gifts and as Co-Director of the Sesquicentennial Fund. A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Colorado, Peterson is active in the Association of Lutheran Development Executives, the Minnesota Planned Giving Council. She currently serves as board chair for the ELCA Foundation. Ann is a frequent speaker and has been in development for 17 years.
Dr. Gregory Peterson is on the music faculty at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he teaches Applied Organ and Church Music, conducts the Luther Ringers and serves as College Organist and CAntor to teh student congregation. Dr. Peterson is a frequent organ soloist and has given recitals in many important US and European venues. He was also elected to two terms as President of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. Dr. Peterson earned the B.A. degree in music at Luther College, the M.M. degree from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the D.M.A. in Organ Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. He also undertook additional master classes at the Gothenburg International Organ Academy in Sweden and the Summer Institute for French Organ Study.
Nancy Raabe is a composer, writer, and church musician who lives with her husband, Bill, in Bexley, Ohio. Their children Margaret and Martin respectively attend the College of Wooster and St. Olaf College. A graduate of Pomona College and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Nancy serves as worship and music associate at Bethel Lutheran Church in Grove City, Ohio, where she also directs Faith Singers. Previously she served as Music Director at Linden Lutheran Church in Columbus.
Nancy has written many hymns, songs and anthems and liturgical pieces for use in worship, along with five volumes of hymn interpretations for piano. Last year she presented a new funeral liturgy at Valparaiso's Institute of Liturgical Studies. Much of Nancy's vocal and choral music is set to original texts.
Her contributions to published worship resources include Psalm Settings for the Church Year and Music Sourcebook for Lent and the Three Days recently published by Augsburg Fortress, and her arrangements appear in nine of the ten volumes of Augsburg's Introductions and Alternate Accompaniments for Piano. She is also writing a three-volume series of One-Minute Devotions for the Church Musician for MorningStar Music Publishers based on the ongoing weekly devotions on the ALCM web site, www.alcm.org. The volumes for Cycles A and B are currently in print.
Jim Rindelaub has served as the executive director of Choristers Guild since January 1, 2004. He also serves as part time music minister at First United Lutheran Church in Dallas. From 1985 through 2003 he was a full time church musician for 14 years as Cantor of Saint Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Florida followed by four years as the Director of Music at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn. In 1990 he founded Jacksonville's Community Bach Vespers Chorus and Chamber Orchestra and culminated ten years directing the group by preparing them for a performance in 2000 at Carnegie Hall under the direction of John Rutter. His church music degrees are from Westminster Choir College and St. Olaf College where he performed under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Robert Shaw, Joseph Flummerfelt, Kenneth Jennings, Sigrid Johnson and John Ferguson.
Jim served on the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians National Board of Directors as the Region II president and was the organizations 2003 National San Diego Conference Chair. He has held various offices with local Choristers Guild and American Guild of Organists Chapters. As an Associate in Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Jim chaired synodical worship committees in Florida and Illinois.
Jim resides in the Dallas area with his wife, Stephanie, and son, Matthew.
Christian Scharen joined the Luther Seminary faculty as assistant professor of Worship in 2008. He spent 
the four years prior as Director of the Faith as a Way of Life Program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and Assistant Professor of Congregational Studies and Practical Theology (Adjunct) at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn.
While pursuing doctoral studies, Scharen served as a regular supply pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, East Point, Ga. After receiving his Ph.D. in 2001, Scharen was ordained and called to serve as senior pastor of First Lutheran Church of the Reformation, New Britain, Conn., a position he held until 2004. He has also served as research associate and lecturer at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta.
After receiving a certificate from College of Arts, Science and Technology, Kingston, Jamaica, in 1987, Scharen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. (1989), a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Calif. (1995), a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley (1996) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Emory University (2001).
Scharen is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Association of Practical Theology, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Society of Christian Ethics and is a visiting member of the North American Academy of Liturgy.
Scharen has published a number of books including "Faith as a Way of Life: A Vision for Pastoral Leadership" (Eerdmans) and "One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God" (Brazos) as well as a variety of popular and scholarly articles. Scharen currently has two titles in progress: "Embodying Care of Souls: Notes on an Apprenticeship in Ministry" and "Broken Hallelujahs: Thinking Popular Music Through the Cross" (Brazos).
Scott Weidler has served in the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries as Associate Director for Worship and Music since 1995. Prior to coming to Chicago, he served congregations in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida in various music and teaching positions, as well as twelve summers with the Lutheran Music Program and six years of teaching in the Lebanon Valley College (Annville, PA) Church Music Institute. Scott has earned degrees in education, music, and liturgy from Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska; Wittenberg University; and the University of Notre Dame.
Paul Westermeyer came to Luther Seminary in 1990 to teach church music, implement the master of sacred music program and serve as cantor for the Seminary. He had been at Elmhurst (Ill.) College since 1968, where he was professor of music, chair of the department, director of the choir and oratorio chorus, and organist.
He was visiting professor of church music at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music in 1989-90. Westermeyer served as cantor (choirmaster-organist) of Ascension Lutheran Church, Riverside, Ill., in 1982-90, and was assistant pastor from 1986 to 1990. He was ordained in 1986.
He was choirmaster-organist for The Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal), in Elmhurst (1969-71); St. Luke Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Md. (1966-68); Calvary Lutheran Church, Leonia, N.J. (1965-66); St. John's Episcopal Church, Lancaster, Pa. (1962-65); and Zion United Church of Christ, Chicago (1961-62). He was choirmaster at Grace Lutheran Church, Villa Park, Ill. (1971-82) and Bethel United Church of Christ, Elmhurst (1958-61).
He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association; the American Guild of Organists for whom he served as national chaplain for two terms (1991-1998); the American Society of Church History; the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society; the Hymn Society of America for which he has been Editor (1985-1990) and President (1998-2000); the Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Hymnologie; the Liturgical Conference, the Mercersburg Society, and the North American Academy of Liturgy.
He is currently serving on the board of the Leadership Programs for Musicians Serving Small Congregations.
Westermeyer earned the B.A. degree from Elmhurst in 1962, and the B.D. degree from Lancaster (Pa.) Theological Seminary in 1965. He received the S.M.M. degree from the School of Sacred Music, Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1966. Both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees were earned at the University of Chicago (1974 and 1978). Additional study has been done at The Schola Cantorum, Concordia Theological Seminary (1966); the liturgical studies program at Notre Dame (1969); and CPE at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill. (1983). He has had applied study in violin, organ, piano, voice and conducting.
He has written The Church Musician (1988, rev. 1997); With Tongues of Fire: Profiles in Twentieth-Century Hymn Writing (1995); Let Justice Sing: Hymnody and Justice (1998); Te Deum: The Church and Music (1998); The Heart of The Matter: Church Music As Praise, Prayer, Presentation, Story, & Gift (2001); and Hymns for Lent (2003).
Erik Whitehill spent the first two decades of his life in Iowa. He holds a music education degree from Luther
College in Decorah, Iowa. While at Luther, he studied with Weston Noble and sang in the Nordic Choir. He was also a counselor and camp director at Ingham-Okoboji Camping Ministries in Iowa for four summers. After college, Erik served as the Associate Director of Music Ministry at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe, Arizona with Carole Lea Arenson for 11 years. His position included directing kindergarten and middle school choirs, coordinating 1st-6th grade music education, directing two handbell choirs and co-directing the high school choir, in addition to worship planning, accompanying, arranging/composing, leading retreat music/worship and publications formatting/layout. Erik is currently in his fourth year teaching music in the Tempe Elementary School District. In recent years he has been in demand as a clinician, composer, and accompanist. His music is published by Augsburg Fortress and Falls House Press (Theodore Presser.)
