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2027 Worship & Music Conference Faculty
Click on the class name at the bottom of each bio to be directed to the class description. ​Class Leaders are listed alphabetically by last name.​ CCM denotes that a faculty member is a PAM Certified Church Musician.
Tim Altman
Instrumental Ensembles Co-Director
Tim is Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina–Pembroke teaching trumpet, conducting, wind ensemble/concert band. He was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in 2019. He is a Yamaha Artist, is principal trumpet of the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Symphony Orchestra and the Carolina Philharmonic, and has performed with The Four Tops, The Temptations, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Doc Severinsen, and others. He holds a DMA from University of Kentucky, an MME from University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, and a BA from Virginia Tech.
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Cecelia "CeCe" Armstrong
Preacher
CeCe served as the Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She was elected in July 2024. She is serving St. James Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Charleston, South Carolina, as Associate Pastor.
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John Bell
Routley Lecturer
John is an ordained Presbyterian minister (Church of Scotland), lives in Glasgow, and is a member of the Iona Community. He has been actively engaged in church music for over 40 years as an animateur, composer, and author.
Clark Campbell-Taylor
Drama & Robert Stigall Seminar Leader
Clark is a professional theater artist and educator with a career spanning local, national, and global stages. He has over 30 years of experience as a theater educator and has directed a lot of school productions. Clark was a clinician for theater at PAM conferences in 2015 and 2017 in Montreat, and for hand drumming in 2016 at Mo-Ranch. He is delighted to be back in beautiful North Carolina with his wife, Leigh. Clark and Leigh share a rich life with their two adult sons and one eccentric cat.
Leigh Campbell-Taylor
Drama & Robert Stigall Seminar Leader
Leigh has always been a creative interpreter and storyteller: as a professional actor, as a writer of museum exhibits, as a contributor to multiple liturgical volumes, and as a preacher. This year is the third time she and her husband, Clark, have had the exhilarating experience of serving as Drama faculty for PAM’s Worship & Music Conference. In addition, Leigh was blessed to partner with Kim Long to be preacher and liturgist at PAM’s 2016 Mo-Ranch conference.
Ian Clarke
Percussion Seminar Leader
Ian is a 2026 MDiv graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is currently serving in the role of Resident Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ian grew up in a household of musicians and has been playing drums, percussion, and guitar for over 20 years, and has sung in various school and church choirs for just as long. He has a long-standing interest in all things worship and music which continues to be cultivated and shaped.
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Ahreum Congdon
Co-Service Musician & Organ Recitalist
Ahreum is Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Texas. She previously served on the organ faculty at Iowa State University and was College Organist at Cornell College. She also held organist positions at Yale’s Marquand and Berkeley Divinity Chapels. An international performer, she has played across the US, Asia, and Europe, including at AGO conventions. Born in Seoul, she holds degrees from Westminster Choir College, Curtis Institute of Music, Yale, and the University of Iowa.
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Elisa Macedo Dekaney
Adult Choir & Adult Chamber Choir Director
Elisa is Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives, Professor of Music Education, and the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University in New York. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dekaney received her PhD from Florida State University. She has conducted all-state choirs, honor choirs, and choral festivals in the United States and abroad. Her choral music is published by Carl Fischer, BriLee, and La Voz. Her latest book on Brazilian music is published by Routledge.
Gillian Erlenborn
Handbell Choir Co-Director
Gillian is the Conductor of Handbell Choirs at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Gillian also serves as the Handbell Choir Director at Middlebush Reformed Church in Middlebush, New Jersey. She speaks at state and national conferences about the benefits of handbells in the music classroom. Gillian is an alumna of Westminster Choir College, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in music education and a Master of Arts in teaching.
Hannah Garrity
Artist-in-Residence
Hannah serves as Director of Christian Faith, Life, and Arts at Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Virginia; Montreat Conference Center’s Arts Ministry Director; and Founding Creative Partner at A Sanctified Art, LLC. Her creative energies are inextricably linked to her understanding of her faith. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Cornell University and an MS in teaching from Pace University, and was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
Todd Gillespie
Middler Choir & Family Choir Collaborative Pianist
Todd is a collaborative pianist and educator based in Greenville, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Winthrop University. Todd teaches choir at Blue Ridge High School and is Music Director at St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Greenville. Todd is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist and frequently collaborates with choirs of all levels.
Kelly Gold
Child of Blessing Children's Coordinator
Kelly has served as the Director of Children’s and Youth Music at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, since 2019. Prior to working in the church, she taught middle school chorus, theater, and general music in North Carolina public schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from East Carolina University. When she is not sharing her love of music with children and youth, she is enjoying time with her family, Jason, Wyatt, and Eva.
Jasiel Hernandez Garcia
Student Community Leadership & Preaching Seminar Leader
Jasiel serves as the Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, Texas. He is a member of two well-established PC(USA) preaching groups and has served as a keynote speaker at conferences at Montreat and Mo-Ranch. Jasiel’s writing has been published in These Days, Journal for Preachers, and various publications through Austin Seminary. He is married to Jessie, a high school German teacher. They have two wonderful dogs.
Donghyun Jeong
Adult Bible Leader
Donghyun serves as Assistant Professor of New Testament at Austin Seminary and is ordained to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He is the author of Pauline Baptism among the Mysteries: Ritual Messages and the Promise of Initiation (De Gruyter, 2023) and many academic journal articles.
Elizabeth LaJeunesse
Adult Choir and Adult Chamber Choir Collaborative Pianist & Organ Recitalist
Elizabeth, a Tallahassee native, moved to North Carolina in June 2025 to serve as Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church Asheville. She holds a BME (choral) and an MM (organ) from Florida State University. Over a 30-year career as an organist and collaborative pianist, she has worked with numerous church, community, and collegiate choirs, and coached countless college students. Elizabeth plays for Florida All-State choirs each year and was the 2024 recipient of the Distinguished Service of an Individual in Music Education award from Florida Music Education Association.
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Zach Light-Wells
Co-Service Musician
Zach blends the sounds of his Appalachian roots with the music of sanctuaries and concert halls. Shaped by traditional hymns, gospel, choral music, and Americana, Zach’s musical voice is distinct, eclectic, and cultivated. Zach serves as Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, and he holds a Master of Sacred Music and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University.
Gary Malvern
Instrumental Ensembles Co-Director
Gary is professor emeritus of trumpet and music history at Furman University, and is a native of Buffalo, New York. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in performance and music history from Oberlin College Conservatory, and his Master’s, Master of Musical Arts, and Doctoral degrees from Yale University, where he studied trumpet with Robert Nagel and conducting with Otto Werner-Mueller.
Sally Ann McKinsey
PAM Child of Blessing Resource Director and Child of Blessing Seminar Leader
Sally Ann is the editor of the journal Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts. She is an adjunct professor of studio art at Furman University and lives in Clemson, South Carolina.
Melissa McNair-King
PAM Child of Blessing Program Manager and Child of Blessing Seminar Leader
Melissa leads PAM’s initiative to help congregations more fully include children in worship. Melissa is a graduate of Furman University and Columbia Theological Seminary. Before joining the PAM staff, she pastored congregations in Arkansas, Virginia, and Georgia. She lives in Tucker, Georgia, with her husband and three children, who all love attending the PAM Worship & Music Conference each year.
Isaac Moshay
Senior High Choir and Senior High Chamber Choir Collaborative Pianist
Isaac is a pianist, organist, and choral conductor who serves as Minister of Music at Ebenezer Third Baptist Church, Austin, Texas. A native of Houston, Texas, he holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Huston-Tillotson University and is pursuing graduate studies in choral conducting at The University of Texas at Austin. His work “Praise Ye the Lord” is published in the GIA Abbington African American Sacred Music Series.
Eric Nanz
Robert Stigall Seminar Leader
Eric is an accomplished vocalist, instrumentalist, songwriter, and music teacher. He holds a degree in music from James Madison University, where he studied classical guitar and studio recording. In 2026 he released his first full-length instrumental guitar album, Appalachian Nightfall. Eric currently works on staff at White Memorial Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, North Carolina, as the Associate Director of Music and Worship Arts.
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NeTorrian Patton
Davis Flohr Middler Choir & Family Choir Director
NeTorrian is the Choral Director at Blythewood (South Carolina) High School and serves as Director of Music at Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church and Adjunct Professor at Winthrop University. An active conductor and educator, he is committed to fostering meaningful musical experiences that inspire connection, growth, and excellence. Patton holds a Master of Music in choral conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education with an emphasis in choral music from Winthrop University.
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Grier Richards
Co-Liturgist & Small Group Facilitator
Grier Booker Richards, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Princeton Theological Seminary, serves as Associate Pastor for Faith Formation & Worship Ministries at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Grier has led worship and workshops at the Arts, Recreation and Worship Conference, Women’s Connection, Presbyterian Youth Triennium, and PAM Worship & Music Conference. When she is not on the clock, you will find Grier on the sidelines of the soccer field, enjoying time with her son Olsen, reading, running trails, listening to a podcast, or watching episodes of Ted Lasso on repeat.
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Megan Schuitema
Senior High Choir & Senior High Chamber Choir Director
Megan has been the Choir Director at Harrison High School, Kennesaw, Georgia, for 12 years. Under her baton the choirs have performed throughout the country and abroad. Recently her choirs have performed at Georgia Music Educators Association (2022, 2026) and Georgia ACDA (2023, 2026) conferences. Mrs. Schuitema is an active clinician throughout the country. She holds degrees from Georgia State and Florida State University. She is a staff singer at the Cathedral of St. Philip and sings with Atlanta Master Chorale.
Wil Smith
Children's Collaborative Pianist & Organ Recitalist
Wil is Organist and Associate Director of Music at Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. He holds degrees from Florida State University and Manhattan School of Music and has served churches in Colorado, New York City, and Florida. An active freelance musician playing with the Colorado Symphony and other ensembles, Wil enjoys working with artists and musicians to create multimedia organ concerts, and loves connecting young people with the instrument. He is a member of the PAM Board.
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Shavon Starling-Louis
Co-Liturgist & Seminar Leader
Shavon is a PC(USA) minister, preacher, public theologian, and former Co-Moderator of the 225th General Assembly. She is passionate about spiritual formation, justice, creative worship, and communal care. She is also co-creator of Liberooted, a faith project with her spouse, Kirk.
Joshua Taylor, CCM
Professional Development Seminar Leader
Joshua is Instructor of Sacred Music Studies at the University of North Texas and Director of Worship & Music at First United Methodist Church in Denton, Texas. A former musician for the Iona Community in Scotland, he is a conductor, lecturer, and author specializing in worship, sacred music, and pilgrimage. He is the author of From Plague to Purpose and serves as the President of PAM.
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James Wells
Children's Choir Director
James serves as Director of Worship and Arts at Brentwood (Tennessee) United Methodist Church, where he has spent 29 years in ministry, and is a director with Nashville Children’s Choir. James spent a decade teaching music and treble choirs. He holds degrees in vocal performance and music education from Middle Tennessee State University and Belmont. James is a passionate runner and early riser and loves spending time with his wife of 33 years, Amy, their two daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren.
Karl Zinsmeister
Handbell Co-Director and Planning Team Member
Karl has led music ministry for churches in Kentucky, New Jersey, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, and North Carolina. He currently serves as Organist for First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, North Carolina. Karl studied handbell pedagogy and composition with Donald Allured at Westminster Choir College. In addition to leading graded choir programs of bells and voices, Karl has led the handbell curriculum at Westminster and St. Olaf College. He has directed handbell choirs for PAM conferences in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, and Montreat.
Interest Session Presenters
Click on the interest session name at the bottom of each Interest Session Presenter's bio to be directed to the Interest Session's description. ​Interest Session Presenters are listed alphabetically by last name.
Thomas Dixon
Thomas holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Georgia and a Master of Music in choral conducting from Georgia State University. He is Director of Music and Worship at Central Presbyterian Church, a vibrant PC(USA) congregation in downtown Atlanta; conducts The New South Festival Singers, a semiprofessional chorale; and is a frequent clinician for school choral ensembles and professional development workshops for music educators.
Megan Durham
Megan is Director of Creative Arts at Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. A singing voice specialist, writer, and facilitator of trauma-informed voice care, she serves as Education Director for the Voice and Trauma Research and Connection Group. Her work has been published in Journal of Singing, Choral Journal, and Trauma and the Voice, and she frequently presents for choral and vocology associations.
Stephanie Ells
Stephanie is Lead Pastor of Bread of Life Presbyterian Church in Dubuque, Iowa. With nearly 20 years of pastoral experience in rural and urban settings, she is known for guiding congregations through seasons of change and renewal, most recently leading the unification of two historic PC(USA) congregations into Bread of Life. A graduate of Western Theological Seminary, she is passionate about creative worship, thoughtful theology, and strengthening congregations for faithful ministry.
Stephen Fearing
Stephen serves as pastor of Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a member of both PAM and the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and he is the author of more than 75 hymn texts. His paraphrase of Psalm 146, which was written to counter the rise of Christian nationalism and authoritarianism in the United States, was recently selected as the winner of the Hymn Society's annual hymnwriting contest.
Kirsten Foyles
Kirsten is from Waukesha, Wisconsin, and serves as Director of Music at Community Presbyterian Church in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Kirsten holds a BA from University of Wisconsin-Madison, JD from the University of Louisville, and MEd in Kodály music education from Loyola University Maryland. Kirsten holds certification from the Choristers Guild Institute. Kirsten has served on the PAM Board, Governance Committee, conference faculty, and the 2026 Worship & Music Conference Planning Team. She lives in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with her husband, Jody.
Charles Freeman
Charles is Interim/Transitional Pastor, currently serving First Presbyterian Church in East Moline, Illinois, since September 2025. As a musicologist, he taught at several colleges, the last being the University of Kansas (2007–2011).
Tom Granum
Tom Granum is a lifelong Presbyterian who has led music ministries in congregations in Georgia, Michigan, and Alaska—from Yupik congregations on the Yukon River (Alaska) to a small Jewish temple to large Presbyterian congregations. Failing retirement, he is enjoying serving First Baptist Church (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship), Athens, Georgia, as Worship Planner, Director of Music, and Organist.
Samuel Gray
Samuel is Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and a PhD candidate in music education at the University of Maryland. His scholarship centers on disability, inclusive pedagogy, and music teacher preparation. His ministry explores congregational music as lifelong, community-based music education shaped by access, belonging, and participation.
Creighton Holder
​Creighton serves as Director of Music (Organist/Choirmaster) at First Presbyterian Church of Oxford, Mississippi, where he leads service music, directs the Music at First Concert Series, and teaches in the pre-college music studio. He serves as subdean of the Oxford University of Mississippi Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, collaborates with the University of Mississippi Department of Music, and chairs Music in Worship for the Mississippi American Choral Directors Association.
John Johnson
John is a lifelong Presbyterian and has been coming to Montreat for 74 years! Following a 42-year career as an educator and pastor, and retirement from active ministry in 2021, John continues to serve the church as Parish Associate for Communications at First Presbyterian Church in Burlington, North Carolina, and Communications Director for Salem Presbytery. John has attended well over 30 PAM Worship & Music Conferences.
Gayle Sawyer
Gayle's avocation is musician, having served as an organist, PAM member, and participant in PAM Worship & Music Conferences for many years. Sawyer’s vocation is education, having served as a classroom teacher, school administrator, chief human resources officer, executive director of South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA), and professor of educational leadership and policy at Winthrop University. In addition, she has served as deacon and elder and has chaired church committees, including personnel.
Amy Shortt
Amy has served as Director of Music for over 25 years in churches across several states, including Witherspoon Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey, and Brownson Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines, North Carolina. She holds a Master of Music in sacred music from Westminster Choir College and has taught at the University of Vermont and Averett University. She is developing The Formed Leader, a leadership formation framework integrating body, mind, spirit, and voice.
Enoch Smith
Enoch is a pianist, composer, educator, and worship leader who serves as Vice President of the Heart of Jazz Foundation. He is the creator of Jazz Vespers, an innovative worship ministry that blends music, education, and spiritual formation. Drawing from decades of experience in church music, teaching, and improvisation, he helps musicians explore the intersection of artistry, worship, and discipleship.
Jon Snyder
Jon works in the Arts and Special Collections Research Center at Baylor University, where he provides services to students, faculty, and external researchers. He works with Baylor’s digital collections, primarily through the Baylor Digital Hymnal Collection and related digital humanities projects. His research interests focus on the intersection of volunteer church choirs and their role in worship. He is also the Director of Music Ministries at Central Presbyterian in Waco, Texas.
Dillon Swanson
Dillon is a rising figure in liturgical music, awarded for his innovation in sacred music, liturgical theology, and worship practices. He is Director of Music Ministries at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia, and Chorus Master for Opera Roanoke. As a composer and scholar, Dillon has published in CrossAccent, The American Organist, Sundays and Seasons, and Call to Worship, and received commissions for notable events in multiple states.
Kathy Toole
Kathy serves as Organist at Second Presbyterian in Richmond, Virginia. Inspired by her first experience at a PAM Worship & Music Conference many years ago, she earned an MDiv at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to her current position, she served as Minister of Music at Bon Air United Methodist Church in Richmond for 26 years. During those years, Kathy was highly involved in collaborative efforts locally and through the Fellowship of Worship Artists.
Andrew Whaley
Andrew is the Senior Pastor of Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia. Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, he is a graduate of Rhodes College and Columbia Theological Seminary. Andrew’s writings have been published in the Feasting on the Gospels and Connections commentaries and in Journal for Preachers. Andrew is married to Rebecca, and they have three children, Simon, Joanna, and Ruth.
Anne Wilson
Anne has served as a church educator at three different Presbyterian churches in Houston. She currently volunteers on the boards of several nonprofits, including the Presbyterian Pan American School, the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE), and the College of Wooster. The accomplishments that she and her husband Butch are most proud of are raising their two children, Meredith and Michael, and grandparenting three grandsons and two granddogs.
Ryan Worden
Ryan is a volunteer church Music Director and violinist. He serves at Graystone Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ryan has a passion for the arts and participates in community theater. Professionally, Ryan is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, specializing in interpreting for the performing arts. Hobbies include a side business of bird taxidermy, living history, and American Indian dancing and craft work.