Catherine Nance holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Converse College (South Carolina) and a Master’s of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in NYC. She has been Director of Music Ministries at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Aiken, SC. Catherine is a graduate of the DWS program at IWS and has been a Teaching Assistant for the DWS 704 class since 2019. She enjoys helping students through their time of study at IWS as way of serving the Kingdom.
Darrell Harris is the founder of Star Song Records, a contemporary Christian music company. He developed and marketed the music of Twila Paris, Newsboys, Bill Gaither Trio and Vocal Band, and was the original publisher of The Complete Library of Christian Worship. He served IWS as its chaplain from the school’s inception in 1999 until 2019. Darrell is the recipient of the D.W.S. Honoris Causa from the Institute for Worship Studies.
Dean is passionate about serving leaders, building teams, and advancing the mission of the church by providing insightful guidance on the journey of following Jesus. He has done so in his more than four decades of experience as a worship and executive pastor, and a certified executive coach (R3church.coach). He is the Executive Pastor of Parish Life at Church of the Resurrection, in Flower Mound, Texas where he resides with his wife Cass. They have two adult sons, one daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. He is an avid runner and enjoys reading and cooking.
Dinelle Frankland has a Bachelor of Sacred Music degree from Lincoln Christian University and a Master of Music in Church Music degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, both with a piano performance emphasis. She holds a Doctor of Worship Studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, where she currently serves as professor and Academic Dean. She is the author of “His Story, Our Response: What the Bible Says About Worship.”
She previously taught music and worship at Dallas Christian College and Ozark Christian College, and developed and led a Master’s Degree in Worship at Lincoln Christian Seminary, where she also served as Academic Dean for four years. Dinelle has served as part-time worship minister in three different churches over her career. Other than her work at IWS, she is officially retired, and serves on the worship team at the church she attends in Lincoln, IL, directs the community choir and travels throughout the US as a speaker and worship leader.
Emil Albertini, IWS Chief Financial Officer, is a Pennsylvania native and a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in accounting. Before joining IWS, Emil had three long-term positions in finance with large companies in Pennsylvania and New York City, Atlanta and Washington D.C., and Jacksonville, Florida.
Emil is active in his church, having served on the Session as a ruling elder. Currently, he is the treasurer for the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO) Presbytery of Florida where he serves on the Governing Council. Emil joined IWS to continue to serve God in a meaningful way. He enjoys reading and woodworking. He and his wife, Barbara, are raising their granddaughter, Kalissa, who is a joy delivered by God.
Dr. Frank Fortunato has served in music ministry his entire lifetime. He taught college music courses followed by music ministry with Operation Mobilization’s mission ships. Frank completed his Master’s studies in ethnomusicology and a doctorate in worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.
Rev. Dr. Jessica Jones serves as one of the Thesis Directors of The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, as well as the Associate Academic Dean. Jessica is an ordained deacon in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) and has held multiple provincial roles, most recently as the Provincial Canon for the Next Generation Leadership Initiative for the ACNA. She currently serves as the Archdeacon and Canon for Leadership for the Gulf Atlantic Diocese.
Dr. Johnson recently completed his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Southeastern University. His dissertation, “Alumni Giving at Christian Liberal Arts Colleges that Originated as Bible Colleges,” aligns closely with the IWS mission to form servant leaders in Christian worship renewal and education. He brings extensive experience from his roles across six Christian colleges and universities in student development, academics, athletics, and advancement.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sandy, their four adult children, their granddaughter, and playing golf.
The Rev. Dr. Ken Rushing is a Priest in the Anglican Communion and has served churches from Texas to Florida since 1978. He has been involved in computer technology since the early 1980s and is the owner of an IT company—Rushing to Serve. Ken earned a Bachelor Music in Church Music from the University of Southern Mississippi, a Master of Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.W.S. from the Institute for Worship Studies, graduating as an Alpha in 2002.
Leslie is the Chair of the Psychology/Counseling Department at Trinity College of Florida, as well as Associate Dean of Women and Title IX Coordinator. She earned her MS at Villanova University and BA at Temple University Leslie also served as Director of Online Education at Trinity, where she was responsible for Canvas training for faculty and students. At IWS, she provides support for all things regarding our Canvas LMS, as well as providing expertise and other technical services.
Dr. Mark Torgerson is Professor of Worship Studies at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois. He received an M.Div. from North Park Theological Seminary and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame in liturgical studies. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church and an artist
The Rev. Dr. Nancy Nethercott served as a TEAM missionary in Japan for 30 years and currently has her ministry of “Global Training in Spiritual Formation and Biblical Worship” under Faith and Learning International. Besides teaching internationally, Nancy meets with people as a Spiritual Director and Ignatian Prayer Guide and teaches Japanese classes near her home in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nancy is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes (ADGL).
Dr. Nichole Criss Sullivan holds a Doctorate of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Hope International University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Kent State University. An award-winning piano instructor and collaborative pianist, Nichole is a multi-year recipient of the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award and the 2019 Church Mutual Religious Scholars Award. She and her husband Tyler live in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Oluwatayo Oloyede (Tayo) graduated from the prestigious
Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies with a doctorate in
Worship Studies, after earning his Master of Agriculture (Crop Protection and Environmental Biology) and Bachelor of Agriculture (Crop Protection and Environmental Biology) degrees from Nigeria’s premier university, University of Ibadan.
Tayo has two decades of worship leadership experience and currently serves as the Director of Worship at The Bible Chapel,
DeBary, FL (a ministry partner of First Baptist Church, Orlando,
FL). He and his wife, Christiana, live in Deltona, FL. You can find
Oluwatayo playing his keyboard and guitar, studying, or cooking
in his spare time.
Rachel Kirk holds a Master in Divinity from Evangelical School of Theology and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Communications from Grove City College. She is currently serving as the Administrator Assistant at IWS and Christ Church Jacksonville Anglican in Jacksonville, Florida. She has written “Thirty Days of Encouragement to Grow With God’s Help,” Vol. 1-4; “Adventuring with God for 40 Days,” and “Gifts in Advent.” She enjoys encouraging and empowering others through education.