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Jeff Barker is Professor Emeritus of Theatre and Worship Arts at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, where he taught since 1988. He holds an M.A. in Theatre Performance from Northern Illinois University and an M.F.A. in Theatre Directing from the University of South Dakota. He is an elder in the Reformed Church in America and was a worship leader on staff for many years at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City. He is a much-produced playwright, including And God Said, a musical created with Broadway composer Ron Melrose. His screenwriting includes The Frontier Boys and Of Minor Prophets. His books include Performing the Plays of the Bible (co-authored with Tom Boogaart) and the Arlene Schuiteman missionary biography series. Jeff was the Carnegie Foundation’s Iowa Professor of the Year in 2006. Jeff is married to actress Karen Bohm Barker, and they have three children.
Professor Emerita. Doris Borchert is retired Professor of Christian Education and Supervision at Northern Seminary. She holds the D.Min from Andover Newton Theological School and has served as Professor of Christian Education and Director of Supervised Ministry at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky Northern Baptist Seminary in Lombard, Illinois and North American Baptist Seminary
Professor Emeritus. Dr. Borchert has served as a Canadian Lawyer, an Ordained Baptist Minister, a Professor, and a Dean and Vice President of two Baptist theological seminaries in the United States in addition to having taught in many places. He is one of the translators of the New Living Translation and has written more than 150 articles and a score of books including commentaries on John, Galatians, Revelation, Thessalonians, two works on Jesus, one on Worship in the New Testament: Divine Mystery and Human Response which surveys the entire New Testament, two handbooks on visiting The Lands of the Bible, and most recently Christ and Chaos: Biblical Keys to Ethical Questions, a Webber Institute publication.
He has retired three times, and he and his wife Doris were installed as emeriti Professors at the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies. The Borcherts have two sons: Mark, a communications professor, and Tim, a graduate of IWS, and four grandchildren.
Rev. Dr. Constance Cherry is Professor Emeritus of Worship and Pastoral Ministry, and Affiliate Professor at Wesley Seminary, Indiana Wesleyan University. She is also a founding faculty member of The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, teaching DWS 702 every term since 2000. In addition to her work in the academy, Constance has served in local church ministry for many years as a worship leader, church musician, and pastor. She is the author of six books and a published composer of various compositions for the church. Her first book, The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services, has been or is currently being used by more than 160 institutions of higher education, representing more than thirty denominations, as a required worship text. It is now in its second edition (2021) and published in five languages. In honor of her achievements in the academy, Constance was awarded the university-wide Outstanding Scholarship Award by Indiana Wesleyan University in 2015. An active hymn writer, her hymns appear in six major hymnals. Constance earned a Bachelor’s in music from Huntington College (University), a Master of Music from Bowling Green State University and the Doctor of Ministry in Christian Worship from Northern Seminary where she was mentored by Robert Webber. She is passionate about the local church and focuses her teaching/speaking on equipping leaders to achieve authentic worship renewal by helping them to identify and contextualize transcultural biblical principles that define Christian worship as truly Christian.
Vaughn CroweTipton is Associate Vice President, Associate Professor, and University Chaplain at Furman University. He has pastored congregations in Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Texas. He has also taught at Auburn, Mercer University, Brewton-Parker College, and Macon College. He has published numerous articles, edited several books, and serves as a conference speaker. A graduate of Mississippi College (B.A.), he holds the M.Div. degree from Southern Seminary and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Baylor University. Dr. CroweTipton has also done postdoctoral study at Oxford University.
Douglas Curry serves as Worship Ministries Pastor at Messiah University, where he teaches various courses and gives faculty oversight to the Music & Worship Degree program. He holds a B.A. from Messiah University, M.A. from Lancaster Bible College Graduate School/Capital Seminary, and the D.Min. from Wesley Theological Seminary. In addition to Doug’s extensive involvement giving direction to a vast array of worship arts ministries in the context of the local church, Doug teaches the core course in the History, Theology, and Practice of Worship for Capital Seminary. An accomplished professional vocalist and choir director, Doug’s vocational world also includes conference/workshop teaching events, choral adjudication, as well as a growing consulting practice working alongside churches to assist in their development of worship/liturgical arts ministries.
Rev. Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah served as Professor of Practical Theology and Worship at Alliance University (formerly Nyack College) for more than two decades, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, mentoring students, and coordinating chapels. She holds a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University and an M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary. She preaches and teaches for churches, conferences, and other ministries in the United States and internationally. She also delights to lead students on the Footsteps of Paul in Greece, a transformative experience that brings the Bible to life.
Amy is the founder and director of Woman: A Rite of Passage, an empowering program designed to facilitate the transforming journey of Christian womanhood by developing participants’ relationship with God, themselves, others, and creation. After helping university women discover identity, engage body and spirit, and empower voice for more than a decade, Woman is now a video curriculum available to churches and other organizations.
Amy is the author of Meaning in the Moment: How Rituals Help Us Move Through Joy, Pain, and Everything In Between and The Book of Womanhood. Her writing has been featured in academic journals as well as by Christianity Today, CBE International, Redbud Writers Guild, and Missio Alliance. Amy loves to exercise, take photos, climb mountains, adventure with her husband and sons, learn languages, and enjoy the beach. Find her on the web at amydavisa.com and on Twitter and Instagram @amyfdavisa.
Academic Dean. Dinelle Frankland has been serving as Minister of Worship and Choirs at First Christian Church in Clinton, Illinois since September 2019. From 2003-2021, she served as Professor of Worship Studies at Lincoln Christian Seminary in Lincoln, Illinois, where she developed a Master of Arts in Formative Worship degree. She also served as academic dean at LCS from 2011-2015.
Dr. Frankland holds a Bachelor of Sacred Music degree from Lincoln Christian University, a Master of Music in Church Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. She previously taught music and worship at Dallas Christian College and Ozark Christian College and has taught as an adjunct for TCMI Institute, a seminary near Heiligenkreuz, Austria. She is the author of His Story, Our Response: What the Bible Says About Worship and travels throughout the U.S. as a speaker and worship leader. At IWS she enjoys interacting with a variety of students who are eager to further their education for the benefit of God’s KingdDinelle has taught music and worship in Christian Higher Education for over forty-four years, teaching at Dallas Christian College, in Dallas TX; Ozark Christian College, in Joplin, MO; and Lincoln Christian Seminary, in Lincoln, IL. She 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. Her teaching duties have ranged from musical – including music theory, piano lessons, music history, and choirs – to her current area of worship theology, history, and culture. Dinelle has also served as part-time worship minister in several churches. She has spoken all over the United States for conferences, retreats and college chapels, and continues to provide workshops and seminars on worship.
Officially “retired” as of January 2023, along with her part-time position at IWS Dinelle directs
the Community Choir, serves as an accompanist for various community events, and serves on
the worship team at First Christian Church, Clinton, IL.
Andrew Hill is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. His graduate training includes a M.Div. with Christian Education emphasis from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. He is the author of numerous articles and several books, including A Survey of the Old Testament (with J. H. Walton), Old Testament Today (with J. H. Walton), 1 & 2 Chronicles (NIV Application Commentary), Minor Prophets (with R. D. Patterson, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary), Malachi (Anchor Bible Commentary), and Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (Tyndale OT Commentary).
He has been affiliated with Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies since 1999 as co-instructor in DWS 701, The Biblical Foundations and Historical Development of Christian Worship. He is the author of Enter His Courts with Praise!. Other worship studies related publications, include: a contributor to The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Vol. 1: The Biblical Foundations of Worship); a contributor to the Praise and Worship Study Bible and to The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible; “Prayer in the Minor Prophets” (pp. 69-86 in Praying with Ancient Israel edited by P. G. Camp and T. Longman); “Depending Upon God Alone: Leadership in Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi” (pp. 213-33 in Biblical Leadership: Theology for the Everyday Leader, edited by B. K. Forrest and L. Roden); and “Restoring Proper Relationship with Yahweh: Worship in the Postexilic Minor Prophets” (pp. 313-21 in Biblical Worship: Theology for God’s Glory, edited by Benjamin K. Forest, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., and Vernon M. Whaley).
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.
Jessica holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Northwest Nazarene University, a Doctor of Worship Studies degree from The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, a specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Northwest Nazarene, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University.
In addition to serving in her diocesan and provincial roles, Jessica has served as an adjunct professor of Liturgy and Worship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, FL, and a board member for Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA. Jessica has served as a choral educator and adjudicator for over fifteen years in addition to serving as a worship leader in the Anglican Church. Jessica’s recent research focused on how adults learn within a congregation and the teaching efficacy of ministry leaders.
Jessica is grateful to pair her training in education with her background in worship and liturgy to mentor students as they complete the thesis process at IWS.
Lou Kaloger has served as a teaching elder at Tampa Covenant Church since 1987 and as a pastor since 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. Lou is also an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College of Florida teaching courses on the history and theology of religious imagery and church architecture. He is a second career pastor after having served for 14 years as vice president of a Tampa advertising agency. Lou and Angela have been married since 1978. They have three wonderful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and four beautiful granddaughters.
Reggie Kidd is Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, FL, and Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando. He holds a Ph.D. from Duke University, and an M.A.R. and an M.Div. from Westminister Theological Seminary. His writings include With One Voice: Discovering Christ’s Song in our Worship the notes on Ephesians and Colossians for the New Geneva Study Bible; as well as Wealth and Beneficence in the Pastoral Epistles. Dr. Kidd is a regular columnist for Worship Leader Magazine.
Melody Kuphal is the Director of Music Ministries at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in St. Charles, IL, as well as teaching private music lesson out of her home studio. She earned her Bachelor of Special Education with a minor in music and her Master of Science in Educational Administration degrees from Northern Illinois University. In June 2017, she completed the Doctor of Worship Studies program at the Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies and is now thrilled to be a part of the IWS faculty. Melody has been teaching private music lessons and working with children’s theater directing teams for over 25 years. Additionally, Melody has recorded 12 albums, 9 of which are part of her “Mighty Kids” series: praise and worship music crafted to teach and inspire a generation of youth as worship leaders. Melody and Kevin have been married since 1995 and she is the proud mom of two terrific kids, Alex and Alyssa.
Pedrito Maynard-Reid is Senior Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion of Walla Walla University and has also been Professor of Biblical Studies and Missiology in the School of Theology since 1990. For 15 years he served at Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica in a number of capacities, including Professor of Biblical Studies, Chair of the Department of Religion, Director of Religious Affairs, and Pastor of the University Church. He served in similar roles for five years in Puerto Rico. He has a Th.D in Biblical Studies from Andrews University and a post-doctoral M.Th in Missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary. His published books include Poverty and Wealth in the Epistle of James; A Commentary on the Epistle of James; Complete Evangelism; and Diverse Worship: African American, Caribbean & Hispanic Perspectives. Pedrito is an international person in soul and spirit. He has visited, lectured, and served in every continent and region of the world including Antarctica. To serve the marginal, the weak, and the less fortunate, and helping them to a better life and a more fulfilling existence, both here and globally, is what he lives and strives for.
Carl Park pastors the Arlington, VA, congregation of Great Commission Community Church. He received a Ph.D. in Theological Studies (New Testament) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.Div. from Trinity, and a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been a worship leader and a pastor to worship leaders, and he has served on the staffs of Christian and Missionary Alliance, Presbyterian, Vineyard, and non-denominational churches.
Alan Rathe earned a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University, a worship-focused MDiv from Tyndale Theological Seminary, and a BA in music from New York University. He has taught worship classes for more than twenty years for such institutions as Asbury Seminary, Duke University, and Alliance Theological Seminary. His book Evangelicals, Worship and Participation is published by Routledge, and he has authored a chapter for the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Music and Christian Theology.
Alan served for twelve years as a worship pastor in a multi-ethnic urban church and currently pastors the English-speaking congregation of an ethnically Chinese church outside of New York City. Two of his favorite things are being married to Elissa Lin Rathe and participating in the IWS community.
Daniel Sharp has served as Minister of Music and Worship in Lexington, MA; Newport Beach, CA; Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA; and most recently in Orlando, FL. He is semi-retired after forty-two years in church ministry. He continues to sing with the Bach Festival Choir in Orlando. He holds the B.M.E. from Wheaton College, the M.M.E. from Drake University and a D.M.A. from the University of Southern California. He has done graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and has served as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. He is the composer of the children’s Christmas musical, “Three Wee Kings”, as well as various articles for Worship and Creator
Jack Van Marion is a founding faculty member of the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He teaches The Christian Year. He received a B.A. from Calvin College, a M.Div. from Calvin Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. in Worship Studies from Northern Seminary. As an ordained pastor, he has served churches in Hudsonville, MI, Des Moines, IA, Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. He is Pastor Emeritus of Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Edina, MN. Jack combines his worship and ministry experience in the pastorate with teaching opportunities, and along with others, he supervises doctoral candidates as they develop their thesis projects. He also serves as IWS’ Thesis Style Reader.
Kent Walters is Director of Choral Studies and Professor of Music at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously, he served as Worship Pastor in a local church for 31 years. He earned the Doctor of Worship Studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, and the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University. He received a B.A. in Secondary Music Education from Calvin College, and a Diploma in Music Ministry from the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music. Kent has served as the Director of Alumni Activities at IWS since 2004, and was appointed faculty member for the Practicum Courses in June 2007. He is Editor of the IWS Newsletter, Anamnesis, publishes the Webber Quote of the Week, and plans annual post-graduate seminars in worship taught by leading scholars from around the world.
The Rev. Dr. Gregory Wilde is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion as well as a professor of the History, Theology, and Spirituality of Christian Worship. He holds an M.A. in Theology/Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame, an M.Div. from Sewanee, University of the South, and a D.W.S. from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.