Faculty Profiles

Dr. James Abbington

James Abbington is associate professor of music and worship at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He received the B.A. in music from Morehouse College in Atlanta, the M.Mus. and D.M.A. in church music and organ from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr. Abbington is a member of the Executive Committee of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and is a member of the Advisory Council of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, and Reformed Worship magazine.

Prof. Jeff Barker

Jeff Barker is professor of theatre and speech at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, where he has taught for more than two decades. He holds an M.A. in theatre performance from Northern Illinois University and an M.F.A. in directing from University of South Dakota. He’s an elder in the Reformed Church in America and has been a staff worship leader for many years at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City. He’s a much-produced playwright, including And God Said, a musical created with Broadway composer Ron Melrose. Jeff was selected as the Carnegie Foundation’s Iowa Professor of the Year in 2006.

Dr. Eric Bolger

Eric Bolger has taught as an undergraduate Professor of Philosophy and Religion for the past 17 years. Dr. Bolger is staff elder of Harvest Evangelical Free Church in Branson, Missouri. He holds an M.Div. and a Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He graduated from IWS with the Doctor of Worship Studies degree as a member of the first or "Alpha" graduating class.

Dr. Doris Borchert

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 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Dr. Gerald Borchert

Gerald Borchert, a former lawyer, received his Th.M. and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary and University. Prior to retiring from both Southern and Northern Baptist Seminaries, he served in various academic and administrative roles, including holding an endowed chair in New Testament. Currently is a Senior Professor at the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Washington, and has taught in more than a dozen seminaries around the world. He is the author of 15 books, including a commentary on the Gospel of John (2 volumes) and Worship in the New Testament: Divine Mystery and Human Response.

Dr. Constance Cherry

Dr. Constance Cherry is an experienced professor, worship leader, musician, and pastor, having served in local church ministry and academic teaching positions for more than thirty years. She holds a B.A. in music from Huntington University, a Master of Music from Bowling Green State University, and the Doctor of Ministry in Christian Worship from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary where she studied with Robert Webber. She is Associate Professor of Worship and Christian Ministries at Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana. Dr. Cherry speaks and teaches internationally in the areas of worship and church music. She is an active hymn writer with hymns in six major hymnals published in the last two decades. Her publications include musical compositions, hymn texts and tunes, and articles. Her first book was published by Baker Academic in 2010, The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services.

Michael Hawn

Michael Hawn is Professor of Church Music and director of the Sacred Music Program in Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and the Master of Church Music degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Andrew Hill

Andrew Hill is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. His graduate training includes an M.Div. with Christian Education emphasis from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan.  He is the author of a number of books, including Enter His Courts with Praise!

Dr. Reggie Kidd

Reggie Kidd is Professor of New Testament and Dean of the Chapel at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He holds an M.A.R. and an M.Div. from Westminister Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Duke University. His writings include Wealth and Beneficence in the Pastoral Epistles, the notes on Ephesians and Colossians for the New Geneva Study Bible, and the recently published With One Voice: Discovering Christ's Song in our Worship. In January 2009, Dr. Kidd was tapped to become a new columnist and member of the editorial board and conference staff for Worship Leader Magazine contributing a regular column entitled "One Voice."

Monica Lopez, M.A.L.I.S.

Monica comes to the Institute for Worship Studies from North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh, NC, where she most recently served as Librarian for Professional Development. There, she was responsible for reference services, collection development, and library instruction to the Textiles and Engineering colleges. Monica’s undergraduate and graduate degrees both come from Florida institutions. She holds a B.A. in Spanish education from Florida State University and an M.A.L.I.S. from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Keith Ray

Keith D. Ray II is Senior Pastor of Clemson United Methodist Church, Clemson, South Carolina. Formerly a chaplain and faculty member at Furman University, Keith now lives out his vocation as a pastor while teaching in adjunct capacities. He has taught United Methodist Worship at Erskine Theological Seminary, Due West, SC and Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY. He is married to the Rev. Susan Leonard-Ray, District Superintendent of the Anderson District in the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Dr. Lester Ruth

Lester Ruth is the Lily May Jarvis Professor of Christian Worship at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.  He holds a M.Div. from Asbury, a Th.M. from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and a Ph.D. in liturgical history from the University of Notre Dame.  He specializes in worship history with particular interests in the Patristic period and in early Methodism.  He has written 4 books:  Early Methodist Life and Spirituality: A Reader, A Little Heaven Below: Worship at Early Methodist Quarterly Meetings, Creative Preaching on the Sacraments (with Craig Satterlee), and Accompanying the Journey: A Handbook for Sponsors (a book on preparing people for baptism).

He has also written numerous articles for pastoral and scholarly journals.  He served as a United Methodist pastor in Texas before he began teaching fulltime in 1998.  He has been with the Institute for Worship Studies since January 2000 and teaches the worship history part of the first doctoral course with Andy Hill.

Dr. Daniel Sharp

Daniel Sharp is the Pastor of Worship and the Arts at La Jolla Community Church. He holds the M.M.E. from Drake University and a D.M.A. from the University of Southern California. He is the author of the children’s musical Three Wee Kings, as well as various articles for Worship and Creator magazines. He is past president of the National Association of Church Musicians.

Dr. Jack Van Marion

Jack Van Marion is Lead Pastor of Preaching and Teaching at Calvary Church in Edina, Minnesota. He received an M.Div. degree from Calvin Theological Seminary and a D.Min. in worship studies from Northern Seminary.  He combines his ministry experience in the pastorate with teaching opportunities in the area of worship at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto and Briercrest Seminary in Caronport, Saskatchewan.

Dr. Kent Walters

Kent Walters has served as Worship Pastor at Grace Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan for 31 years. He received an M.M. from Michigan State University and a Doctor of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies graduating as a member of the first or "Alpha" class. He has served as the school's Director of Alumni Activities and Editor of the IWS newsletter, Anamnesissince 2004, and was appointed faculty member for the Practicum Courses in June 2007.

Dr. Carla Waterman

Carla Waterman is Adjunct Professor of Worship and Spirituality at Northern Seminary. She also has an ongoing ministry of Christian formation and pastoral care, especially with her Women in the Kingdom ministry. She holds an M.A. from Northeastern Illinois University in Family and Community Counseling and a Ph.D. in Sociology form Cornell University. You can visit Dr. Waterman's website at www.watermanuscripts.com

Dr. Greg Wilde

Greg Wilde received his D.W.S from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, an M.Div. (2010) from Sewanee School of Theology, and an M.A. in Theology/Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Rev. Dr. Wilde is ordained as a Deacon in the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion, and is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in the summer of 2010.