Staff Profiles

Dr. Chris Alford

Thesis Style Reader. Chris Alford completed undergraduate studies in music history/music literature at both the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Victoria University of Manchester, England. He later earned a Master's Degree in Musicology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Chris completed the Doctor of Worship Studies program at the Institute for Worship Studies and graduated with the Institute's inaugural "Alpha" class in the spring of 2002, with a thesis focus area on the church, worship, and contemporary culture. After nearly twenty years in music ministry, Chris now pastors Epiclesis: An Ancient-Future Faith Community in Sacramento, California, considered the first church start built on Webberian, Ancient-Future principles.

Sydney Ashmead

Administrative Support Specialist. Sydney Ashmead was born and raised in Centerville, Iowa. She received her B.S.E. from Northeast Missouri State University and was an elementary teacher for 15 years before coming to IWS. She and Del, her husband of 43 years, have been church musicians all of their lives. Sydney traveled with a southern gospel group in the Midwest for 5 years, was a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus, the worship leader, pianist and Associate Teaching Director for Clay County Community Bible Study and member of the N.E. Florida Bluegrass Association. She and Del have been host parents for teenagers and young adults from Poland, South Korea, Japan, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Guatemala, China and France and have hosted IWS students every session since she started working in the Fall of 2007.

Cort Bender

Director of Audio/Visual Technology. Cortlandt Bender, was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and has degrees in Music with emphasis in Voice and Conducting from Tarkio College in Missouri and California Institute of the Arts. He has done postgraduate work at Westminster Choir College, Fuller Seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, The Aspen Institute and the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He studied and taught at UCLA for 7 years. He has worked as a conductor, singer, actor, composer, producer, stage director and teacher. Cort has been a church musician for 40+ years and has been working as a consultant in the use of arts in worship, media, and pre-architectural design for over 30 years. His visual art design has been featured in Modern Liturgy Magazine and Creator Magazine. Cort conducted the musicals, operas and oratorios. He is a published composer. He is a member of SAG, AEA, and NAAL. He and his wife, Annette have been married for 47 years and have two daughters and one grandson. Cort is Minister of Music at Church of the Epiphany in San Carlos, CA.

Sandy Dinkins

Director of Student Services and Administrative Assistant for Advancement. Sandy Dinkins holds a B.S. in Travel and Tourism Management from Clemson University. Prior to joining IWS, she worked in the hotel and healthcare industries. She has worked in various capacities at IWS since 2005. She currently provides oversight support for student services and campus hospitality. Sandy is a lifelong resident of Orange Park and has two wonderful daughters with her husband Matt.

Sylvia Donaldson

Accounting Assistant. Sylvia Donaldson graduated from Fleming Island High School in June of 2010. She is currently attending St. John’s River Community College to get her A.A. degree. After receiving her A.A. degree, she plans to transfer to a university to get her Bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Darrell Harris

Dean of the Chapel.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 has served as the IWS Chaplain since its inception in 1999. Darrell is the recipient of the D.W.S. Honoraria from the Institute for Worship Studies.

Dr. James R. Hart

President. Jim Hart holds a B.M. in Sacred Music from Oral Roberts University, an M.M. in Trumpet Performance from the University of Tulsa, and a D.W.S. from the Institute for Worship Studies where he graduated with the Alphas--the first graduating class in 2002. He was critical to the formation of IWS in Florida and has held administrative responsibilities since its inception in 1999. He is a professional trumpeter, choral director, and a published composer/arranger, songwriter and author. He has served in church music ministry for over 30 years, most recently as Director of Music and Arts ministries at Grace Episcopal Church and New Grace Church in Orange Park, Florida, from 1993 to 2008.  Dr. Hart and his wife, Carol, have three daughters. 

Carol Hart

Housing Coordinator. Carol Hart graduated from Minnesota School of Business' Legal Secretarial program. She is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center with a certificate in Teaching. She has been the Host Coordinator for ten years and is also working in the area of development and fundraising.

Dr. Andrew Hill

Academic Dean. 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!

Sam Horowitz

Director of Distance Learning Technology/Webmaster. Sam Horowitz graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Family, Youth and Community Science in 2005 and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in May of 2011. Sam has been programming since 1996 and worked as a professional web programmer in Gainesville from 2001-2005. Ordained a priest of God's church in April of 2011, he is currently Associate Pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, an Anglican Mission church plant in Jacksonville.

Dr. Steve Huntley

Director of Assessment and Planning. Dr. Steve Huntley has been involved with IWS since its inception, including the conducting of strategic planning workshops with IWS stakeholders and serving on the Strategic Planning Committee. He earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership and M.Ed. in couselor education from the University of Florida, and the M.B.A. from the University of North Florida. He has taught graduate level courses in organizational behavior, human resource management, higher education organization and governance and higher education finance. Dr. Huntley has extensive experience in on-campus and online education, both as an instructor and a mentor of other instructors.

Karen Lewis

Food Services Director. Karen Lewis has been involved with various aspects of catering and restaurant management/ownership most of her life. She attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville and has been a member of Grace Church since 1991. Karen and her family have provided food service for IWS since its start in 1999 and have been essential to the success and community orientation of our mealtimes.

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

Librarian. 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.

Lea Montgomery, C.P.A.

Controller. Lea Montgomery earned her M.B.A. at Eastern Michigan University and her B.S. in Finance from the University of Connecticut. Lea has wide-reaching experience in finance and accounting operations at manufacturing, publishing, and investment companies. Lea is actively involved in her daughter’s school and is happily married to her husband of fifteen years.

Mark Murray

Director of Admissions. Mark Murray graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in Religion from Davidson College, and will graduate this summer with an M.A. in Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary.  He is currently pursuing ordination through the Gulf Atlantic Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America.

Dr. Eric H. Ohlmann

Special Advisor for Planning and Accreditation. Eric Ohlmann has invested all of his adult life in theological education. After earning a Th.M. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Th.D. from the Graduate Theological Union, he served for twenty years as Professor of Christian Heritage, Associate Dean (and a number of times as Interim Dean) at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and thirteen years as Vice President/Academic Dean at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Since 2004 he has served as part-time Director of Strategic Planning and Accreditation at the Institute for Worship Studies.

Laura Ritter

Registrar, Coordinator of Assessment. Laura Ritter began in 2005 as Registrar having previously served as Administrative Assistant to the Vice President from 2001. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in English. For eighteen years she worked in various computer related positions at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

Dr. Ken Rushing

Director of Information Technology. Ken Rushing, as an ordained minister, has served churches in the Southeastern region of the United States since 1978. He has also been involved with computer technology since the early 1980s and owns his own computer business: Rushing to Serve. He earned an M.M. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.W.S. from the Institute for Worship Studies, graduating as an Alpha in 2002.

Dr. Mark Torgerson

Bibliographer. 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. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church and an artist. He has written various articles and book reviews published in Worship, CIVA SEEN, Reformed Liturgy and Music, Christianity and the Arts, The Covenant Quarterly, and the IFRAA On-line Journal. He has written the book An Architecture of Immanence: Architecture for Worship and Ministry Today and is currently working on a new book manuscript concerning religious building design and environmental stewardship.

Dr. Kent Walters

Director of Alumni Activities. Kent Walters is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously, he served as music director and worship pastor in a local church 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, Anamnesis since 2004, and was appointed faculty member for the Practicum Courses in June 2007.