The Department of Church Music trains students to serve in churches as music and media ministers.

Dr. John Simons, associate professor of church music, department chair

Dr. Ron Davis, associate professor of organ
Dr. Paul Hammond, dean of the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts
Kevin Pruiett, assistant professor of trumpet

Bachelor of Music (church music)

The Inaugural Convocation of the Church Music Camerata was held January 13-18, 2002.  Nine church music students, two professors, and twenty-one church musicians participated in the event.  An initiative of the Department of Church Music in the Division of Music of the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts at Oklahoma Baptist University, three elements of the camerata held meetings:  The Faculty Council, The Oklahoma Consortium of Organists, and the Church Music Practicum.  Two other elements, the Fellowship of Church Musicians (student group) and David Ministry, will meet as a part of the 2003 convocation.

   The Faculty Council - a group of thirteen ministers of music from the South and Southeastern United States led by Dr. John E. Simons -  met to evaluate the undergraduate church music curriculum and create strategies to connect ministers in the field with students training for ministry.

   The Oklahoma Consortium of Organists - a group of eight organist/choirmasters led by Dr. Ron Davis - met to evaluate our undergraduate church music and organ degrees, and discuss strategies to assist high school students who desire to study organ and church music.

  The Church Music Practicum - a one-hour credit course taught by church musicians - met for a series of five two-hour seminars.  The theme of this practicum was "It is your first year of ministry.  Where do you begin."  Topics discussed were worship, instrumental ministries, youth music ministries, children's music ministries, and adult music ministries.  Nine students and five church musicians participated in the practicum.

   Study of the results from the camerata discussions will help give shape to the curriculum offerings of the Bachelor of Church Music, develop strategies to connect church musicians and students, and develop avenues and resources for training church musicians in the new century. Members of the Camerata serve a three year term as Fellows of the Church Music Camerata, and can be appointed to multiple terms.  The Camerata will hold a convocation and practicum training class every January.

Faculty Council
  Jerry Billingsley - Bethel Baptist Church, Norman, OK/ James Bradford - First Southern Baptist Church, Dell City, OK/ Keith Christopher - First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN/ Miller Cunningham - Germantown Baptist
  Church, Memphis, TN/ JC Farrand - First Baptist Church, Shawnee, OK/ Keith Ferguson - First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX/ Matthew Guild - University Cities UMC, Charlotte, NC/ Gerald Jones - Memorial Baptist Church,
  Tulsa, OK/ Jamie Killion - First Baptist Church, Chickasha, OK/ William Love - University Baptist Church, Ft. Worth, TX/ Bart Morrison - First Baptist Church, Norman, OK/ Tom Poe - Meadowood Baptist Church, Midwest
                                                        City, OK/ Tom Willoughby - First Baptist Church, Lawton, OK

The Oklahoma Consortium of Organists
   Dr. Ron Davis (Coordinator), Oklahoma Baptist University/ Edwin Day - Christ the King Catholic Church, Oklahoma City, OK/ David Lowe - First Baptist Church, Amarillo, TX/ Samuel Porter - McFarlin Memorial UMC,
 Norman, OK/ Karen Rich - University UMC, Tulsa, OK  Walter Stout - Catholic Church of St. Mary, Tulsa, OK/ Steve Tappe - Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa, OK/ Damien Whalen, St. Gregory's University/
Bruce Wilkin, First Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK