Fondly known as “Miss Mary” by children and adults alike, Mary has served as Associate Director of Music since August of 2001. She directs the Children’s choirs and oversees the children’s bell program, directs the 6-12th grade youth bell choir, the Day Ringers, and the advanced adult ringing ensemble, Exultation Ringers. In the summer she leads a choir camp, (M.A.D) for children grades 1-5, instrument camps, (Orff) for children grades PreK-5, and directs the Summer Ringers handbell choir. Miss Mary also leads music in Sunday Church School for preschool age-5th grade and the music for the summer Vacation Bible School program.
Mary’s education includes a B.M.E., Bachelor of Music Education, from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. There, she specialized in music for K-8. She has also attended multiple clinics on the Orff process, Kodaly, and studies offered through Chorister’s Guild and P.A.M. (Presbyterian Association of Musicians) music conferences. Mary is the host for the Central Arkansas Orff Chapter, and hosts events for the Arkansas chapter of the AGEHR Handbell Musicians of America. She is a faithful conferee at the Worship and Music Conference in Montreat, NC each summer. She is also honored to be serving on the faculty at the Mo-Ranch/PAM Worship and Music Conference this summer as the children’s choir clinician.
Mary enjoys reading, cooking, and painting. Mary and her husband, Ismail, enjoy playing with their sons, Dawson and Eren.