Dr. John W. Campbell, President, is Minister of Music at Fifth Avenue Baptist in Huntington, WV. John sang his first solo in church at age 4 (they asked for a volunteer and his hand went up) and began piano lessons the next year. He went on to earn music degrees from Samford University, the University of Illinois, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. For 25 years he directed choirs and taught in colleges and universities in VA, SC, TN, NC, and KY. He served numerous churches along the way as part-time Minister of Music before going full-time in 2013. John is also a published composer and arranger.

Retiring as full time Minister of Music early in 2019, Joyce Crowder has continued to remain very active in the community of Columbus, Indiana sharing and teaching in community opportunities. As the Executive Secretary of FABM, she continues to be a national resource in the area of handbells and choral leading. She feels that her basic calling is in teaching and continues to teach private piano, handbell and chime classes as well as a Children/Youth Choir for the Southern Indiana Homeschool Educators.
Joyce started attending The Conference for Church Musicians in 1988 and was asked to be the Secretary on the FABM Board of Directors beginning summer of 2000. After serving as the term of Secretary she then held the positions of President Elect and President. After a year off the Board, she came back and has served as the Executive Secretary since 2008.
Joyce and her husband Scott have 3 married children and 9 grandchildren who all live in Southern Indiana. Many of them have attended the conference since 1988 and participated in the Children, Youth and Adult Divisions of the Conference. It has become an important part of their summer family activities. She invites you to bring all of your family that has an interest in music whether it be to participate or be a part of the congregation for morning worship and evening concerts.

Carla is the pianist and substitute organist at First Baptist Church in Columbus, Indiana. She also plays handbells in a touring bell choir as well as in an off the table handbell quartet.

As FABM Webmaster, Carla keeps the website up to date with new information.

Carla has been attending the conference since 2007.

A native of NE Ohio, Michael Waltenberger serves as Minister of Music/Organist at First Baptist Church (ABC/USA) in Decatur, Il where he directs the choral and handbell choir programs. A graduate of Eastern Nazarene College and Kent State University, Mike taught public school music in Massachusetts and Ohio for several years prior to becoming Minister of Music and School Administrator at First Baptist Church in Alliance, Ohio where he served from 1980 through 1988. At Decatur, Mike founded MUSICAMP, a music and related arts summer program for elementary school children, which recently celebrated their 25th year. He coordinates the church’s two concert series, Music for a Season of JOY and Music for Meditation during Advent and Lent. He has been active in various musical organizations and events in the Decatur community as well as in the Great Rivers Region (ABC/GRR). Currently, he serves as pianist and music librarian for Heart & Soul, a community choir for special need adults. Mike and his wife, PJ enjoy their free time together, tending flowers, attending concerts, going to the movies and hosting dinners with friends.

Vanessa lives in Columbus, Indiana and is the Education Director and Production Manager for the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. She teaches private and group strings classes as well as directs the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. In addition to being a violinist, she plays handbells in a touring bell choir and in a handbell quartet.

Vanessa has been attending the Conference for Church Musicians since 2005. She looks forward to this conference every year.

As Membership Secretary, Vanessa keeps track of registrations for the conference. She’ll be at the registration table when you check in at this summer’s conference. She’s looking forward to seeing you there!

Now living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Eric Hobbs grew up in Buffalo, New York, and began taking French Horn lessons and playing in school and community ensembles in his pre-teens. In high school, a youth leader asked him to audition for the vocal lead in a musical, and, from then on, vocal music and ministry became a passion. For eight summers, Eric traveled internationally with the Los Angeles-based Continental Singers and Orchestra as a vocalist and then a director. He received his B.A. with honors from Calvin College, where he wisely identified early on that he he’d not survive the music curriculum, but where he sang, traveled and recorded with the lead concert choir and several ensembles, served as a section leader in one local church choir and directed another. At his home church, Eric sings in the worship choir, directed the youth choir for nearly 20 years and led worship for more than 30 years. When he’s not singing, Eric practices labor and employment law with the law firm of Ogletree Deakins, where he chairs the firm’s workplace safety and health practice.