President: Beth Coppoc Gunshor
Beth Coppoc Gunshor has been a member of the worship planning team and was previously the children and youth director at First Baptist Church, Madison, WI.
Beth Coppoc Gunshor is proof that FABM is for all levels of musicians. She is a speech language pathologist who works in the public school system and has a private practice. At her church, First Baptist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, she has participated with the worship planning team, led the children's choir, and stepped up to lead the adult choir during times of transition. At the Conference for Church Musicians, she has served as a leader of early childhood music and as Secretary. Beth first attended the conference as a youth with her family, and grew up participating at each level of the conference. Her family has continued the tradition, with her husband supporting the FABM behind the scenes, and their three children growing up in the conference choirs. Beth's educational and leadership experience brings a wealth of knowledge to the FABM Board.
Executive Secretary: Mindy Phomvisay
Mindy Phomvisay is a church musician, educator, and mother. She has served as the Director of Music at First Baptist Church of Ames, IA since 1998.
Mindy Phomvisay is honored to be stepping into the role of Executive Secretary. She is currently serving her 28th year at First Baptist Church of Ames, Iowa, where she is the Director of Music. She loves leading the adult choir and playing the piano, organ and flute for services. She is a music educator in the West DesMoines Public Schools where she teaches K-6 music and choir. Mindy feels lucky that her three children, Elijah, Emma, and Ethan have a deep love for the Conference for Church Musicians and continually support her in so many ways.
President-Elect/Treasurer: Danielle Hartman
Danielle Hartman has been a church musician and member of FABM for over 25 years and is currently a professor at Marian University in Indianapolis, IN.
Danielle Hartman is a life-long church musician from Indianapolis, Indiana, having participated in church choirs as a child, through adulthood. She attended her first FABM Conference for Church Musicians in 2000, at the urging of the congregation at the first congregation she served as music director, Cumberland First Baptist Church, in Indianapolis. Since then, she has served at two additional churches: Lebanon First Baptist Church (Lebanon, IN) and Central Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN) and has not missed a year of the conference that it has been held. In addition to her ministries, she has been a member of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir for over 20 years, and a private voice lesson instructor. Currently, she is a professor at Marian University in Indianapolis, where she teaches applied voice, vocal pedagogy, and directs the University Choir. Danielle's husband, Rob, and her son, Will, have also become supporters and participants of the conference. Rob serves as Conference Facilities Manager, and Will participates in the youth program. Danielle is eager to give back to the organization that has shaped her ministries and choral education through the years.
Secretary/Administrative Assistant: Rita Parrish
Rita Parrish has been a life-long church musician, and has participated in the Conference of Church Musicians over 30 years. She is a member of the First Baptist Church, Ames, IA choir.
Rita recalls her first experience with FABM and Green Lake in 1977, and has loved each of the thirty-plus years she has been able to attend since then. She started singing as an eight year old in the Junior Choir at First Baptist Church of Ames, IA. Singing has been a lifelong love for her, and she is still a member of the choir at FBC, Ames. She and her husband, Bob, have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. She is retired from the Ames Community Schools after serving there for twenty-seven years in the Production Department. She hopes to support Mindy, Beth, Danielle and the FABM in any way that she can.
The Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians was formed in February 1964 by a group of American Baptist church directors and organists. Those present included: Jet Turner from First Baptist Church in Peoria, IL; Kenneth Cober from ABC Educational Ministries in Valley Forge; Bill Robinson from First Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN; and Roger and Wilma Wischmeier from First Baptist Church in Omaha, NE.
From their desire to "Enrich Your Spiritual Life through Music and Worship" , the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians was born.
The first conference was held in 1965 at the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, Wisconsin.
From the experiences of those early conferences, people like Sam Hood and Jay Martin made the FABM an integral part of their lives and proceeded to enrich many more lives through their leadership.
In 1968, a youth section was added with twelve youth attending the first year. In addition, over the years, handbells, children, instrumental music and a young adult group were added. Today the Youth section is 15-20 members, the children's section is 12-15 members, and the young adults are 5-15 members.
Today the conference draws 150 participants from across North America and beyond to the Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin.