2025 Worship Faculty Announced
Lutheran Summer Music is thrilled to announce the 2025 worship faculty of The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program under the direction of Chad Fothergill (LSM 2000), Cantor. Highly respected in their fields, these gifted leaders advance LSM’s legacy as a laboratory for creativity and innovation that fuels the future of sacred music and educates the next generation of church music leaders. The entire LSM community, on campus and virtually, will be inspired by these distinguished artists through morning and evening prayer, rehearsals, lessons, concerts, and more.
Nathan Baker-Trinity (LSM 1992-95), Chaplain, serves as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran, Stillwater, MN. Baker-Trinity has made several devotional and preaching contributions to the larger church, including for Sundays and Seasons and Christ In Our Home.
David Cherwien, Director, Chapel Choir, Organ, served as Cantor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, from 2001-2024, continuing the tradition of creative hymn singing begun and sustained by predecessors Paul Manz and Mark Sedio. From 2001 until 2022 he also served as Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir.
Chad Fothergill (LSM 2000), Cantor, Organ, Director, The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program, serves as Chapel Organist at Duke University Chapel where, in addition to leading services and University events, he regularly collaborates with the chapel’s choral ensembles, composes liturgical music, and presents pre-concert lectures as part of the Bach cantata series.
Julian J. Goods, Worship Artist, serves as Co-Director of Choirs at Detroit School of Arts and organist for the historic Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, MI. Goods was named one of the members of the Diapason Magazine’s 20 under 30 Class of 2019 for his devotion to the Organ, the Harpsichord, Carillon, and Church Music.
Anne Krentz Organ, Liturgical Composer in Residence, is a widely published composer and celebrated church musician, serving as the Director of Music Ministries at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, IL.
Dr. Catherine Rodland, Organ, currently serves as artist in residence at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. An award-winning organist, Dr. Rodland has concertized extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and has been featured often on the radio program Pipedreams on National Public Radio.
Paul Soulek, Director, Festival of Hymns, serves as Cantor of St. John Lutheran Church and School in Seward, Nebraska. Soulek also serves as an adjunct professor of music at Concordia University, Nebraska, where he teaches arranging, church music administration, applied organ, as well as conducting the Male Chorus.
Two LSM alumni return to join the worship staff: Joel Stoppenhagen (LSM 2018-19) and Gwen McQuaig (LSM 2017-18).
There is still time to enroll or nominate a student to work with these esteemed faculty members next summer! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain valuable experience while collaborating closely with leading church music experts.
2024 LSM Faculty and Fellows present “Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort” by Dietrich Buxtehude. Chad Fothergill, conductor.
The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program advances LSM’s strategic goal of establishing LSM as a laboratory for the creativity and innovation that fuels the future of sacred music. LSM is committed to articulating the ongoing work of reformation in the church through a Lutheran lens that embraces a holistic understanding of music. LSM will continue to be a prominent national organization that inspires, educates, and trains the next generation of church music leaders and advocates.
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school students. In addition to advanced musical instruction and numerous performance opportunities, LSM students form an intentional community, living together for four weeks on a Lutheran college campus. Since 1981, this unique and immersive program has guided the lives of thousands of young musicians, many of whom credit LSM as the starting place for their future careers and vocations.