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Mary Nelson Keithahn is an ordained
pastor and certified church education specialist in the United Church of Christ,
working in specialized ministry as a free-lance writer out of her home in Belle
Fourche, South Dakota. Her experience in the parish ministry includes many years
as a pastor's wife, church school teacher and administrator, director of Christian
education, associate pastor, and choir director (children's choir, adult choir,
and handbell choir.)
Mary served as a curriculum writer for the Joint Educational Development
(a consortium of up to fourteen major Protestant denominations) and its
successors, writing eight courses for primary, junior, and broadly-graded
levels. In addition, she has written three broadly-graded courses on Paul, David,
and Moses, a study guide on Ruth, and several books on teaching methods, as well
as articles for at least fifteen different denominational and ecumenical journals.
As an editor, she has been responsible for such varied publications as a manual to
assist Religious Program Specialists in their role of coordinating religious
education in the United States Navy, a collection of resources for celebrating the
Bach anniversary (Choristers Guild), and a book of prayers for use with choirs
before worship (Abingdon). She has also contributed worship resources and seasonal
liturgies to other publications. She is currently editing "Something Old,
Something New: Hymns to Sing, Activities to Do," two volumes of hymn studies for
children written by composer John Horman, church educator Beverly S. Bailey, and
artist Suzi Gifford (Abingdon).
Mary is a Life member of both The Hymn Society and Choristers Guild, and served
on the Choristers Guild board of directors from 1984-1990. As chair of the
publications committee for the Guild, she helped develop "Our Heritage of Hymns"
Series 1 and 2, and other hymnody resources for children. She has also written
numerous articles on using hymns with children for "The Chorister," Church Music
Workshop," Church Worship," "Church Educator," and other journals. As a clinician,
she has led workshops on children and worship and using hymns with children at
Choristers Guild seminars and chapter meetings, the annual conference of the Hymn
Society in the United States and Canada, the Presbyterian Music and Worship
conference at Montreat, North Carolina, and other denominational and ecumenical
events.
Mary Keithahn and John Horman initiated the MAD (music, art, and drama) camp at
the United Church of Christ camp near Rapid City, South Dakota. Since then, Mary
has been dean and John the composer-in-residence. They have written a new musical
drama for the camp every year except one. They have also collaborated in writing
anthems and hymns. In 1998 Abingdon Press published two collections of their
hymns, "Come Away with Me: A collection of New Hymns" and "Time Now
to Gather: New Hymns for the Church Family."
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