Faculty

Ellen Johnston moved to Richmond from Mississippi where she served as Director of Music for All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, for ten years, and at St. Peter’s By-the-Lake in Jackson, Mississippi, for twelve years. She was also Director of the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy, a position she held from 1995 to 2011.

Ellen is the president of the National LPM Board. She represents the Diocese of Virginia on the LPM Board in Virginia as well.

She has taught in the Leadership Program for Musicians for several years, teaching Resources for Effective Music Ministry as well as Philosophy of Church Music and Teaching New Music to the Congregation. (Photo credit - Darrell Ivy)

Faculty (2012 - 2013)

Steve Henley is Organist and Director of Music at Bon Air Presbyterian Church where he directs an active choral, handbell and instrumental program as well as a concert series, Second Sunday South of the James. He has been very active in the Richmond Chapter of the AGO; he is currently serving as the Dean. He is also a member of the LPM Board and teaches Principles of Choral Leadership.

In April 2005, Steve received the Above and Beyond Award from the Commonwealth of Virginia for his volunteer work teaching piano to teenagers at the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. The six students participated in a spring recital. In the spring of 2007 Steve was guest soloist with the Richmond Philharmonic in a performance of the Saint Saëns Organ Symphony at the VCU Singleton Center for the Performing Arts.

His studies in church music have been with Dr. George Markey at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City; Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ; and the Guilmant Organ School, New York. Steve has attended countless workshops, seminars and AGO Conventions. He holds the American Guild of Organists National Certificate in Service Playing.

Kevin Barger has served as the Director of Music Ministry at Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Richmond, Virginia, since 1997. At Epiphany, he has responsibility for serving as the church's organist as well as leading adult and children's vocal choirs, adult handbells, brass and wind/string ensembles, and youth music activities. In addition to his work at Epiphany, Kevin is involved in the Virginia LPM as a board and faculty member teaching Philosophy of Church Music and Leadership of Congregational Song.

Kevin serves as the assistant accompanist for the Richmond Symphony Chorus as well as singing tenor with the group. He serves on the worship committee for the Virginia Synod, as well as serving as an instructor for the Synod's Power in the Spirit on several occasions. He also served on the state's introductory team for the Evangelical Lutheran Worship resource in 2006. Kevin has served 2 terms as ALCM Region 2 Secretary/Treasurer in addition to being the registrar, serving on the conference planning team and a workshop leader at the last two regional conferences. He is currently serving as the ALCM Region 2 Vice President. He was recently elected national secretary/treasurer for ALCM.

Kevin received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Thiel College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He enjoys running and spending time with his wife and three children and engaging them in the work of the church.

The Rev. Eric Moehring is a graduate of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with a degree in history, and he received his Master’s of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. He has served his entire ministry in Virginia and is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Richmond.

Throughout his years in the parish, Eric has been active in the ecumenical work of the Church. He serves as the Ecumenical Representative of the Virginia Synod, ELCA, working closely with his bishop and with the many ecumenical committees of several denominations including Episcopalian, United Methodist and Roman Catholic. He currently is on the boards of the annual LARCUM Conference (Lutheran/Anglican/Roman Catholic/United Methodist) and the Virginia Council of Churches. He also serves as the Dean of the Virginia Synod’s Richmond Conference.

By combining his love for history, an appreciation for the liturgical richness of the Church, the call to ordained ministry and his passion for all things ecumenical, Eric has found a home in teaching Liturgy and Music: Foundations for Christian Worship. He is a founding member of LPM Virginia and a past chairperson of the board.

Eric and his wife, Donna, have two sons. One is a musician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the other has a background in theatre and is actively involved in the independent film industry.