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Meet Mary Preston

My dear brothers and sisters at St. John's, let me introduce to you Mrs. Mary Preston, our new Organist and Choirmaster. Not only is she new, but so is her job: a full-time position that combines responsibilities at both the parish and St. John's School.

If her name rings a bell, it is probably because Mary is the Resident Organist and Principal/Lay Family Chair with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a position she will retain. She is also an acclaimed and well-loved performer whose concerts and recordings have inspired devotees of organ works and sacred music (quite literally) around the world.

But I'm not so impressed by that.

Really, I'm not! What most impressed me about Mary, when we were put in touch a few weeks back, was her evident love for and commitment to Jesus Christ, along with her commitment to music as a ministry of the Church. She is downright passionate about excellence in worship and the way in which music works in a liturgical setting-passionate because of her desire to show forth the praise and glory of God and to build up Christian people in their faith. In fact, her interest in St. John's came about when she saw in this parish an exciting combination: a primary commitment to Christ as Savior and Lord, expressed through the venerable musical tradition that is ours as Anglicans.

I mentioned that Mary's coming aboard coincides with a new full-time position. "How did that happen?" you might be wondering.

Well, in the midst of our prolonged search for an Organist and Choirmaster, I was encouraged by some friends in the "Church Music business" to think more strategically and adventurously about the goal of this hire and my vision for St. John's music ministry. What I realized in this process was that I didn't simply want to employ a person to facilitate what the parish is doing now, musically; I wanted someone with the gifts and experience for what I desire the church to become. Of course, the hitch was that historically the church has employed a less-than-half-time musician, while this vision for "what we might become" meant someone with more time and energy devoted to building the program; it meant that St. John's would have to be this person's primary employment.

All of this led me to a number of conversations with Walter Sorensen about the school's sacred music program. We talked about how in combining our visions and needs, we could acquire a full-time musician with the gifts and resources to benefit both church and school. While this was taking shape, a phone-call with one of those "Church Music business" friends encouraged me to contact Mary Preston. And with that, I saw things falling into place so amazingly that I began to suspect (as did Mary) that God was in it.

So, Mary begins in mid-July, and along with what she will be doing at the church (building the adult choir, developing a children's choir, and leading worship with spirited devotion) she will also be playing for the school's daily chapel services and developing a middle-school sacred choir, the likes of which were known to St. John's School a few years back. I look forward to these programs at both church and school taking off. From 1987 to 2007, Mary served at King of Glory Lutheran Church, on LBJ in north Dallas, where under her direction the music ministry grew from a fifteen-member choir to multiple adult, youth, and children's choirs, with lay volunteers built up to provide leadership for these ministries. I've observed already that Mary has the kind of personality and energy that inspires those whom she leads.

I'm so very grateful to God for this exciting new moment in our parish's life. Our welcome reception for Mary will be on August 3, following the 10:00 am Eucharist. Please come! Come to celebrate, and come to meet Mary Preston!

Gratefully yours in Christ,