Notes from Susie

Mark Edwards served as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, for thirty years. He retired in October 2007, and became the Vice President of Celebrating Grace, Inc. Mark shepherded the production of the Celebrating Grace Hymnal (released in March 2010) and led the committee of composers and arrangers that produced more than 1,500 choral, orchestral, and keyboard accompaniments for congregational singing. In July 2013, Mark retired from Celebrating Grace, but remains as an advisor and consultant for many of the Celebrating Grace projects and products. During his extended music ministry in Nashville, Mark was a frequent choral clinician, conference leader, adjunct college instructor, literary writer, and musical arranger. Much of the focus of his music ministry has been congregational singing. His numerous published works include a textbook on congregational singing and dozens of hymn settings for congregation, choir, vocalists, piano, and organ. He has served on two hymnal committees, presided over the Baptist Church Music Conference, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's School of Music. Mark is a south Texan, educated at Howard Payne University and Southwestern Seminary. Mark has two children and five grandchildren (in whom he is well-pleased). He is a deacon at First Baptist Church, Nashville, and chair of the church's Bicentennial Celebration (2020) Steering Committee, but he spends most of his time mentoring church musicians, wood-working, crop-harvesting, and grand-fathering.