Mary Elizabeth Hancock McCandless
Coordinator, Spiritual Nurture, Springdale Presbyterian Church, PC(USA), Louisville, Kentucky, March ’15 – present. Coordinate the spiritual nurture ministry of the congregation with a focus on children and youth. Support the congregation's ministry with youth. Report to the pastor and Session. Additional administrative work as needed.
Ministry Coordinator for Families with Children in the Home, First Presbyterian Church, PC(USA), Elizabethtown, Kentucky, August ’06 – February '15. Coordinated ministry with and for families. Work with Ministry Teams to develop ministry opportunities that are designed both for families and to be ‘family friendly’. Work with Session council and report to Session. Additional administrative work as needed.
Co-Pastor; First Baptist Church (ABC-USA), Brighton, Colorado. March ’98 -August ’05. Primary responsibilities included planning and leading worship; also provided pastoral leadership to groups responsible for Christian education, missions, and worship. Active church leader in the community; led worship and music for many community events. Also provided leadership and facilitated workshops for regional and national events in the denomination.
Region Associate for Annual Sessions and for Worship Renewal; American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains-ABCRM (ABC-USA), Lakewood, Colorado. ‘95 -‘01. Planned regional meetings for 250 to 400 people (coordinated event location, publicity, registration, organization, speakers and facilitators, etc.) and provided leadership to teams of local volunteers in locations throughout Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. Wrote, promoted and facilitated workshops on worship planning and renewal throughout the region.
Office Administrator; ABCRM (ABC-USA), Lakewood, Colorado. ‘98 -‘01. Managed day-to-day functions of a denominational office responsible to 100 churches in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. Managed and trained various administrative personnel. Worked with accounts payable and receivable; some human resources responsibilities.
Lay Leader; Worship Leader; Choir Director; First Baptist Church (ABC-USA), Limon, Colorado. January ’93 -December ’97. Provided lay leadership to groups responsible for Christian education, missions, and worship. Helped transition congregation through the retirement of a choir director with 40 plus years of service – maintaining the standard of excellence he had set while introducing the congregation to newer expressions of praise and worship. Active church leader in the community; led worship and music for many community events. Also provided leadership for regional and national events in the denomination.
Choir Director; First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Sullivan, Indiana. Fall ’91 through early winter ’92. Primary responsibilities included planning and leading the sanctuary choir (adults). Also was asked by the pastor for input/ideas for hymn selection for worship.
Section Leader/Soloist; Calvary Episcopal Church (ECUSA), Louisville, Kentucky. Fall ’87 -winter ’90. Primary responsibilities included providing vocal leadership to the alto section of the choir and singing assigned solos in weekly rehearsal and worship.
Section Leader/Soloist; The Presbyterian Church, Bowling Green (PCUSA), Kentucky. Fall ’82 - spring ’87. Primary responsibilities included providing vocal leadership to the alto section of the choir and singing assigned solos in weekly rehearsal and worship. Also led a children’s choir for one year of that experience.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance)
Western Kentucky University, May 1987.
Western Kentucky University, May 1987.
Master of Divinity (Concentration in Educational Ministry)
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, May 2016.
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, May 2016.
CONTINUING EDUCATION EVENTS
Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Skills
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, August 2009
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry
Children's Defense Fund, Alex Haley Farm, Clinton, TN, July 2009
PC(USA) Big Tent - Multicultural Church track
(with Building Beloved Community pre-event training)
Atlanta, GA, June 2009
Local Mid-Kentucky Presbytery events since 2006.
Additional educational workshops and training events through American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains and ABC-USA including a Christian Writers’ Conference and Church Musicians’ Conference at the American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, Wisconsin and intensive continuing education experiences in Worship (Robert Webber); Study of Psalms (Graves/Snow Flesher); Church Renewal (Bandy).
LEADERSHIP EVENTS
The Acts 16:5 Initiative
Collaborate and participate with a team from FPC Elizabethtown, 2007-present.
Student Member, Cultural Diversity Committee
LPTS, fall 2009-present.
Co-facilitator, Children's Sabbath Workshop
with Martha Bettis Gee at Mid-Kentucky Presbytery's fall educational event, P.A.R.T.I., September 2009
Student Member, Academic Committee
LPTS, 2008-2009
Facilitator, Family Ministry Workshop
for UMC Christian Educators in northern Ohio, 2007
Also have facilitated and participated in additional learning and leadership experiences in Worship Renewal and Church Renewal on a local (inter-denominational) level, on a regional (denominational) level and have participated in leadership development on a national level when affiliated with American Baptist Churches (USA) including the following:
Worship leader for the national Women’s Biennial Conference at the June 2005 ABC-USA Biennial in Denver, Colorado. 2005.
Region representative selected by national staff as a top visionary thinker/leader in ABCRM for the NewLife 2010 Mid-Course Gathering in Las Vegas Nevada. 2004
Region Representative for a national Worship Renewal event to train facilitators for Worship Renewal Workshops and Events at the Region level. 1999.
Song leader for the national Women’s Gathering, American Baptist Women’s Ministries, Green Lake Wisconsin, and training at that gathering to facilitate Women’s “Oasis” Retreats at the Region level. 1997.
ADDITIONAL MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
• 20+ years experience teaching in Sunday School/Church School to children and adults ages 3 to 93.
• 20+ years experience teaching/leading/facilitating Bible study for youth and adults.
• 20+ years experience teaching/leading/facilitating seasonal/liturgical events/experiences - all ages.
• 20+ years experience planning/leading worship experiences for children, youth and adults.
• 10+ years experience leading worship experiences for large denominational and ecumenical events.
• 10+ years experience planning, writing and leading regional workshops on Worship Renewal.
• 5+ years experience planning, writing and leading regional workshops on Church Renewal.
• Licensed to preach, American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains, 2000-2004.
• Local Ordination to Christian Ministry, First Baptist Church, Brighton, Colorado, December 2003.
• Current knowledge of trends in working with children and teenagers through study and practice.
• Current knowledge of trends in public, private, parochial and home education through study and practice.
• Current knowledge of trends in technology through varied administrative work experiences.
• Highly experienced with oral and written presentations including training, facilitating workshops, and participating in collaborative visioning events on a local, regional and national level.
• Highly experienced in worship planning and leading worship in the local church.
• Strong desire to achieve excellence in all pursuits.
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Classified Advertising Sales; The News-Enterprise, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Fall ‘05-Summer ‘O6. Worked on a team of sales representatives selling classified advertising for placement in 30 publications including The News-Enterprise. Involved customer service and computer skills.
Placement/Scheduling Coordinator; Eldercare Connections, Thornton, Colorado. Winter ’00-Fall ’00. Administrative work that included scheduling in-home companion care for senior adults. Worked with seniors and their adult children in coordinating the needed level of in-home care.
Classified Advertising Sales; Typesetting; Layout; The Limon-Leader, Limon, Colorado. Winter ’93 Spring ’94. Worked in a small weekly newspaper taking, typing, laying out classified advertising. Also did other typesetting and layout as needed.
Floor Manager; Isle of Erin Bridals, Terre Haute, IN. Winter ’91-Winter ’93. Responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of a privately owned bridal shop. Also worked with owner on merchandising, wedding coordination and some buying.
Substitute Teacher and Private Voice Teacher; Kentucky, Indiana and Colorado. As available or as needed.
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
Classified Advertising Sales; The News-Enterprise, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Fall ‘05-Summer ‘O6. Worked on a team of sales representatives selling classified advertising for placement in 30 publications including The News-Enterprise. Involved customer service and computer skills.
Placement/Scheduling Coordinator; Eldercare Connections, Thornton, Colorado. Winter ’00-Fall ’00. Administrative work that included scheduling in-home companion care for senior adults. Worked with seniors and their adult children in coordinating the needed level of in-home care.
Classified Advertising Sales; Typesetting; Layout; The Limon-Leader, Limon, Colorado. Winter ’93 Spring ’94. Worked in a small weekly newspaper taking, typing, laying out classified advertising. Also did other typesetting and layout as needed.
Floor Manager; Isle of Erin Bridals, Terre Haute, IN. Winter ’91-Winter ’93. Responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of a privately owned bridal shop. Also worked with owner on merchandising, wedding coordination and some buying.
Substitute Teacher and Private Voice Teacher; Kentucky, Indiana and Colorado. As available or as needed.
