I want to take a moment to celebrate the arrival of our new Minister of Music and Worship. Yesterday, July 13, marked Laura Ritter’s first Sunday with us!
As a reminder, Laura most recently served as the Director of Music and Worship and Organist at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Seneca, SC, as well as the Director of the University Choir and Women’s Choir at Anderson University. She is also the founder and artistic director of Young Voices of the Foothills—a community choir for children with three locations.
Prior to moving to South Carolina, Laura served as Department Chair and Director of Choral Activities at Walters State Community College in her hometown of Morristown, TN, while also directing music at First United Methodist Church of Jefferson City, TN. She has worked extensively as a music director and accompanist for musical theatre productions with Encore Theatrical Company, Clemson Little Theatre, Centre Stage Greenville, and Clemson University.
Laura earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral Music Education from Furman University and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Illinois. She pursued further graduate work in Organ Performance at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Laura currently sings with the Greenville Chorale and is a member of the Herring Chamber Ensemble. She is a gifted and versatile musician with a wealth of experience spanning church music, academia, musical theatre, and children’s choirs.
Laura is married to Greg, a human resources specialist who enjoys golf, singing and attending UTK sports events. They have one son, Cameron, who lives with his wife, Madelyn, in Raleigh, NC.
Thank you again to the Music Minister Search Committee—Beverly Lambert, Greg Crowe, Jane Morlan, Pam Jones, Robert Farrar, and Wesley Smith—for their dedication and hard work throughout this process.
We are thrilled to have Laura join our ministerial team. To officially celebrate her arrival, we will host a welcome reception after worship on Sunday, August 17.
—Carol McEntyre, Senior Minister