Mike Farnell hails from San Antonio. He holds the Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University and the Master of Music degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with concentrations in music ministry and in composition.

Mike came to us from Northwest Baptist Church, Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1996. He has been music director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has served on faculty at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Church Music week at Glorietta, Texas Baptist Music Conference, and Oklahoma Handbell Festival.  He has been guest lecturer at Latvian Christian Music Academy, Dallas Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Baylor University.  He has served on or led missions teams to South Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Florida, West Virginia, New Jersey, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, Latvia and Lithuania.

He and his wife have three children.

Rusty Goodman is currently the worship minister at Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Oklahoma.  He has performed and led worship all over Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, Mexico, even Guatemala.  Goodman has released two CD's:  God Has Blessed Me (2001) and Eternal (2005).  He has been on many mission trips, been a part of many ministries, and led worship for various occasions including Youth Camps, Disciple Now's, Youth Rallys, Revivals and much more.  Rusty and his wife Melinda have four children:  Tim, Sue Ann, Sayra and Ryan.

Bruce Greer, Pianist

As a young child, Bruce Greer would climb up on the piano bench and play, by ear, things he had heard on TV or the radio. Eventually Greer discovered his older sister’s piano books and taught himself to read the notes. From that moment on music has captivated his life. Bruce went on to study piano and eventually make music his chosen career, and that career has taken his music across America, and around the world. He has had the opportunity to play and sing in Singapore, Malaysia, England, across Canada as well as all over the United States.

A native of Longview, Texas, Bruce recalls arranging hymns for choir and piano by age twelve. By the time he was in high school, Greer’s compositions were being performed by his church and school choirs. During his senior year, his school choir used one of his pieces, “We Are Thy People,” for UIL competition. Another choral composition, “Prayer of Joy,” which was also written for his high school choir, went on the following year to become his first published work. This interest led Greer to Baylor University on full scholarship where he graduated with honors as the outstanding Senior Man in 1984 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Theory and Composition. Upon graduation, Bruce went to work as a Creative Director for Word Records and Music, the world’s largest producer of Christian music. Bruce spent six years as a songwriter, arranger and producer for Word Music, recording several projects as a piano artist. Because of Word’s worldwide distribution those early piano recordings brought recognition and interest from all over the world for Bruce’s piano artistry. He began feeling God’s call on his life and in 1990 Bruce took a step of faith and left Word to pursue a full-time writing and concert career.

Since that time, through God’s provision, Greer has had hundreds of choral, orchestral, and piano works published. In 1999, Bruce was awarded a Dove Award, the Christian Music Industry’s highest honor and comparable to a Grammy, for Musical of the Year, “Mary, Did You Know?” Also in 1999 he received the honor of being named a Distinguished Alumnus of Longview High School. Bruce is very proud of this honor. He has done extensive concert and recording work as a solo artist and also with vocalist extraordinaire, Cynthia Clawson. An interesting, almost hidden facet to his ministry is his voice. Few people seem to know of Bruce’s love of singing, which as a teenager had earned him a place in the Texas UIL All State Choir for three years. Today, Bruce continues to make singing a vital part of his ministry.

Whether by himself, with Cynthia, or in conjunction with a choir through a "guest composer weekend", Bruce Greer's concert ministry is a unique blend of solo piano, vocal solo selections and spoken word rich in content, musical variety and style. Bruce's versatility gives him an appeal to all ages and tastes. His musical gifts at the piano are extraordinarily impeccable, his vocal styling is sensitive and touching, and his choral and orchestral arrangements are fresh and creative.

The driving force and support for all that Bruce does in the music field comes from his family. He married the love of his life and childhood sweetheart, Kim, over twenty years ago. She has kept the home fires burning brightly while Bruce goes and shares his God given gifts and talents with people everywhere. Bruce and his wife Kim live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are the proud parents of four boys (quickly growing into men!): Gavin, Mitchell, Preston, and Corbin.

Dr. Kenneth Kilgore and the St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church Choir.  Dr. Kilgore is a native of Oklahoma City. He holds a B.S. degree in education from Bishop College in Dallas and the Master of Education degree from Langston University.  Kenneth has completed his doctoral degree in educational administration at Oklahoma State University.  He studied organ with Dr. Antone Godding at Oklahoma City University.

Kenneth has been Minister of Music at St. John Missionary Baptist Church since 1970. He is responsible for the tape ministry, orchestra, vocal music, drama department, and the praise/devotion committee.  The St. John Fine Arts Department consists of over 350 members.

In 1995, St. John celebrated Kilgore's 25thyear as their minister of music. During Kenneth's tenure, the music department has been recognized as a model for the Church in the areas of organizational structure, departmental growth and sound music programming for all age groups, from nursery school children to sacred music for senior citizens. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Ambassadors Concert Choir, a community choir in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Kilgore has been a guest clinician in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Washington, D.C.  He is Assistant Chapter Representative in Oklahoma for the James Cleveland Gospel Music Workshop of America.  Kenneth has been a consultant to many churches and pastors on the development of a well-balanced church music program.  In 1997, Kilgore was guest clinician for the Sacred Choral Music Workshop sponsored by the Dallas Metroplex Chapter of the National Association of Negro Musicians.

Numerous honors have been bestowed on Dr. Kilgore: 1992:  Kilgore and the Ambassadors' Concert Choir were inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame;1995:  Received the Arts & Letters Conducting Award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 1996:  Awarded the State of Oklahoma Arts Award by Governor Frank Keating and the Faithful Service Award for 10 years of service to the OK chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.  1997: Received the Oklahoma Musician of the Year Award from the OK Federation of Music Clubs.  2000-01: Cited in Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities.  1984: Awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Excellence in Performance by Langston University; 1982:  Named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America.  In addition, Kilgore has received awards and citations from churches and civic organizations for service given and musical excellence.

Dr. Kilgore and the Ambassadors have been the special guest of Maestro Herrara de la Fuente and the Mineria Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City in 1987.  They returned for two command performances in 1991 and 1994.  The choir has appeared before the joint session of the Oklahoma Legislature, and has presented a program with internationally known baritone opera singer Simon Estes. I n 1994 Dr. Kilgore and opera singer Leona Mitchell collaborated in a concert with the Ambassadors on the campus of Oklahoma City University.

The Ambassadors received national acclaim in1996 when they performed on national television during the first anniversary commemorative service of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.  The Choir performed with Vince Gill in November 2002 at the dedication of the Oklahoma state capitol dome.  The Ambassadors have been the guests of the Canterbury Choral Society at their Christmas concerts on three occasions.

Dr. Lessie Lesure is a long time member of Holy Temple Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK where she serves under the leadership of her pastor, Dr. George E. Young, Sr.  She has been involved in music ministry, beginning with the children’s choir at her home church in McAlester, OK; and continued her involvement with high school and college choirs.  She is a long time member of the Ambassadors’ Concert Choir.  Dr. Lesure is a lover, supporter and continual student of music and the fine arts.  She fully understands the joy, peace and understanding that music brings to the soul.  She is the Fine Arts Ministry Leader at her church.

Maria J. Monteiro and the Rondalla de las Americas.  Maria Monteiro is Assistant Professor of Music at Baptist University of the Americas.  She holds the BM and MM in Music History and Literature from Baylor University, and a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Musicology from Duke University.  A native of Brazil, she serves as Music Director for the Spanish Services at Primera Iglesia Bautista in San Antonio.

The Rondalla de las Americas performs traditional and contemporary Mexican Christian Music.  In typical "rondalla" style, the group features a guitar soloist who plays all the "requintos" while all other guitar players perform in unison.  The guitarron alone plays the bass line.  All compositions are written and performed in Spanish.

John "Yafke" Timothy is a member of the Muscogee "Creek" Nation of Oklahoma, Wind Clan, Koweta Tribal Town and a member of the Little Koweta Indian Baptist Church. Lenna, OK.

Born in Muskogee ,OK (Muscogee "Creek" Nation) John has spent his life in pursuit of a life in the arts, however John says "The arts pursued me!"

John's Uncle the late Buddy "Mason" Scott an award winning flute maker guided his nephew along a path that would change his life. After a few years of discipline, John began sharing the music in a style that he felt best represented American Indian culture. Later John began blending the traditional with Christian influence. "So many are unaware of just how firmly the American Indian community embrace Christianity, for example glass beads and horses are not native to this land, just as our people have embraced them, the same is true of God's written word."

John plays a river cane flute, for centuries this has remained the traditional material used by the Muscogee people for weaving baskets, blow guns for hunting and other tools.

John serves as cultural Interpreter of the Ataloa Lodge Museum on the campus of Bacone College in Muskogee, OK which was built on land given by the Muscogee "Creek" Nation.

Performances too many to list include the Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma's Red Earth Festival and Bacone College's Annual Commencement Ceremony,  John has been playing professionally and strictly by request for 16 years.