Our Worship Leader
Ward Ferguson comes to Epicenter Church as Worship Leader on January 1, 2008. He comes to us from the 5000-member St Luke's United Methodist Church in Orlando, where he has served as Director of Contemporary Worship the last few years. Ward is a graduate of Auburn University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design and Technology. Over the last dozen years, Ward has worked both in theater and in music (and obviously, in musical theater).
Paul Nixon first met Ward at a national event for leadership teams of large churches. At this event, the keyboard person for a major worship service was unable to make it, leaving the band to proceed without a piano. Five minutes before the service Ward wandered down to the band leader to ask if anyone was going to play the piano. He offered to step in, but was told that a lot of the music for the night was not stuff he would know and that the charts for keyboard were "rough and non-existant." Ward persisted in his offer and played with the band, improvising on songs he had never heard before, basically tearing up the piano. At one point, the band leader introduced him, saying, "This is Ward Ferguson on piano, and we met him five minutes ago."
Paul reflects on that night: "This guy not only was an amazing improvisational musician - but he threw his head back and had such fun in the process. I realized that he was not performing. He was just having fun in the presence of God. It wasn't about right notes, it was about celebrating the joy of life lived trusting God. This is what I have found so often missing in worship - a holy and joyful sense of abandon, that moves beyond performance into something deeper. I wanted Epicenter to have a worship leader who could take us to that place. I believe Ward can do that."
Ward shares these thoughts on his decision to leave one of the largest United Methodist churches in the country for a church that is just starting up: "I wandered into a church after several years of not worshiping regularly and at a very low point in my life. As I was waiting for the service to begin, I noticed a small advertisement in the bulletin for a part time assistant to the Worship Director and piano player. After the service I tentatively made a decision to apply for the job. Two weeks later I was working at the church. Two months later my boss left for another opportunity and I was asked to hold down the fort until his replacement was found. I then was asked to run the program. If that wasn't the hand of God pointing me in a direction... well, let's just say he couldn't have been more clear. Three years and several job titles later, I feel I have grown on my journey with God, as a person and as a musician. I have St. Luke's and the work God is doing through that church to thank for that. And that is the reason I feel so strongly about making working with Paul and Epicenter the next chapter in my life. This possibility came totally unsolicited - I wasn't looking to leave Orlando. Paul could have skipped the worship service where we met. The group's piano player could have shown up. I could have stunk up the place with my playing. Some may call it a fluke or coincidence; I call it God not so gently nudging a guy, who sometimes has trouble listening, into what He has planned for me."
Epicenter Church is a new Christian Faith community focused on serving the people who live in the urban expanse of greater Washington DC.