Master teachers, mentors, friends.

Jarrod Richey

Music Pedagogy & Hymnody

As RSA’s Academic Dean, Jarrod shapes the school’s pedagogical core and leads the music program with a deep love of psalmody, hymnody, and the long Reformed tradition of singing the Church into being. He brings years of classroom and choir-loft experience to every cohort.

Educational Background

B.A. in Music, Louisiana Tech University; M.M., University of Louisiana at Monroe; PhD student in Church Music & Worship; Kodály Certification.

Experience

On staff in church music ministry since 2005, beginning at Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church in media, communications, and choral music. Now oversees music, choir, and media at Church of the Redeemer, where he serves as choir and music director and leads the church’s hymnal and music projects. Author of BACH to the FUTURE: Fostering Music Literacy Today; general editor and contributing author of Raise the Song: A Classical Christian Guide to Music Education (ACCS, 2019). Writes Musically Speaking on Substack.

Teaching Subjects

Music Pedagogy, Hymnody, and Keyboard Methods.

Scott Aniol

Music History, Aesthetics & Worship

Scott is a writer, lecturer, and minister whose work centers on the history and theology of Christian worship and the aesthetics of sacred music. At RSA he traces the long conversation about beauty and the body of Christ — from the psalter to the present day — with students preparing to serve their churches as musicians.

Educational Background

B.A. in Church Music, Bob Jones University; M.A. in Theological Studies, SWBTS; M.A. in Aesthetics, Northern Illinois University; PhD in Church Music. Graduate study in church music, hymnology, and choral conducting at Concordia University.

Experience

President of G3 Ministries; Professor of Pastoral Theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary; elder at Pray’s Mill Baptist Church, Douglasville, GA. Founder of Religious Affections Ministries (2008); former director of worship doctoral programs at SWBTS. Author of several books and numerous articles on culture, worship, aesthetics, and church ministry philosophy.

Teaching Subjects

Music History, Aesthetics, & Worship.

Nathanael Medlin

Music Theory & Vocal Performance

A resident of Monroe, Nathanael’s diverse musical background began at the age of five. Alongside his performing career, he is deeply committed to teaching, drawing from his expertise to nurture RSA students in vocal performance and performance art.

Educational Background

B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisiana at Monroe (2015), under the tutelage of Dr. Julian Jones and Dr. Claire Vangelisti; M.M. in Vocal Performance with distinction from Baylor University (2020).

Experience

Leading undergraduate roles in Les Misérables and Chicago; operatic appearances in Signor Deluso and L’Orfeo at Baylor. International stages in Aveiro, Portugal, and collaborations with LA’Opera in Tosca and Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Teaching Subjects

Music Theory & Vocal Performance.

Anna Saunders

Culinary & Hospitality

Anna discovered cooking at age seven on her family’s farm in the Ozarks and has since chased the craft into Michelin-starred kitchens across Ireland, Germany, South Africa, and Norway. As RSA’s lead culinary instructor, she pulls students into the rhythm and joy of the kitchen — learning the foundational skills of food preparation, presentation, and the central place hospitality holds in the promotion and growth of God’s kingdom – students grow in the biblical vision of the table as a manifestation of the love of God.

Educational Background

Self-taught through Michelin-starred kitchens and culinary adventures in Ireland, Germany, South Africa, and Norway; Certified Nutritional Health Coach.

Experience

Winner, Food Network’s Chopped at Home; first place, Show Me Chefs; Chef of the Year, Feast Magazine; fourth place, World Food Championships. Now based in Panama City, FL with her husband Wesley.

Teaching Subjects

Culinary Foundations · Hygge & Holistic Wellness.

Lily Douglas

PASTRY & HOSPITALITY

A talented chef from Granbury, Texas, Lily’s passion for the culinary arts is matched by her heart for hospitality and fellowship. She sees cooking not just as a craft, but as an art that reflects beauty, culture, and the biblical significance of gathering around the table — some of her favorite memories were made at her family’s table, sharing meals and preparing food together.

Educational Background

Graduated with honors from The Culinary School of Fort Worth.

Experience

Fine dining across the DFW area, including the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Trained under the renowned Torres brothers at the three-Michelin-star Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona. Currently Head Pastry Chef at Baked! Bread and Pastry Co.

Teaching Subjects

Pastry and Hospitality.

Joshua Appel

Gastronomy & Theology of Food

Joshua has balanced dual careers as a college professor and pastor for over 20 years, reflecting his passion for both education and shepherding. He will lead RSA students through a joyful history and theology of the culinary world as an adjunct faculty member.

Educational Background

B.A. in Liberal Arts and Culture, Summa Cum Laude, from New Saint Andrews College (2001); M.A. in Christian Thought from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando; graduate coursework in philosophy at Gonzaga University.

Experience

Over 20 years as a college professor and pastor. Currently a Fellow of Humanities at New Saint Andrews College, teaching theology and gastronomy, and pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow. Author of the companion study guide to Peter Leithart’s A House for My Name (Canon Press, 2010).

Teaching Subjects

Gastronomy & Theology of Food.

Melissa Cross

Culinary Assistant

Steve Wilkins

THEOLOGY OF FOOD, FEASTING, & WORSHIP

RSA began out of Pastor Wilkins’ conviction that the Church herself should raise up the next generation of musicians, cooks, and artists — forming them inside the life and fellowship of a local body, where faith, craft, and community shape one another. He continues to teach the school’s theological core and to oversee its work as Board President.

Educational Background

B.S. in Pre-Law, University of Alabama; M.Div., Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (1976).

Experience

48 years in ministry and over 20 years in classical education. Pastor of Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church, Monroe, LA from 1989 to 2018 — the same congregation that, on April 15, 2018, began worshipping in West Monroe and became Church of the Redeemer. Author of Face to Face: Meditations on Friendship & Hospitality and several other books.

Teaching Subjects

Theology of the Arts & Worship Theology.

John Hodges

AESTHETICS & MEANING IN MUSIC & ART

Conductor of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, composer, and lecturer of more than two decades, John walks RSA students into the philosophical conversation behind every art form — why beauty matters, what makes a work true, and how the disciplines of music and the visual arts illumine one another. He brings the same warmth to the seminar room that he brings to the podium.

Educational Background

M.M., Indiana University (1983).

Experience

26 years conducting orchestras and choruses; 14 years in church music. Former Associate Professor of Arts and Culture at Crichton College and Music Director at Second Presbyterian, Memphis. Founder of the Institute for the Arts and Cultural Apologetics and the Center for Western Studies.

Teaching Subjects

Aesthetics in Music & Art.

Bethany Wilkins

Drawing, Painting & Foundations

Bethany leads the Visual Arts track at RSA, training students in classical foundations — drawing from observation, color, the structure of the figure, and the long Christian conversation about the image. She brings a working artist’s eye and a teacher’s patience to the studio, forming students who can both make and read a picture well.

Educational Background

B.A. in Fine Art, University of Idaho.

Experience

25 years teaching fine art, art history, Spanish, and ESL — currently directing the fine art program at Geneva Academy, where she has also led the annual art show for nearly two decades. Missionary in Guatemala; instructor at Logos Teacher Training, Moscow, ID. Nominated Northeast Louisiana Arts Educator of the Year (2022); guest lecturer, Classical Thistle Conference at the School of the Ozarks (2024). Founder of the Imago Dei Art Camp & Academy in West Monroe, LA (Summer 2026).

Teaching Subjects

Visual Art, Drawing, Painting.