Al Hawkins, Artistic Director

Richard Jansma, Executive Director
Richard graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College with a BA in Secondary Music Education. He has directed several school and church choirs and is currently a member of the Gracepoint Church Choir, Deo Cantamus and Evangelion. Richard has also been a member of the Faithful Men Quartet for the past 14 years. He lives in North St Paul with his wife Chris. They have two grown children, Laura and Leah, and two growing grandchildren, Abi (11) and Amelia (6).

Charlene Macalus, Secretary/Treasurer
Charlene serves as secretary and treasurer of Deo Cantamus.  She earned a B.S. in business with concentrations in both management and marketing from Pensacola Christian College and is currently working on an MBA from Bethel University.  She is employed as a strategic sourcing manager at Cliffs Natural Resources in Duluth, MN and is a member of Faith Baptist Church in Hermantown, where she serves in the music ministry and in other areas.  In addition to the arts, her interests include reading, cooking, knitting, traveling, and drinking over-priced, sugar-packed coffee with friends.

Aleta Jackson, Director
Aleta received a B. S. in English Education from Bob Jones University.  While there, she studied flute under the direction of Dr. Karen Kuehmann and played in the University's Flute Choir and Flute Ensemble.  She is a member of Fourth Baptist Church where she serves in the music ministry.  She and her husband Rick live in St. Michael, MN, with their 3 children, Davey, Clay and Finley.

Sarah Joseph, Director
Sarah Joseph graduated from Clearwater Christian College with an associates degree in arts. While attending Clearwater she enjoyed performing in both the dramatic and musical productions and traveling with the concert choir. Currently, Sarah is employed by Wells Fargo Bank where she works as an investment consultant. She lives in Isanti, MN with her husband Richard. She enjoys opera, theatre, dance, traveling and spending time with family.  Sarah is a member of First Baptist Church in Saint Francis, MN where she and Richard are actively involved in the music ministry.

Dr. Dean Kurtz, Director
Dean holds a B.S. in Music Education and a B.S. in Bible from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, in Owatonna MN, a M.Sac. Mus. from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL, and a D. Min. from Calvary Baptist Seminary in Lansdale, PA. After 25 years in Lansdale as music pastor, teacher, and adjunct seminary professor Dean resigned from full time music ministry and has just recently completed his first book God's Word, the Final Word on Worship and Music. He continues to write other materials on worship and music for his website worshipintheword.org. While residing in Watertown WI with his wife Brenda and two girls, Sarah and Colette he is also serving as adjunct professor at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and assistant at Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown. He speaks often on worship and church music here and abroad and enjoys the outdoors.

Jennifer Markgraf, Director
Jennifer graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, WI, with a Church Ministry/Music Major. She has taught elementary music and piano at Schaumburg Christian School in Schaumburg, IL, and Fourth Baptist Christian School in Plymouth, MN. In addition, she has taught piano privately for the past 12 years. She is currently a member of Fourth Baptist Church, where she is involved in the music ministry as a piano accompanist and director of the Junior Children's Choir. She lives in Plymouth, MN, with husband Eric and their three children, Morgen, Carsten, and Ethan.

Caleb Sandahl, Director
Caleb graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in 2004 with a B.S. in Music, B.S. in Bible and a minor in Pastoral Studies. He also holds a M.S. Business Management from Colorado Technical University. During his college career, he sang with the traveling ensembles Hallelujah Voices and Singing His Praise. The Sandahls have been involved in music ministry at First Baptist Church in Faribault, MN for several years. Caleb is the choral director, and his wife, Sara, is the accompanist for choir, congregation and special music.  Currently, Caleb teaches voice lessons and music theory, while Sara teaches piano lessons and Kindermusic. Together,they are working toward developing a music studio called Expression Music Studio in Owatonna, MN. They have three children, Hope, Oliver and Chloe.

Kevin Suiter, Director
Kevin graduated from Appalachian Bible College in Bradley WV with a B.A. in Bible and Theology. He holds a M.Sac. Mus. from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL, and a D.M. A. in conducting from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. After twenty-seven years of church music ministry and Bible College teaching experience, he joined the music faculty of Northland International University in Dunbar WI in 2007 where he now serves as Director of Fine Arts.  His teaching areas include private voice, church music, conducting, and music philosophy.  He also directs the Concert Choir and coaches the Northern Lights traveling ensemble. He and his wife, Grace, who serves on the NIU piano faculty, are active in the music ministry of Faith Baptist Church in Pembine WI. 

Terry Veth, Director
Terry, has served as the executive director of Deo Cantamus, and holds a B.A. in Classics and a M.A. in Library Science from the University of Minnesota. He is a retired librarian and former department head at Minneapolis Public Library. He and his wife Ann live in Plymouth, MN, and have one married daughter. Terry has many years of musical training in piano and organ, but he has experience in brass, strings, and percussion as well.