Fred Coleman

From 1988-2025, Fred R. Coleman served as the Head of the Church Music Department at BJU and as a full professor in the School of Fine Arts, School of Theology and Global Leadership, and Bob Jones Seminary. He retired in May of 2025 and became an adjunct professor.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Ball State University (1975), a Master of Arts degree in Sacred Music from Bob Jones University (1977), and a Doctorate of Pastoral Theology from Bob Jones Seminary (2014). He has done additional postgraduate study in choral conducting with Eph Ehly (VanderCook School of Music), James Jordan (Westminster Choir College), Rene Clausen (Concordia), and Robert Shaw (Robert Shaw Choral Institute). He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association.

In the Division of Music, Dr. Coleman conducted the University Chorus (1988-2003), the Collegiate Choir (2003-2019), and the Concert Choir (2019-2025). Over the span of 38 years he taught "Introduction to Music Literature," "The History of Congregational Song," "Church Music Leadership," "Music Ministries in the Church," and "Congregational Song Leading" on the undergraduate level. On the graduate level he taught "Hymnody: the Protestant Tradition," "American Hymnody," "Graded Choirs in the Church," "Music & Drama in the Church," and "Choral Literture" from 1988-2019.

In the School of Theology & Global Leadership, he taught "Music in Ministry" to sophomore ministerial students (1988-2019), "Theology of Worship" (2019-present), and "Planning and Leading Gathered Christian Worship" (2019-present).

In the Seminary Dr. Coleman taught "Hymnody: The Protestant Tradition" (2019-present), "American Hymnody" (2019-present), and "Principles and Practices of New Testament Worship" (2019-present). 

He served as a founding committee member of SoundForth Music Publishers. He co-produced and directed seven recordings of the SoundForth Singers and for many years authored "SoundForth Select" (1998-2007), a newsletter with annotated recommendations of choir anthems for local churches.

He created and directed the BJU summer program, "ACCENT on Church Music" (1988-2001), and hosted nationally acclaimed clinicians like Eph Ehly, Helen Kemp, Lloyd Larson, and Ken Philips.

With his wife, Ruth, he has jointly published several individual choral arrangements and collections (Shawnee Press, Lorenz, and SoundForth). They have also compiled and published a hymn supplement, Hymns: Modern & Ancient (Heart Publications). The Colemans have led choral workshops in local churches and at conferences in the United States and abroad. 

Dr. Coleman served on the Executive Advisory Committee of The SING Hymnal (2025) and also contributed the song, Come, My Soul, with Every Care.

Dr. Coleman is an ordained minister and during the last forty-nine years has served as Pastor for Music & Worship in five different churches. For the last twenty years he has served at Hampton Park Baptist Church (Greenville, SC). He and Ruth have two adult children, Kristin (Coleman) Campbell and Miles E. Coleman. They have four grandchildren.

Dr. Coleman especially enjoys traveling, both in the USA and abroad, to sights that nurture his passion for church history and hymnody. He also enjoys bicycling, hiking, and (having grown-up on a farm in southern Indiana) enjoys horticulture and perennial flower gardening.