PASTOR

Trip has been pastor at Indianola since July 2020. He and his family live in Clintonville and loving being rooted here in the diverse, creative, vibrant city of Columbus.

Trip grew up in the beach town of Pensacola, FL where he received a foundation in the arts, academia, the underground punk scene, coffee houses and the justice work of the civil rights movement. He received his B.A. from Florida State University and M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA.

MUSIC DIRECTOR

Chris has been Director of Music at Indianola Presbyterian Church since 2015. He has served on the faculties of Ohio Wesleyan University (guest conductor of the Choral Art Society) and the Ohio State University-Marion campus where he conducted the University Chorus and has served as guest conductor of festival choirs for the Columbus (Ohio) chapter of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and the 2014 Adams County (Ohio) All-County Choir...

Chris participated in the 2012 Professional Choral Institute (a collaboration between Seraphic Fire and the University of South Florida) as a Conducting Fellow working with Patrick Dupre Quigley and James Bass. In January 2015, he was one of five conductors selected to work with Noel Edison and the 100-plus voice Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Elora Festival Singers as part of TMC’s Emerging Conductors Program. He has served as Chorus Master for Opera Project Columbus and as the artistic director of the Magpie Consort. He is a graduate of Capital University (BM trumpet performance) and The Ohio State University (MM in Choral Conducting) where he studied with Hilary Apfelstadt, Robert J. Ward and Thomas Hart.

KEYBOARDIST

Emily has been keyboardist at Indianola Presbyterian Church since 2024. She is pursuing a

Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at Ohio State University, where she studies with

Dr. Caroline Hong. In addition to her performance studies, Emily is completing her MA in

musicology. She has served as a graduate teaching assistant for the musicology department since

2023, teaching courses including European Music Traditions and History of Rock’n’Roll. Emily

currently serves as president of OSU’s Collegiate Chapter of the Music Teachers National

Association (MTNA).

Prior to coming to Ohio State on a University Fellowship in 2022, Emily earned a Bachelor of

Music in piano performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she

studied with Dr. Dror Biran. While in Cincinnati, Emily won top prizes in Matinee Musicale’s

Nancy F. Walker Scholarship Competition. She is also a two-time recipient of a Three Arts

Scholarship, a prize awarded to women pursuing arts degrees in the greater Cincinnati area.

Associate Pastor Emerita

Susan Warrener Smith was Associate Pastor at Indianola from 1996 until 2009. She was named Associate Pastor Emerita in 2011.

She received her B.A. from Boston University where she majored in History of Art, and she received her M.A. in the same subject from the University of Michigan. She then received her Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies from Drew University where she concentrated in medieval theology and monastic spirituality. Prior to coming to Indianola, Rev. Smith served as Director of Christian Education and then as Temporary Supply for Congregational Nurture at First Presbyterian and Trinity Church in South Orange, NJ. She also served as Temporary Supply for Congregational Nurture, Director of the Kilburn Resource Center, and Christian Education consultant in the Presbytery of Newark. In addition, she taught religion as Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Seton Hall University. Rev. Smith has published numerous articles in the Cistercian Studies Quarterly and has presented at the International Medieval Studies Congress. In the Presbytery of Scioto Valley she has served on the Division of Care of Churches and served as moderator of the Worship Committee. She is currently serving on the Committee on Preparation for Ministry and manages the labyrinth owned by the presbytery and synod. She served for many years as a board member of the Interfaith Center for Peace and at present is a member of the University Interfaith Association at OSU. She is a member of the Columbus chapter of the Torch Club and recently delivered a paper there entitled "Bernard of Clairvaux and Twelve-Step Spirituality."

Music Director Emeritus

Doug was Minister of Music at Indianola from 1969 until 2004 and was named Music Director Emeritus in 2005. With his retirement as an Academic Advisor at OSU, he returned to IPC as Director of the Chancel Choir. He has taught at OSU, Heidelburg College and Denison University. Doug Slusher retired as IPC Choir Director for a second time in 2015.

Doug Slusher graduated from Westminster Choir College with a Bachelors of Music in voice and church music. He later earned both a Masters and a Ph.D. in music from The Ohio State University.