by Gail Beran Neils

For the last five years, music director Gary Talbert has faithfully worked to enhance our times of worship at Bethany. Most of us would assume he chose this occupation. He would say it chose him.

Gary’s dream after graduating from high school was to sail around the world in a boat which his brother had purchased in Norway. When this fell through, Gary looked for an alternative and applied to the University of Oregon in something he was good at—the saxophone. In his junior year, his organist roommate asked Gary to help him lead his church’s choir. Gary accepted, learned he was good at conducting, and was asked to remain on staff.

His experience on staff revealed still more areas in which Gary was gifted. He was encouraged to go into pastoral ministry which resonated with his strong internal pull towards teaching and expounding the Word of God. After some soul searching, Gary decided to apply to Regent College in Vancouver B.C., drawn by the close community and large international student population. He attended, determining to put music aside in order to focus solely on theology.

That didn’t last long. The school’s music director immediately learned of his experience as a choir director and recruited him as a substitute. When he left, Gary took his place. Then, needing an internship for his degree, Gary was urged by a professor to apply for an opening in music ministry at St. John’s Anglican Church. When his internship was over, the church hired him in the same position while he finished his schooling.

After completing his MDiv, Gary moved to Port Townsend where he planned to take a sabbatical in order to contemplate what area of ministry to pursue. While there, the First Presbyterian Church lost their music director and Gary was, again, urged to apply. Gary then felt led to inquire about ordination in the PC(USA) and began searching for a church to take him under care. This eventually led him to Bethany where he is currently in the inquiry phase for ordination.

Since coming to Bethany, Gary has found yet another area of ministry which has captured his heart—outreach to Kenyans. He has become friends with many Kenyans, is a member of the KAPP (Kenya/Aids Prayer & Planning) committee, and has now visited Kenya on two extended trips. Though Gary doesn’t yet know how God is going to weave this into his life, he is pretty sure he knows at least one thing. Whatever it is, it will likely involve music.