The Music Ministry of Central United Methodist Church is unusually blessed with gifted, well-qualified staff. Our director-teachers have undergraduate or graduate degrees in Music Education, Music Performance, or Education with Music Emphasis.

Music and the Arts Staff
Donald E. Morse - Minister of Worship and The Arts
Since 1982, Don Morse has served as Minister of Music, Worship and The Arts at Central United Methodist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where he coordinates all musical ensembles, worship experiences, the visual arts, theatre arts, and communications.       He is a graduate of Boston University School for the Arts, and The School of Theology at Boston University, with degrees in Sacred Music, Organ Performance, and Choral Conducting, and completed additional graduate study at Westminster Choir College at Princeton.
He has held regional and national offices in the Music Educator's National Conference in the American Choral Directors Associ-ation, and in the American Guild of Organists.  As a choral conductor, he has been guest clinician for numerous regional and all-state festivals, national   religious gatherings, MENC Choral Festivals, AGO Conven-tions and Services, and ACDA Choral workshops and conventions.
Mr. Morse is President of the Board of Trustees for the Alliacne for Arts and Understanding, an international organization seeking to foster cultural awareness and acceptance through the fine Arts. He also serves as Festival Director for many of that organization's international Music Festivals. For the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church Board of Discipleship, he has served as chair of the Music, Worship, and Arts Section. Additionally, he serves as consultant to many churches and schools in the areas of organ design, staff development, hymnody, and facilities planning.
Please take a look at the Music and the Arts page for more information about our ministry.

Stephen Hilderbrand - Minister of Contemporary Worship Leader
A native of north central Ohio, Steve relocated to Phoenix in March of 1987.  He “found” Central United Methodist Church on Christmas Eve that year and has been associated with UMC ever since.

His association with church music began when he was four years old, standing on a stool in the church basement, singing “Jesus Loves Me” at a church potluck.  While attending the Ohio State University, he was hired as director of music for Brookshire United Methodist Church, where he served as organist, directed two adult choirs, a bell choir, and supervised the children’s music ministry.  During this time Steve was also active in professional theatre as a singer/dancer/actor and rehearsal accompanist, and later expanded into musical directing and conducting.

At Central Church, Steve was a founding member of and the first artistic director for, Central Community Theatre (CCT).  His contributions helped CCT become a respected member of the Phoenix theatre community.  Currently, he is responsible for the 9:30 Contemporary Service, where he serves as Worship Leader and Music Director/pianist.

In addition to his position at Central Church, Steve serves as resident musical director for Theater Works in Peoria, Arizona and is a flight attendant, trainer and curriculum developer for US Airways.

Dr. Craig Westendorf - Music Associate, Organist & Bellmaster