Biography
As the son of a Southern Baptist Music Minister, Dr. Tatum grew up in towns across
the state of Texas—learning about how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Dr. Tatum has been serving the local church as a minister of music for over thirty
years and is currently the Associate Pastor of Music & Worship at First Baptist Church
Sherwood. Prior to Sherwood, Dr. Tatum served other churches in Texas and Arkansas.
Dr. Tatum has also been a music educator, teaching for several years as an adjunct
professor in the Worship Studies Department at Ouachita. He has also taught for Wayland
Baptist University and Liberty University. Dr. Tatum holds a Ph.D. and M.M. from Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.M. in Music Education from Hardin-Simmons University.
He began his career as a public-school choral director before following God’s call
into music ministry.
In recent years, Dr. Tatum has felt God’s call on his life expand past the local church.
Churches across our state and nation are struggling to find well-trained music and
worship leaders. As a result, God has placed it on Dr. Tatum’s heart to help train
and mentor the next generation of worship leaders whom God is setting apart. According
to Dr. Tatum, there is no greater joy than preparing students to walk into any church,
any size, and any style and be an effective disciple-maker and minister.
Dr. Tatum is very active in music ministry across Arkansas and around our nation.
He is an active participant in the Metro Music Conferences, the Baptist Church Music
Conference, the National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors
Association, and the Society for Christian Scholarship in Music.
Dr. Tatum and his wife, Denise, have three children, Garrett and his wife, Jaden;
Tyson; and Kenzie. They are also grandparents to Edmund.
Q&A
Why did you come to Ouachita?
I truly believe that Ouachita is in a strategic place in worship leadership education.
Our new Worship Studies Degree is like nothing else available to students in our region.
I know that God is uniquely preparing Ouachita to prepare students for roles in worship
leadership and I want to be a part of a program that will impact the church for generations
to come.
Why did you decide to become a professor?
Through my ministry in the past thirty years, God has allowed me witness and navigate
an ever-changing ministry landscape. I have served churches ranging from small rural
towns to large churches in metropolitan areas with many styles and formats. God has
given me great opportunities to lead his people, and I am confident that God is now
calling me to begin mentoring and shaping the next generation of worship leaders whom
he calls out to serve.
Why is your subject an important one in our world?
God calls all of us to different vocations. He calls some to be teachers or entrepreneurs.
He calls others to be nurses or engineers. He calls still others to be lawyers or
doctors. Every believer has a God-given vocation in which they can serve. However,
God has created, called and commanded all of us, no matter our vocation, to be worshipers.
In Scripture, God gave very detailed plans for how the Children of Israel to worship—because
it matters. Today, our world needs well-trained and prepared servants to lead our
times of worship and disciple our congregations.
What do you want future students to know about your degree program?
God is using the Worship Studies Degree to prepare students for the rigors of worship
ministry in the local church. Modern churches are desperately seeking well-rounded
and well-trained worship leaders. They are looking for potential leaders who have
a broad range of skills and experience. The Worship Studies Program at Ouachita seeks
to prepare our students to be able to walk into any church, any size, and any style
and be effective as a leader, a musician, a mentor, and a disciple-maker.
What do you like to do in your free time?
As a new grandparent, I love spending time with my grandson and all our family and
cannot wait for those moments which are far too few. I enjoy working in my woodshop,
cooking new recipes, and am also an avid movie buff.
What has been a meaningful Bible verse or passage for you?
I often turn to the Chronicles as I am thinking about worship. At the dedication worship
service of Solomon’s Temple in 2 Chronicles 5, we read,
“The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one
voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,
in praise to the LORD: For he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.
The temple, the LORD’s temple, was filled with a cloud.
And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the
glory of the LORD filled God’s temple.” (2 Chronicles 5:13-14, CSV)
How I long for the times when we must stop our attempts at worship because of the
glory of God.
