David Toledo, Ph.D.

Dr. David Toledo is the Associate Dean for Academic Effectiveness and Associate Professor of Music in the School of Performing Arts at California Baptist University. He also serves as the Associate Worship Director at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, CA.

A native of Louisiana, David Toledo received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After graduation, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he pursued graduate work at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received his Master of Music in Music Ministry in May 2007. In December 2012, he graduated with his Ph.D. in Church Music with a dissertation entitled "Imaging God in Private and Corporate Worship: The Imago Dei as a Divine Call to All Believers."

Before he arrived at Cal Baptist, Dr. Toledo served as Assistant Professor of Music Ministry and Assistant Dean of the Performance Division in the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. At Southwestern, he taught undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses in worship, music ministry, philosophy, and music history. Dr. Toledo served as the Associate Pastor of Worship & Creative Arts at First Baptist Church in Keller, Texas, where he led a creative arts ministry that included over 700 children, students, and adults every week. He was co-founder and Executive Director of the Fort Worth Children’s Choir.

Dr. Toledo is under contract with Routledge Press for a book to be published in 2025 titled "Music and Leadership: The Nature and Role of Aesthetics in Orchestrating Successful Organizations." David has presented papers and lectures for numerous national meetings of church music and theological organizations, including The Evangelical Theological Society, The Hymn Society in North America and Canada, and the Baptist Church Music Conference. He has several articles and book reviews published in scholarly journals. He has served as a consultant, guest clinician, and speaker for churches, state conventions, and seminaries throughout the United States and internationally.

Theology, History, and Practice of Worship
Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Research Methods in Worship Studies
Theology and History of Worship
Musical Expressions and Arts in Worship
History of Church Music
Theological Foundations of Worship I
Liturgy and Worship Planning
Theological Foundations of Worship II
Contemporary Issues in Worship and Ministry
Conducting and Rehearsal Techniques
The Christian Artist, Aesthetics, and Creativity
Lancer Chorus
Music History III
Worship Project
Worship Technology
History of Music and Worship in the Church
Leadership for Worship Ministry II

Higher Education Leadership and Administration
Music and Worship in Christian Higher Education
Liturgical/Worship Studies
Biblical Anthropology
Choral Music

Doctoral Seminars:
Research in Congregational Song: British Hymnody
Research in Congregational Song: Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Hymnody
Research in Aesthetics: Worship and Biblical Anthropology
Research in Theology and Worship: Trinitarian Theology
Research in Worship History: Old Testament Worship

Graduate Courses:
Arts, Architecture, and Aesthetics in Artistic Ministry
Church Music Education I (Children)
Church Music Education II (Students, Adults, Senior Adults)
Comparative Liturgies
Congregational Song
Contemporary Worship Leadership
Directed Study in Childhood Music Education
Financial Management and Administration in Ministry
Influence of Popular Styles on Christian Worship
Internship and Research Project I
Issues in Church Music Education
Performance Lab
The Psalms
Spiritual Formation
Supervised Ministry I
Supervised Ministry II
Theological Foundations for Worship I
Worship Arts - Authentic Expressions of Faith
Worship Ministry Project (Capstone Project for Master of Arts in Worship)

Undergraduate Courses:
Biblical Foundations of Worship
Culture, Philosophy, and Worship
Financial Management and Administration in Ministry
Fine Arts Perspectives on Life
Music History III (Romantic Era to the Present)
Theory and Musicianship I

Books:
Music and Leadership: The Nature and Role of Aesthetics in Orchestrating Successful Organizations. (forthcoming, Routledge)

Publications:
“Christian Higher Education and the Great Commission.” Journal of Faith in the Academic Profession (August 2022): 1-6.

“The Master of Arts in Worship: A Reflection and a Path Forward” in Artistic Theologian, 7 (2019), 89-104.

Review of Story and Song: A Postcolonial Interplay between Christian Education and Worship in The Hymn 68, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 51-52.

“Freedom and Order in Worship: Paul’s Instructions in 1 Corinthians 14” in Artistic Theologian, 5 (2017), 3-16.

“Celebrating Grace Hymnal – Five Years Later” in The Hymn, 66, no. 1 (Winter 2015): 16-22.

“Created in God’s Image: Humanity’s Doxological Vocation” in Sistemática Equatorial, 2, no. 2 (August 2014): 123-150.

“Relational Dynamics Within the Worship Ministry” in the Journal of the Baptist Church Music Conference, 28 (2013).

“Why Worship Leaders Should Study Theology” in Artistic Theologian, 2 (2013): 16-24.

Review of Liturgy as a Way of Life: Embodying the Arts in Christian Worship in Artistic Theologian, 2 (2013): 126-127.

Review of The Creedal Imperative in Artistic Theologian, 2 (2013): 124-125.

Review of Hymn-Based Choral Compositions in The Verse, Monthly Newsletter of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (January 2013).

Review of Preaching as Worship: An Integrative Approach to Formation in Your Church in Artistic Theologian, 1 (2012): 74-75.

Presentations:
Conductor, Festival Men’s Choir
CBC Christmas, California Baptist University Riverside, California, December 5-6, 2021

Co-Author, "Embracing Tomorrow's Opportunities Today: Re-Imagining Program Outcomes and Effectiveness in the Creative and Performing Arts," WSCUC Arc Conference, San Francisco, California
(Submitted for consideration, November 2021)

"What is the Difference between a Christian College and a Christian University?" Seminar on Faith in the Academic Profession, California Baptist University, Riverside, California, October 2021. (Postponed until March 2022)

Conductor, Lancer Chorus
Fall Choral Concert, California Baptist University Riverside, California, October 17, 2021

"Why Don't They Sing?"
Worship Workshop Weekend, California Baptist University Riverside, California, February 26, 2021

"Training Opportunities and Resources for Worship Leaders"
Resourcing Worship Conference
(August 2020)

"Lessons Learning During COVID-19 and the Transition to Online Worship Training"
Worship Curriculum Workshop
(June 2020)

"Crafting the Soul: Worship as Spiritual Formation"
California State Baptist Convention Church Music Workshop South
(Ontario, California, February 2020)

"Leading & Discipling Worship Team Members"
California State Baptist Convention Church Music Workshop South
(Ontario, California, February 2020)

"Shepherd Your People Through Music & Worship Leadership"
California State Baptist Convention Church Music Workshop South
(Ontario, California, February 2020)

“Embracing the Challenge: Questions and Answers in Music and Worship Leadership Education”
Annual Conference of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada?
(Dallas, Texas, July 2019)

“Designing Online Courses in Worship"
Worshiplife Worship Curriculum Workshop
(Gatlinburg, Tennessee, June 2019)

“Embracing the Challenge: Questions and Answers in Music and Worship Leadership Education”
Evangelical Theological Society National Meeting
(Denver, Colorado, November 2018)

Featured Speaker – Worship
EQUIP Conference, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
(North Richland Hills, Texas, August 2018)

“Graduate Education in Music and Worship Leadership Curriculum”
WorshipLife Worship Curriculum Workshop
(Gatlinburg, Tennessee, June 2018)

“Freedom and Order in Worship: Paul’s Instructions in 1 Corinthians 14"
Invited Paper, Biblical Worship Section, Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting
(San Antonio, Texas, November 2016)

Keynote Speaker, Music Congress
Faculdade Teológica Batista Equatorial
(Belém, Brazil, August 2015)

Keynote Speaker, Soli Deo Gloria Worship Conference
Utah-Idaho Baptist State Convention
(Provo, Utah, February 2015)

“Two Roads Diverged: An Analysis and Comparison of Two Recent Baptist Hymnals”
Annual Conference of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
(Columbus, Ohio, July 2014)

“Transforming Communities through the Arts: Developing a Community-Focused Arts Ministry”
Annual Meeting, Baptist Church Music Conference
(Dallas, Texas, March 2014)

“Imaging God in Community: The Imago Dei and the Lord’s Supper”
Annual National Meeting, Evangelical Theological Society
(Baltimore, Maryland, November 2013)

“The Growth of Calvinism Among Southern Baptists in the Twenty-First Century and Its Effect Upon Baptist Church Music”
Colloquium on Baptist Church Music, Baylor University
(Waco, Texas, September 2009)

“Foundations of Student Music Ministry”?
Alleluia Church Music Conference, Baylor University
(Waco, Texas, July 2009)

FBC Keller Chapel Choir, Featured Choral Performance
Alleluia Church Music Conference, Baylor University
(Waco, Texas, July 2009)

Associate Worship Director
Immanuel Baptist Church
Highland, California

My wife, Lindsey, and I have been married since 2004, and we have five children: Will, Ellery, Ethan, Kate, and Aaron.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.+