Each morning, Dr. Deborah Herring prays a simple yet powerful prayer, “Lord, please use me today.”

As the Chair of Emmanuel College’s Music Department, for the past 13 years, God has used Dr. Herring to equip others and make a difference in the kingdom through music.

Completing her bachelor's degree in Music Ministry in Vocal Performance from Ozark Christian College, Dr. Herring went on to receive her Master’s from Pittsburg State University and her Doctorate from Ball State University prior to her arrival at Emmanuel College in 2004.

“It was the perfect fit for me,” Dr. Herring said. “I’ve always felt like music was my ministry and I wanted to be at a place where I could pray for my students, mentor them and be involved outwardly in expressing my faith.”

Upon her arrival, Dr. Herring prayed about which areas she could make an impact on campus. She wasted no time in creating the group, ACTS (Actors for Christ in Theater and Singing) and began working on the group’s first fall production, a tradition that has continued.

Off campus, Dr. Herring has taught private vocal lessons for 32 years, where she’s worked with both children and adults. Through this experience, she has witnessed first hand the need for Arts Education in the community.

“There’s a great need for developing the arts in this community and that is a huge passion of mine,” Dr. Herring said. “Especially, arts that have a faith-based root, I see that as a great way for Emmanuel College to invest in our community, evangelize and encourage.”

With her passion in mind, Dr. Herring launched the Emmanuel Arts Academy in 2007, with the goal of being an outreach tool for the Music Department.

“To me, it’s a chance for Emmanuel to get connected with the community,” Dr. Herring said. “It’s an opportunity for the college to invest into the lives of young rising artists an give them the opportunity to work with leading professionals.”

Emmanuel Arts Academy hosted its first Fine Arts Camp in 2007 which is available for children ages 8-15. Each year, campers receive professional instruction in music (guitar, voice, piano), musical theater, graphic design, creative writing and more.

During the semester, the Emmanuel Arts Academy offers classes based on the needs of students.

Dr. Herring also serves as the Minister of Music at Royston Baptist Church, where she leads the worship team and church choir, often providing current EC Music students with service and internship opportunities. Being able to get to know her students on an individual level is something Dr. Herring finds unique about Emmanuel College.

“Emmanuel allows you to be connected right into the lives of your students,” she said. “It’s not just from the standpoint of teaching but being able to pray individually with students, meet with them for lunch, have them in your home, and invest your life into theirs by mentoring them in the struggles of life, helping them define their individual purpose, and grow in their personal walk with God.”

The small class sizes at Emmanuel have allowed Dr. Herring to not only get to know her students on an individual level but help them utilize their full potential.

“I’ve seen students come in with very little prior training go through our program and go on to prestigious graduate programs and become fantastic teachers,” Dr. Herring said. “Our program excels at spending the additional time with students to ensure that they go on to be successful in their field.”

When asked what advice she would give to a student pursuing a Music degree, Dr. Herring believes it all starts with being grounded and equipped.

“It’s a matter of being grounded in your faith and dedicated to becoming a good steward of those talents,” she said. “You need to be a continual learner, no matter what level you’re at. I’m still learning. You need to be well-equipped with as much formal training as possible, surround yourself with people that inspire you to grow and use those gifts to serve and invest in others. When you put in the work and dedicate the fruits of your talent to glorify God and build others up, God will use you in more ways than you would ever imagine!”

“Lord, please use me today.” This seems like a simple request, however for Dr. Herring it has become a mantra and through the EC Music Department, her prayer has been answered.