A Progressive Community of Faith in the Heart of Central Florida
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (sociology) from Lambruth University; a Master of Divinity degree and Master of Church Music degree (music composition) from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio; and a Doctor of Theology degree (theology and arts) from Boston University.
Hal also studied orchestral conducting privately with Otto-Werner Mueller of the Yale University School of Music, choral coaching with Marga Mueller, and both choral and keyboard composition with Austin Lovelace of Denver, Colorado.
He was founder and conductor of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra in Waltham, Massachusetts, and has guest-conducted in several orchestral and liturgical settings. He is presently conductor of the Central Florida Master Choir of Ocala, Florida.
The Rev. Dr. Harold (Hal) W. McSwain, Jr., has been an ordained pastor for over 30 years, our Pastor for 10 years, and is a member of the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ. Hal is married to Dr. Annette Alber.
Pastor
Office Administrator
Sylvia Geoghagan joined our staff in September 2014. She grew up in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and is married to Mark Geoghagan. She has four adult children: Michael, Elizabeth, Chase, and Debra, and seven grandchildren; Mark has one daughter.
Sylvia drove truck/semi for 15 years, and also obtained an Associates Degree in Communications and Networking, with certifications in PC User Support, MS Office support and Database Operations. She was a Certified Director of Safety/Safety Specialist for 15 years for the Michigan Center for Truck Safety. Mark is retired from GM.
Director of Music
Sylvia and Mark moved from Michigan to Ocala, Silver Springs Shores, in the summer of 2013, and they just love the warm weather down here.
Dr Cory Alexander became our Director of Church Music in September 2014, and is concurrently Lecturer and Director of the Men’s Glee Club and Women’s Chorale at The University of Florida. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Carolina, a Master of Music degree from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central College.
Cory has conducted numerous high school, university, church, and community choral ensembles, and has received many invitations to appear as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the U.S. and abroad.
He has been active in choral and vocal music throughout his life and has sung under several notable conductors. He has appeared many times as a baritone soloist, including a performance of Schubert’s Mass in G recorded in Carmarthen, Wales. More recently he has appeared as a soloist with the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Alexander is married to Bethany McKee-Alexander; she has an EdD in Education Administration and a Master’s degree in choral conducting. They live in McIntosh with their daughter, Emma.
