Brannon has sought to fulfill God’s calling on his life as a professional songwriter and musical artist, as a pastor and worship leader, and as a seminary professor. He and his wife Gloria met as undergraduate students at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he studied literature and music. After marrying, they moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where Brannon completed masters (2005) and doctoral (2010) degrees in the interdisciplinary study of literature, theology and the arts at the University of Glasgow, with a specific research focus on sacramental and liturgical theology. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, Brannon continues to serve the local church as worship leader and associate pastor at Marion First Church of the Nazarene. He is passionate about guiding the spiritual and theological formation of the Body of Christ, both personally and corporately, through his work as a pastor, musician, theologian, and teacher.
Publications:

1. “Towards a Wesleyan Theology of Death,” Wesleyan Theological Journal (forthcoming)
2. “Acoustic Mass and other Sacred Songs” (recorded collection of original songs for worship – forthcoming)
3. Foreword, The Transformational Power of Worship: Leading Your Congregation with Intention, by Timothy Brooks (The Foundry Publishing, 2020)
4. “Borders and the Body Broken: Liminal Space at the Table” – Wesleyan Theological Journal 54:1 (Spring 2019)

Public Facing work

• Conference Presentations:
  • “Going Global: What We’ve Learned So Far” (joint presentation with Miranda Cruz, Elizabeth Drury, and Tammie Grimm) – Wesleyan Theological Society annual conference (Wilmore, KY), March 3, 2023 https://wtsociety.com/
  • “Formation through Worship” – SPARK Children’s Ministry retreat workshop (Marion, IN), March 4, 2022 https://equiptoengage.org/spark/
• “Maximizing Small(er) Church Strengths in Worship” – Nazarene Theological Seminary 2021 Preacher’s Conference (Kansas City, MO), Sept. 28, 2021 https://www.ntspraxis.org/event-details/preachers-conference
• “Leading Worship from the Pulpit” – Nazarene Theological Seminary 2021 Preacher’s Conference (Kansas City, MO), Sept. 29, 2021
• “Pillow Talk for Worship Ministry Couples” – 2021 National Worship Leader Conference (Nashville, TN), July 13, 2021 https://worshipleader.com/conference/
• “Preparing for Spontaneity” – 2021 National Worship Leader Conference (Nashville, TN), July 14, 2021
• “Worship in a Changing Technological Landscape” – 2021 National Worship Leader Conference (Nashville, TN), July 14, 2021
• Itinerant Worship Ministry (worship leading, coaching, consultancy)
  1. Wesleyan Theological Society conference (Wilmore, KY), March 3-4, 2023
  2. Nazarene Camping Association retreat (Marion, IN), Jan. 9-10, 2023 https://www.nazarenecamping.org/
• World Gospel Mission FOCUS missionary assessment retreat (Marion, IN), Feb. 16-17, 2023 https://wgm.org/
• Love Wins.: LGBT “Loved-2-Love” conference (Kansas City, MO), May 11-13, 2022. https://trinityfamilyonline.org/lovewinslgbthome/
• Northeast Indiana District Church of the Nazarene preteen retreat (Marion, IN), Nov. 13, 2021
• Xenia Church of the Nazarene revival (Xenia, OH), Nov. 7-10, 2021
• Northeast Indiana District Church of the Nazarene Pastors’ and Spouses’ retreat (Nashville, IN), Oct. 11-13, 2021 https://neinazarene.org/
• Nazarene Theological Seminary “Beauty Will Save the World” annual preacher’s conference (Kansas City, MO), September 28-29, 2021
• Fairmount Wesleyan Family Camp (Fairmount, IN), July 18-25, 2021 https://www.fairmountcamp.org/
• Current research focus:
  • Theology of technology and the use of technology in worship
  • Wesleyan theological engagements with popular culture

Elder, Church of the Nazarene (2011)
Worship Pastor, Xenia Church of the Nazarene (2007-2014)

INTERESTS

• Liturgy & Worship
• Sacramental Theology
• Christian Thought
• Church History
• Hermeneutics
• Ethics
• Interdisciplinary conversations with Theology (film, music, media, the arts, technology)