Garth Baecker is a Quincy, Illinois resident who was active in leadership roles with the United Church of Christ for more than a decade. He served as Western Association president and Illinois Conference board member, and was board president of an 1,100 member congregation. Garth Baecker organized The Baecker Jazz Worship Service for a 50th Anniversary celebration of his denomination in 2007.
With the theme “This Little Light of Mine,” Mr. Baecker created an ensemble that gave an enthusiastically received performance, spanning styles such as New Orleans strut, hard bop, and brass-based chorale. The musicians recorded a CD at the Chicago Recording Company that achieved worldwide sales. Taking his 17-piece orchestra on the road, Mr. Baecker performed rousing renditions of worship songs at venues across the Midwest.
Garth Baecker's professional background centered on insurance and mutual fund sales, and he led an agency as part of the Country Financial and Insurance Company for many years. He has also served as an English and journalism instructor at the Roosevelt Military Academy in Aledo, Illinois, and was advisor with the school newspaper and the English as a Second Language program.