Shawn Gingrich serves First United Methodist Church in Hershey, Pennsylvania as Director of Music Ministry where he directs the choirs and serves as organist. In addition to his church work Shawn is the adjunct organ instructor and directs the Messiah College Concert Handbell Choir at Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania. Shawn also directs the Hershey Handbell Ensemble, an auditioned community handbell ensemble which he founded in 2004.

Shawn has been a solo handbell ringer for nearly 20 years and has studied under Christine Anderson, Nancy Hascall and Sueda Lutrell, some of our nation’s most renowned solo ringers. He received his undergraduate education at Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pennsylvania, where he received the Bachelor of Science in Music Education and the Bachelor of Music in Sacred Music, studying organ with Pierce Getz. He received his graduate education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, New Jersey where he received the Master of Music in Sacred Music, studying organ with Joan Lippincott.

Currently he is enrolled in the Doctorate of Worship Studies degree program at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Orange Park, Florida. Shawn and his wife Laura have four children: Peter, Sarah, Christian. and Aaron and they reside in Elizabethtown.