Renowned sacred music composer Mary McDonald has left an indelible mark on the genre, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 1,400 compositions to her name. Her music appears in the catalogs of every major church music publisher, and she's broken barriers as the first woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. After 36 years as accompanist for the Tennessee Men's Chorale, touring internationally, Mary transitioned to serving churches directly as an independent artist, leading composer weekends and hosting conferences.

A seasoned performer, Mary has graced the stage of Carnegie Hall multiple times, including a 2022 performance as conductor of the Festival of Christmas, and is set to return in 2025. She's received numerous awards, including the prestigious John Ness Beck award, the Paul B. Clark Award, and the Lifetime Achievement award in Sacred Music. Mary and her husband, Brian, a Knoxville architect, reside on Douglas Lake in the Smoky Mountains, surrounded by their family, including two married children and seven grandchildren.