Ed spent nearly 40 years in the ministry, including 31 years as Associate Pastor for Music and Administration at First Baptist Church of Columbia, MO. At the church, Ed directed the choirs, handbell program, and an instrumental ensemble while also taking care of the administrative workings of the church, including oversight of budgets, personnel, facilities and grounds, and liturgical art.
He organized numerous ecumenical musical events including the 9/11 Memorial Concert and a Tenth Anniversary 9/11 Memorial Concert. He was also the founder of the Odyssey Chamber Music Series now in its 21st season.
In addition to his service in ministry, Ed became highly involved in the handbell world. His leadership positions in Handbell Musicians of America include Missouri State Treasurer, Missouri State Chair, Area 8 Chair twice (representing Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska), Area 7/8 Representative to the National Board, and from 2011 – 2017, Ed served as President-Elect and President of the Board of Directors for Handbell Musicians of America.
In 2020 (at the start of the pandemic), he was asked to act as Interim Executive Director for the organization, which he did for almost two years. When the new ED was hired, Ed became the Business Manager for HMA the next two years.
Ed has coordinated numerous HMA events, taught or conducted in over 25 states, and was HMA conductor for the International Handbell Symposium in Vancouver, Canada in
2016. He has been guest conductor in Area’s 1, 5, 6, 8 and 11. He was also on the handbell faculty for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians Music Week at Montreat, NC on two different occasions. Ed is also co-founder of the nationally recognized Columbia Handbell Ensemble for which he has been bass bell ringer, conductor and grant writer. He is also an Alice Parker fellow.
Ed is married to Jess Wolfe, a teacher for the Columbia Public Schools’ Center for Gifted Education (EEE). He has four stepchildren, Liam, Ophelia, Anya and Odin, and five years ago, Jess and Ed welcomed Iris Mae Wolfe-Rollins into the mix. Along with the kids, there are two fluffy dogs, three cats and a bearded dragon. Never a dull moment!