OUR STAFF
Rev. Daniel Vanek
Pastor
Rev. Daniel Vanek is passionate about spiritual formation through the proclamation of the word, pastoral care, and outreach. He moderates the Session, and leads our Staff as they plan and prepare worship services.
Rev. Daniel graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL. He then attended Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA where he earned a Master’s of Divinity.
Before joining St. Thomas Presbyterian, Rev. Daniel served as a Chaplain in the St. Tammany Health System (Covington, LA) and then as Pastor of Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church in Albany, LA, while also serving as Campus Minister at Southeastern Louisiana University through First Presbyterian Church, Hammond, LA.
He lives in Houston with his wife, Haley, and their two sons. In his spare time, he enjoys science fiction films, learning about the latest tech gadgets, and listening to podcasts.
Jon Miller
Director of Music
Jon M. Miller plans and leads the musical aspects of the St. Thomas worship service, through a variety of traditional and contemporary styles. He directs St. Thomas’ choir, praise team and bell choir.
Jon has been a resident of the Houston area since 1979. A lifelong church musician, Jon has continuously served as conductor, teacher and performer in public schools, opera, oratorio, and places of worship. He is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and completed degrees in music from Texas Christian University (VME) and Texas State (SWTSU) (MM). Jon lives with his wife Angie, and his two children Savannah and Dylan, in Pearland. When not at the church he can be found working at his neighborhood hardware store or fishing in the surf.
Cathy Chism
Administrative Manager
| Phone: 281-497-4846 ext. 3
Cathy Chism keeps us organized, maintains Daniel’s schedule, publishes the Weekly Word, schedules meetings, and more.
As a child, Cathy lived in Germany for a while and was fortunate to visit many countries in Europe. Since 1976, she has lived in Houston, working in computing, financial planning, oil and gas, environmental factors, and for Spring Branch ISD. She has been on the St. Thomas staff since 2015. Her daughter, Adrienne Mullen, became a member of St. Thomas in 1995. Cathy has a grown son and two granddaughters in the Austin area.
Organist
Dr. Elizabeth Fletcher
Elizabeth “Liz” Fletcher has played piano and organ most of her life. In worship services, she supports congregational hymn singing, accompanies the choir, and plays additional service music such as prelude and postlude. She sometimes plays pieces that she has composed/arranged.
Liz is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Houston, teaching supply chain management courses in the Bauer College of Business, and conducting research on first-responder mental health in the Hobby School of Public Affairs. She is also a volunteer firefighter with Cypress Creek Fire Department, serving as a Captain and Chaplain. She and her husband Mark live in Cypress, Texas.