The Rev. Kelly Sue Allen, our Pastor, is married to John Rezentes, and they are the parents of Clare and David. Both Kelly and John, who is a secondary science teacher, grew up in the St. Louis area. They moved to Atlanta when Kelly enrolled in Columbia Theological Seminary in 1989 and returned to Missouri when Kelly accepted her first call and was ordained August 1, 1992.  From 2007 to 2009, Kelly served as minister at St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church in England.  She came to San Antonio in 2009 and is currently serving as minister at UPC.  Email

 

 

Anastasia Bernal, Administrative Assistant, is a long-time member of UPC having joined with her family, Allan, Maureen and Bess Nowotny in 1976. She graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 1985.  She then went to UT Austin and graduated in 1990. Prior to UPC, she worked at AT&T and the National MS Society.  She met her husband, Lupe, while working at AT&T and got married in 1995.  They now have a daughter, Isabella, and triplet sons, Adrian, Brandon and Christopher.  Email

 

Lucy Greer Burton, Director of the SoL Center, comes to us with a Master’s degree in Adult and Continuing Education from Washington State University and 28 years’ experience in adult education and community relations.  She served as co-director of a non-profit educational and spiritual center in Oregon from 1980 to 1987. She then worked at Washington State and at Oregon Central Oregon Community College in administering adult education and professional development programs. Recently she has worked with Women’s Global Connection at Incarnate Word.  Email

Cindi Catlin, Director of Children's Center, joined the Children’s Center in 1982. Cindi has her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in child development and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.  She is currently working on a post-graduate certificate in Educational Leadership. Cindi is an adjunct faculty member in the Early Childhood Studies Department at San Antonio College.  Cindi is the author of two books on toddler curriculum. In 2001, Cindi received “Director of the Year” from the San Antonio Association for the Education of Young Children.  She is also a member of the church where she teaches Sunday school. Cindi and her husband Ron have 2 teenage sons.  Email

 
 

   David Germer, Director of Christian Education, After growing up in San Antonio, David found his way to Whitworth University in Spokane, WA,  where he met his lovely and talented wife, Tracy.  Transformed and claimed anew through directing a student-led homeless outreach ministry, David continued his theological education by serving as the "Facilitator of Urban Missions" for three years at a large Presbyterian Church, where he came to see the face of Christ in the ‘least of his brothers’ and to recognize that our love and care for the poor can be lived only to the extent that we know the poor.  Before coming to UPC, David served, loved, and learned from the wonderful youth, families, and community of Northwood Pres. in San Antonio.  David is one third of his way through an MDiv degree at Fuller Theological Seminary, and he and Tracy, who teaches preschool, spend the little free time they have soaking up joy from their toddler, Josiah.  David is also passionate about good movies, ultimate frisbee, and helping the Church form so that it may claim its call to faithfully witness to the gospel of Jesus as an alternate, holy, missional community.   Email

 

 

Marc Smith, custodian, born and raised in San Antonio, attended Grace Presbyterian with his family, attended and worked extensively with Presbyterian youth at John Knox and Mo Ranch for many years. He attended Health Careers High School and attended Texas A&M University originally to study architecture, but he majored in philosophy w minor in music.  He moved back to San Antonio in January to work, play music, paint (currently opening my house as a gallery/studio), very blessed to be a part of the work family and church community of UPC.  Email

 

 

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UPC Musical Staff

John Silantien, Director of Choral Music, has taught and conducted choirs on the secondary and collegiate levels in Texas, the Washington, D. C., area, and on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.  He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois.  His awards include a Rockefeller grant for choral conducting at Aspen, Colorado, and a Fulbright award for research in London, England. He presently serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Director of the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, and Adult Choir Director at UPC.  Email

 

Valerie Thompson, Organist and Director of the Children's Choir, has been a church musician since 1986.  She received her Bachelor of Music degree from UTSA and her Master of Music degree from UT-Austin, both in Piano Performance.  She has been an accompanist with the  San Antonio Choral Society, San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers,and San Antonio Boys Choir.  Under her direction, children’s and youth choirs have flourished and grown, resulting in concert performances, CD recordings, and musical theater productions such as The Wizard of Oz and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  She and her husband are the proud parents of three daughters. Email

 

 

Leroy Sebesta, Music Administrative Assistant, is a native Texan.  He studied at UT-Austin, earning a B.S. degree in music. At UT he met Sylvia, and they married in 1959.  They have three daughters and three grandsons. Sylvia and he joined UPC in 1980; he has sung in the Adult Choir since then. His career was in civil service--working in the Training Office at Kelly Air Force for thirty years and retiring in January 1997. Email