Grace Episcopal Church
CLERGY
The Rev. Neal McGowan, Rector
I was born in Austin, Texas but grew up primarily behind the pine curtain in East Texas. I grew up in a devout Christian home and attended a variety of churches: Methodist, Baptist, Bible, and Non-Denominational Charismatic. My faith as a child was centered on encountering God through the Bible along with a strong sense of God’s presence as an active force in my life.
It was while I attended the University of Dallas, a small Roman Catholic Liberal Arts school that I first encountered the beauty and majesty of the liturgy and the sheer scope of the Christian tradition. I formed friendships with people who went on to become Catholic priests and religious and grew to love the worship at the Cistercian Abbey nearby campus. A semester in Rome studying the great traditions of the church, numerous ecumenical friendships, and a love of the Anglican poets John Donne, George Herbert, and T.S. Eliot paved the way for me to enter the Episcopal Church.
I left University of Dallas with a degree in English Literature and a Classics minor, stillProtestant, but not sure where to go. In addition, I met my wife Jennifer through a mutual friend while in college. She had a similar faith background, and when we were married after college, we both entered the Episcopal Church. We attended Christ Church, Tyler one Sunday and the priest invited us out for a beer. We became Episcopalians.
While teaching English and History to non-native English speakers at a Christian school near Tyler, I discerned a call to the priesthood. We moved to Austin, where I attended the Seminary of the Southwest. After seminary I served for five years at St. Alban’s in Waco and then for nearly three years at St. John the Divine in Houston.
Jennifer worked for years for an international non-profit called Mercy Ships, a boutique wine shop in Austin, and now works at home with our two young children Elizabeth and Thomas. She is a member of the Daughters of the King, on the Standing Committee o fthe Diocese, works for the planning committee for Diocesan Council, and is becoming a trained Catechist with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She and I love cooking, trying new food, travel, and a good British Murder Mystery.
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The Rev. Mary Ann Huston, Associate Rector
I am delighted to be part of the Grace community, serving as Locum Tenens during our time of transition. Locum Tenens is a fancy name for a “placeholder.” Having served as the Associate Rector at Grace for the past six years, I am glad to be able to offer continuity, and to continue to foster community as Grace welcomes newcomers, grows, learns and worships together. The Holy Spirit continues to move through Grace, inspiring and empowering us to do the good work God has called us to do.
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A common thread throughout my life has been an interest in peoples' stories. I studied Anthropology in college, worked as an archaeologist between college and graduate school, and later worked at an historical society in Kansas and the State Historic Preservation Office in Iowa. Part of what I enjoy most about ministry is hearing the stories of people's lives and how God is working in them.
I have served in God's church for much of my life. I grew up in Fort Worth, where I sang in the children's choir and was an active member of our youth group. As an adult, I served in our church in East Tennessee. I answered my call to ministry while our two children were small by first becoming an EfM student and mentor for twelve years, a Sunday School teacher, and a pastoral care coordinator.
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I got additional training in chaplaincy at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. When we moved back to Texas for Michael's work, I was able to finally attend seminary. I served as a hospital chaplain at South Austin Medical Center during and after my studies at the Seminary of the Southwest. I also served in an interim capacity at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, as their Adult Formation Coordinator.
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​My husband, Michael, and I have been married for 39 years. We have two adult children who are creatively making their ways in the world. Ann, her husband, Landis, and their son, Soren, have the privilege of living and working in National Parks. Landis is a Law Enforcement Ranger, while Ann works part time for the park and cares for Soren. Thomas and his wife, Eleanor, live in Chicago. Thomas works for the Art Institute, while Eleanor works for a firm specializing in fundraising for non-profits. They are expecting their first child in January. Michael retired from Texas State University, where he taught biology for 13 years. If you are interested in nature, ecology, biodiversity, or the Big Bend area, Michael is a good person to talk with!
