Western Hills Christian Church

I grew up as a preacher’s kid but actually entered ministry as a “second career.”  My first career was in agriculture.  After receiving my undergraduate degree in Animal Science from the Kansas State University I worked as a veterinary technician on a commercial dairy farm in Colorado and as a dairy feed specialist for a farmers’ cooperative in Ohio.

At the age of 27 God began calling me in a completely different direction and I enrolled in the Master’s of Divinty program at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, PA just to see what this ministry thing was all about. This journey has been exciting at times and challenging at others but through the years pastoral ministry has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.  It is a true blessing to work with a family of faith sharing the love of God and the light of Christ with the world.

I have served two Disciples congregations in Ohio and I am so glad to be here in San Antonio and to be partners in ministry with all of you at Western Hills Christian Church.  It will be exciting to see where God will lead us and what we will accomplish together.

My wife Donna and I have two grown children, Kelsey and Cody, and now that we are empty-nesters we enjoy spending time with our two Golden Retrievers.  I enjoy many different kinds of music, working outside and running.

May God bless the ministry of Western Hills Christian Church and may we continue to grow in faith and in spirit as we serve together.

I joined the WHCC Staff on January 27, 2014. I have over 35 years’ experience in administrative management. My experience includes all aspects of office management encompassing word processing, graphics, publication of newsletters/bulletins, supply inventory, scheduling, e-mail management, facilities usage, equipment maintenance, correspondence, reports, database management (membership, etc.) and property management (scheduling inspections, plumbing, electrical, phones, etc.). Closely related to my current position, I previously worked for the Bluebonnet Area of the Christian Church/ LRGVD and Marbach Christian Church.

I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and have been involved in the arts since an early age. I’ve reside in San Antonio TX since 2003, and am currently the Director of Bands at Whittier Middle School and Director of Music Ministries at Western Hills Christian Church. I am a proud graduate of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and am very passionate about the Art of Music and Music Education. My core instrument is Percussion and I have experience directing a variety of instrumental and vocal ensembles, including Band, Choir, and Orchestra. I love composing and arranging pieces for a variety of ensembles and seeing them come to live as they get performed.

As a performer, I have been a member of the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra, The Texas A&M University Kingsville Wind Symphony and Concert Choir, and have played several Solo Performances. I am a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and am currently working on a Music Education project through my website www.trevinomusic.com; to gather resources to better teach and guide students, so that they may grow musically and socially, appreciating the Art of Music for its magnificent aesthetic reward to Humanity.

Among my favorite composers are Johan Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin; but there are many more whose music has made an impact in my life.

I am grateful to God for everything that He has made possible for me and for helping me out through every obstacle I’ve faced. I have been blessed with a loving and supportive family that has always backed me up in every decision I’ve made. I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead the musical endeavors of the Western Hills Christian Church community and am looking forward to a great time together.

From my first recollections as a child, I loved Jesus and I loved music. I was born and raised in San Antonio in a wonderful Christian home that was filled with music. My Mother and Grandmother were both church musicians. At the age of 4, I heard my mother play “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”, and I fell in love with Bach and the piano. I studied classical piano for a number of years and studied organ as well. After leaving home, God called me to serve. I played for Sunday School and substituted for the Organist at BAMC Chapel on occasion. I heard about the need for an Organist at Western Hills Christian Church in 1976, applied for the position, and here I am, 34 years later.

I am Mother to one son, William Pickens, who is one of my greatest joys. I work full time in Network Analytics for UMR, a United Health Care Company. I enjoy working in the yard, playing the piano (imagine that!), and playing with my Basset Hound, “Bevo”.

Western Hills has been such a blessing for me. The years have flown by, and I continue to grow musically, and most importantly, spiritually.