Parish Staff
The Rev. Patrick Miller, Interim Rector
The St. Peter’s Vestry has called the Rev. Patrick Miller as Interim Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church beginning February 1, 2026. He served previously as Rector at St. Mark’s Houston, as Executive Chair of St. Mark’s Episcopal School, and as Canon for Christian Formation at the Diocesan Cathedral, also in Houston.
Welcome to Fr. Patrick and wife, Allison.
The Rev. Michael Farnell, Curate
Fr. Michael and Karen join us fresh from the School of Theology, Sewanee, where he earned a Master of Divinity. Fr. Michael began a two-year curacy at St. Peter's in July, 2024 and became a priest in January 2025. He served in ministry as music director in Baptist churches for twenty years. He and Karen married in Fort Worth in 1989 and lived there for thirty years where they raised their three grown children. Karen earned a BSN from TCU and works as a Registered Nurse. Fr. Michael enjoys many interests, including woodworking with and collecting hand tools, aviation, investing, astronomy and computers.
frmichael@stpetersbrenham.org
Dr. Joanne Clark, Music Director
Joanne Vollendorf Clark, our Music Director moved to Brenham from Dearborn, Michigan. Dr. Clark studied at The University of Michigan with Dr. Robert Glasgow and Sacred Music at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She has worked with Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, and Episcopal faiths and taught at Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy, and at Marygrove College where she was Chair of the Music Department for six years. In the past, she has been Dean of the American Guild of Organists, Ann Arbor and Detroit Chapters, and State Chair of Sacred Music for the American Choral Directors. She has been heard in concerts in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, Michigan, California, Austria, Czech Republic, Spain, England, and Canada.
Joanne grew up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. Her hobbies include cooking, listening to music, and studying antiques. She finds Brenham to be a very friendly community and is enjoying meeting people and working at St. Peter’s.
music@stpetersbrenham.org
Reka Pennington, Parish Administrator
Reka joined us in May, 2025. Reka was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She earned degrees in Culinary Arts and Business Management before returning to college to pursue an associate degree in Accounting.
Although her family has owned land in Brenham for generations, Reka and her son, Chris, moved here full-time in 2010. After a lengthy career in administration and accounting, Reka felt the need for a change. Shortly after relocating to Brenham, she opened a home-based daycare, which she successfully operated for 15 years before retiring from childcare.
In her free time, Reka enjoys spending time with friends, gardening, baking, and caring for her four cats: Cheddar, Biscuit, Jaxson, and Mowgli.
admin@stpetersbrenham.org