Rev. Cynthia Engstrom
Lead Pastor
Rev. Cynthia Engstrom became Lead Pastor at Travis Park Church in July 2022, coming from Universal City United Methodist Church. She is a mom of two beautiful young adult children, Sarah and Neil.
Cynthia is a second career clergy. Her M Div. was completed at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (APTS) in Austin. She followed immediately with a Master of Art in Religion, concentration in Theological Ethics at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. She is now in the final stages of a Doctor of Ministry Degree at APTS with a concentration in Christian Spirituality; her research centers on community mobilization for the sake of transformation and systemic change.
At the Conference level, she Chairs the Transforming Community Vision Team (TCVT) and serves as a member of the Transforming Communities Network (TCN) Design and Development Team, which trains congregational/ community cohorts to be facilitators of community change. She also serves on the Methodist Healthcare Ministry (MHM) Board, which is transitioning to an augmented focus on social determinates of health, such as poverty.
Rev. Timothy Riddle
Chaplain
As the Grandson of a Methodist Elder, Tim was baptized at six days old in his own home surrounded by family, putting new meaning to the title “Cradle Methodist.” Still, there were struggles with the church during his teen years that led him to spend twenty years outside of church life. Tim instead followed a life of service by pursuing a career in non-profits. But when that life almost took his personal health and his family, he realized he needed to step away. As he spent time wondering what was next, he found that a call to ministry he had heard in his early twenties had never left him. This led to a process of rediscovery and uncovering which instilled his core beliefs that God’s time is rarely our time, God’s love is always there waiting for us, and God is faithful (even when we might not be.) It has been twelve years since Tim committed to answering his call to ministry. In that time, he has learned new ways to live in love with his partner and wife, been privileged to be a stay-at-home dad during his son’s infancy and toddler years, completed nine units of Clinical Pastoral Education, and most recently became a Board Certified Chaplain with the National Association of VA Chaplains. Tim attended Duke Divinity School and graduated with certificates in Theology, Medicine and Culture; Prison Studies; and Preaching. Tim has been a chaplain at University of Vermont Medical Center, Durham VA hospital, and has just completed a Palliative and Bereavement Chaplaincy Fellowship at Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital here in South Texas. Travis Park has been his family’s worship home for the past year, and he is full of wonder and gratitude for this diverse, inclusive, and vibrant community. He can’t wait to see what the future may hold as we walk together in hope and faith.
Rev. Dr. Edie DeVilbiss
Spiritual Life & Community Connections
Pastor Edie is a fourth career pastor, having served the public in various ways in her life. As an in home licensed child care provider she learned to keep things fun. 911 Emergency Communications helped her cultivate calm. Licensed Addiction Counseling taught her that every person has a powerful story, if people can only listen.
She attended Candler School of Theology with a concentration on Pastoral Care. She served as Director of Spiritual Life/Chaplain for a multi-service, multi-location human services organization that primarily served adolescents. Her doctoral work centered on addressing compassion fatigue through spiritual practices. Chaplaincy grew her capacity for prayer and deep respect for spiritual life. She is delighted to be charged with Spiritual Life and Community Connections for Travis Park Church.
She retired and moved to San Antonio in July of 2020. Her interests include exploring San Antonio, reading, and writing.
Rev. Bob Clark
Director of SYNAGO
Rev. Bob Clark is an ordained elder in the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Bob received a Bachelor of Christian Ministry from Wayland Baptist University, completed the basic five-year course of study at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas, and did his advanced work at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
He served communities in the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio and Schertz, Texas before coming to Travis Park Church. Early in his career, Bob’s service on the Texas/Mexico border awakened a passion for working with communities to build shalom. That passion led to his work as CEO of the Pharr Community Outreach Project and to certification, in 2010, as a regional trainer for Communities of Shalom.
Bob served the former Southwest Texas Conference as coordinator for Communities of Shalom and as a coach/consultant for the Healthy Church Initiative. He has specialized training in community organizing, group facilitation, church planting and revitalization, and Asset Based Community Development.
Pastor Shiloh Morris
Youth and Young Adults
Shiloh Morris came to Travis Park Church in October 2021. Shiloh graduated from McMurry University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and graduated from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 2016 with her Master of Divinity. During her year long internship, Shiloh was placed at McMurry University in the Chaplain’s office where she served as the Student Ministry Director and as a teaching assistant in the Religion Department. In that placement, she found her passion for working with students of all ages in a student ministry setting and academic setting. After graduation, Shiloh served at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Lubbock, another Reconciling Congregation, as the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries for 5 years, where she most recently came from. Areas of focus and interest of Shiloh’s include Koine Greek, the New Testament (especially Luke-Acts), Liberation theology, queer theology, feminist theology, and dialogue with the other.
Shiloh has three spoiled cats (Meeko, Tipton, & Lewis), who she is more than willing to show you pictures of anytime. Some of her favorite things are: sweet tea, corny/”dad” jokes, video games, disc golf, attending student’s extracurricular activities, guest lecturing, and whatever else keeps her busy for the time being.
Children’s Ministry
Analisa Vitola
Children’s Ministry Director
Analisa Vitola is a lifelong member of Travis Park United Methodist Church. Her family has been involved in the church ministry beginning in the 1940s! Analisa began her church career in Ms. Patty’s Littlest Angels choir at the age of 3. Once beginning grade school, she was a committed member to the Cherub Choir under the direction of Ms. Betty Telford. In middle and high school, she sang, danced, and performed in the Emmaus Singers enthusiastically led by Michael Kahl, Rev. Joe Stoebough, and Dr. Gary Mabry. Analisa was also a devoted 7 year member of the youth group led by one of her favorite people, Evan Jones. After graduating from Texas State University, she returned to San Antonio, joined the Sanctuary Choir, now under the direction of Analisa’s first Travis Park friend, Caroline Bonner Collins, and assisted with the Joyful Noise! children’s choir for 10 years. She is honored to be part of staff in her position of Children’s Ministry Director as she stands on the shoulders of giants that continue to guide her faith journey.
Youth Ministry
Rev. Jay Brown
Senior High Sunday School
Jay Brown is a retired elder in the Rio Texas Annual Conference, serving from 1981 until 2017. He grew up in Kingsville, Texas during the 1960’s and attended Youth Camps, Choir Clinics as an active UMYF member, learning his peace and social justice principles from Jesus and the Gospel of John, Paul, George and Ringo (aka the Beatles)…all you need is love!
He is a Texas A&I University alum, graduated with his Masters of Theology at Perkins School of Theology at SMU and began his first appointment at FUMC McAllen as an Associate Pastor, becoming fluent in Spanish.
He is married to Ann Lackness Brown; they were married in Travis Park (where he was also ordained). They have 3 children together and 4 grandchildren. His interests are surfing, birding, guitar playing (wanting to start a 60’s era band: “Grateful-we’re not Dead”), traveling and walking in nature. He is a Straight Ally of LGBTQ folks and sang with the Live Oak Singers, an LGBTQ choir in San Antonio. He is a member of Travis Park Church and hopes to help in various ministries, including working with the Youth. He’s grateful that his spiritual journey included many years of connecting with Travis Park and looks forward to many more!
Sonia Cruz
Youth Sponsor
Christy Caez
Youth Sponsor
Cody Miller
Youth Sponsor
Patty Bonner
Emmaus Youth Choir Sponsor
Chas Waters
Emmaus Youth Choir Sponsor
Deaconess Sonia Cruz-Hernandez
Youth Sponsor – Junior High Confirmation Class
I’ve been a United Methodist member all my life. I attended Sunday school, youth group and women’s group.
After high school 1985, I attended two semesters at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, TX. Years later in 2000 I decided to go back to school to receive an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from St. Philips College, then continued my education at Our Lady of the Lake University to receive my Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and minor in Psychology. In 2007 I was hired to work for City of San Antonio (COSA) for 4 1/2 years in different departments including the San Antonio Public Library and San Antonio Parks and Recreation in the youth department and Senior Centers Department.
While employed at COSA, I received my calling to become a Deaconess and was commissioned in May 2012 at General Conference in Tampa, Florida. Deaconess are to do Service, Love and Justice in our community.
As part of my service in the community I work for VIA Metropolitan Transit where I met my friend, partner and now spouse, Cynthia (Cindy) Hernandez. We were married on July 8th, 2023. Thanks to the love and support from Travis Park Church. Cindy and I are forever grateful.
Music & Worship
Lou Caroline Collins
Director of Music and Worship
Caroline Collins is honored to be directing choirs at the church where she grew up and participated in choirs throughout her life. Before leading music at Travis Park Church, she successfully taught music at Nimitz Middle School, first as assistant band director and then as head choir director. Caroline graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Studies. It is a joy for Caroline to lead choirs at Travis Park Church, especially since her husband, mother, and two daughters are able to participate in the ensembles. Caroline believes that music can be the bridge that connects all kinds of people, creates a common ground, and can help us see past differences to create an environment that nourishes the soul and energizes the spirit.
Chas Waters
Worship Leader
Charles ‘Chas’ Waters has been the associate worship leader for Travis Park since the Spring of 2022. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Reinhardt University in Northwest Georgia, where he also grew up. After college, he moved to San Antonio where he could be closer to family and eventually started his own when he became a father to his beautiful son, Oliver. It was upon looking into where Oliver could be baptized that Travis Park stood out for its values of inclusion and unconditional love for all people. It was during this process that Chas officially joined the church in 2019. Since becoming the associate worship leader, Chas has been honored to use his musical gifts to express the love that he finds so graciously given back to him from the people of Travis Park. Outside of church and parenthood, Chas enjoys working as a musician around San Antonio. He also loves teaching, performing and creating his own music. He looks forward to seeing where God takes him as he continues growing with Travis Park United Methodist Church.
Chelsea Bumgarner
Worship Leader
Chelsea Marie Bumgarner joined Travis Park with her wife and family in the summer of 2022. In the spring of 2023, she was asked to join Chas Waters as Worship Leader, supporting him in the music ministry. Chelsea has over 5 years of music and theater education and has over 27 years of professional and community theater experience performing around San Antonio. Chelsea and her wife Michelle perform often together and enjoy the opportunity to do so at Travis Park Church. Travis Park has been the first church they’ve attended who accept and affirm a Transgender woman and her wife as children of God, fearfully made in the creator’s image. While not at church, Chelsea works as an IT engineer for VMware and teaches online at Penn State University, while her wife runs a local CPA office. Chelsea is both honored and humbled to have the opportunity to share what God has given her with such an accepting church family, while standing side by side with her bride in their walk.
Yi-Hsin Yu, CAGO
Organist
Yi Hsin (Sophie) Yu grew up and completed her education in Taiwan. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the National Taiwan Normal University, majoring in Piano Performance. Before moving to Texas, she had led several girl’s choirs that won the district and regional competitions multiple times during her 23-year tenure as a middle-school music teacher in Taiwan. Mentored by Dr. Juanelva Rose, founder of Tunghai University’s Music Department, she started learning organ playing in 2015 and played Sunday services for the Luce Chapel at Tunghai University. After transitioning to the U.S. in 2019, she earned the Service Playing Certificate and the Colleague Certificate awarded by the American Guild of Organists (AGO) within two years.
Her service experiences in the U.S. included Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church, and Catholic Church. Presently, she enjoys playing the three amazing keyboard instruments at Travis Park Church since March 2022. She has two daughters, Rachel is going to college in Fall 2022 and Renee will be a Junior in high school.
Kevin Collins
Director of Handbells
Kevin is the Director of Handbells at Travis Park. He has been attending Travis Park since 2013 and has been a participant in the bell choir for most of that time, stepping in as director in 2022. Music has been a part of Kevin’s life since 6th grade band. Kevin is an oboe player and met his wife, Caroline, while on the drumline playing cymbals in the Longhorn Band at The University of Texas at Austin. Together they have 3 beautiful daughters who are active in the children’s ministry at Travis Park! Kevin also sings in the Sanctuary Choir, under the direction of his wife, and is currently the chair of the Travis Park United Methodist Church Foundation Board.
Rudolph (Rudy) Galindo
Sound & Lighting Technician
Marcelino Velazquez Jr.
AV/Media
Mia Carey
AV/Media
My name is Mia Carey & I program/operate MediaShout (what y’all see on the projectors) for Sunday worship & sing with the Celebration Band. I have a bachelor’s & a master’s degree in criminal justice/criminology. I have been a parole officer for the state of Texas for over 1 year. My parents joined Travis Park Church in 1998, when I was 4 years old. We were members until 2006, when my dad took a position at another church. My mom & I returned to Travis Park almost 1 year ago & it’s been such a blessing. I’m grateful to to be of service to Travis Park through media & music!
Office Staff & Volunteers
Shirley Watkins
Church Membership
Shirley Watkins has been a member of Travis Park Church since 1973. She began volunteering with church membership when her children left home and she found herself without purpose. It was a good fit, as she likes accurate record-keeping and order. She has a deep love of Travis Park Church and its people: past, present and future.
She and her husband, Phil, are the parents of 3 adult daughters who were raised at Travis Park Church, and are the grandparents of 5.
She is an active participant with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and a member of the Community Board of Methodist Healthcare System.
Juliette Clark
Communications Director
Juliette Clark serves as the Communications Director at Travis Park Church. She joined the church in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, before she even sat foot in the beautiful sanctuary.
Juliette loves the mission and ministries of Travis Park Church and believes that every human is precious and belongs fully at God’s table.
In her spare time she enjoys gardening, reading, spending time with her husband Joe, scrolling social media and liking things, and exploring with the Explorers Group of Travis Park.
Bobbi Kroll
Church Historian
Bobbi Kroll is new to Texas and Travis Park Church, which she and her husband LeRoy joined in October 2022. Their two grown children settled in Texas first. Being devoted grandparents, they followed upon retirement. Travis Park Church and its Corazon Ministries were “love at first visit” for the Krolls. They enjoy the first Sunday breakfast crew and Bobbi is grateful to be part of the awesome Deborah’s House team. The church makes them think of Heaven because love and grace is shown for every person.
She was a history educator for thirty years, spanning grade 7 through to the university level. When she closed the classroom door for the last time, she hoped there would be some avenue to continue what she loved–teaching and helping others understand life better based on past experiences. When the dynamic stories of Travis Park Church became known and the need to organize its archival records became clear, she volunteered to help lead that work. She is currently pursuing certification in the art of archiving through an online course created by the United Methodist Church.
Bobbi loves to spend time with family and friends. Together, she and LeRoy enjoy eating out, cooking, traveling, reading, and having time to hang out with folks.
Janette Grant
In loving memory of 17 years of faithful service and friendship.
Catherine Metzger
Church Bookkeeper
Email Accounting>
Sonya Erb
Church Finance Volunteer
Leonard Hartfield
Building Supervisor
Ernest Moore
Building Maintenance
Group Leaders
David Stone
Questions? Sunday School Class
Dr. Linda Solis
Social Justice Sunday School
Dr. Kathleen Laborde & Isabel Laborde
Puente Pal T Shirt Doll Ministry
Dr. Rachel Jennings
Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA), and liason to Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP)
Mary Villalobos
United with Faith (Women’s Group OPEN TO ALL)
Leadership Board
(Formerly known as Church Council)
The Leadership Board represents the interests of all Travis Park Church members through Church Governance. As such every Church Council member wears the hat of Staff Parish Relations Committee, the Trustees and the Finance Committee. The task as leaders is to carry out the vision of the Pastor and goals for Travis Park Church. The Leadership Board is supported by task groups to bring the mission, vision, goals and strategies of Travis Park Church to life. We need everyone to be a part of Travis Park Church’s servant ministries.
2023 Leadership Board
Ronda Hageman
Heather Mace-Meador
Carol Lockett Scholl
Beth Smith—Chair
Linda Solis
Velia Suarez
George Taylor
Mary Jo Villalobos
Tracie Kuenzi
Corazon Ministries & Deborah’s House
