Born in Pennsylvania, Tara moved to the sunshine state as an eighth grader. A faithful Pittsburgh sports fan, Tara hoped to return to PA for college. Instead, God led her to Jacksonville, FL and the University of North Florida where she earned a degree in Psychology. Upon college graduation, Tara worked at Publix as a department manager for several years before attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts and earning her Master’s of Divinity degree. She served two churches in Florida and one in Pittsburgh, PA before Jesus led her to Beaumont to serve as St. Andrew’s pastor.

Tara is a teacher at heart and loves helping others discover how Jesus has gifted them for service in building His Church. She describes her ministry style as relational, which involves experiencing life together, bearing witness to Christ's activity, and encouraging one another on the journey of faith.

Tara's hobbies include sports, reading, art, and traveling. She has visited six of the seven continents and has nurtured ministry partnerships in ten countries. She loves meeting new people and is excited to do life and ministry with us in southeast Texas.

A native of east Texas, Thomas Furlow is our Director of Music. He has studied the piano and led music in worship since childhood. In addition to earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington, Thomas studied voice, piano, and organ at Stephen F. Austin State University and Lamar University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2023.

Although his work as a nurse and his role at St. Andrew’s keeps him busy, Thomas visits family and friends every chance that he gets. He plays piano, organ, melodica, and even accordion for fun, and he enjoys visiting Colorado to see mountains and snow once a year.   

Rachel is our administrative assistant and organist. She graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance in 2021 and a Master of Music in 2023.

For over ten years now, she has found immense fulfillment in playing in churches. (When she was in elementary school, her dad played in church and her initial reason for taking up piano was so she could play in services too!) Her secondary instruments are harp and organ. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and reading. She lives in Nederland with her husband, Chris, and her son, Jesse. 

With over twenty years of experience as an administrative assistant, Joyce is delighted to be a part of St. Andrew's. Since moving to Texas in 2016, Joyce has been blessed to be the chief family manager of her household. She is the proud wife of a U.S. Marine veteran, the mother of four wonderful children, and the grandmother (a.k.a. Mimzy) to three highly energetic grandchildren. 

When she is not working, Joyce enjoys spending time with her family, participating in all kinds of outdoor activities, watching her daughter dance, and seeing her grandchildren grow and experience life. She also takes pleasure in visiting new places and trying new cuisine. 

Patricia Williamson has worked as a music educator, collaborative pianist, and piano soloist in the Beaumont area for over two decades. Raised in a large musical family, she studied piano and euphonium in Houston, receiving her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Music Education from Lamar University.

Patty enjoys both instrumental and vocal performance: she is currently the principal keyboardist of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, directs a church youth a cappella chorus, sings in the Beaumont Interfaith Choral Society, and still loves to play euphonium. In her twenty years as an educator, she has worked as a band director, choir director, class piano instructor, and elementary music teacher, and has owned a private piano studio.

She is the mother of five children, wife to a guitarist/high school administrator, and an avid reader. She enjoys running and takes every opportunity to be around the water.

Gloria Pierce earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Columbia College of Missouri. Gloria’s first job in education was as an attendance clerk registrar. However, school administration quickly recognized her special gift of teaching. She earned her teaching certification and stepped into the classroom in 2020, as the world was rocked by a pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. She thrived in her new role at Regina Howell Elementary School. Every one of Gloria’s students demonstrated more than a year’s worth of growth in reading, and 92% of her students passed the STAAR test. Gloria sees passing on her love of reading to students as one of her greatest accomplishments.

A devoted wife to her husband of 18 years, Gloria has children ages 8-15. In her free time, there is nothing she loves more than snuggling into a blanket and reading a good book. She is an accomplished baker and loves to travel to new places.

Gloria is looking forward to moving into her new role as the St. Andrew’s Day School director. She is excited to join our team and grow alongside the St. Andrew’s Day School and its families.