Pastoral Staff
Paul Parsons—Interim Senior Pastor
512-334-3006 | pparsons@covenant.org
The Rev. Dr. Paul H. Parsons is Covenant Presbyterian Church’s interim senior pastor. Parsons, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, was called to Covenant in July 2011.
Prior to his move to Austin, Paul was the Senior Associate Pastor of Missional Strategies and Discipleship at First Presbyterian, Colorado Springs (FPC). There he served dual roles: He was the startup pastor for a satellite extension of the FPC (First Pres North), and also served as “shepherd” over the top four levels of leadership at FPC.
Paul also has extensive training and experience in interim ministry, having served as interim over the 500-member Westminster Presbyterian Church in San Jose, Calif., in the late 80s. More recently, he served in that capacity in the 2,000-member Colonial Presbyterian Church in Kansas City from 2006–08.
Paul, who enjoys mountain climbing, hiking, dogs and reading, grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland “sitting on the porch telling stories.” He has four grown children and three grandchildren.
Jill Williams—Associate Pastor for Congregational Matters
512-334-3058 | jwilliams@covenant.org
Jill Williams spent her childhood in Florida where she was baptized as an infant and taught simple truths about God by her parents and grandparents. Jill made a public profession of faith as a teenager during Confirmation in a Methodist church. Jill's college years were pivotal for her faith, as the reality of God’s presence in her life and in the world were revealed to her through the surprising avenue of sorority. She graduated from Auburn University in Alabama in 1988 with a BS in Computer Science. She left Auburn with lifelong Christian friendships and a love for Auburn football.
After finishing at Auburn, Jill worked for Champion Paper as a systems analyst. She left her career in 1992 to follow God’s unexpected call to serve in Huntsville, Ala., as Covenant’s Director of Youth and Family Ministries. After a decade of full-time youth ministry, Jill said goodbye to her Huntsville “family” to attend Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. She graduated with her Master of Divinity degree in 2006, then served on the staff at Bel Air Presbyterian in Los Angeles for three years in the area of Caring Ministries. In August 2007 Jill arrived at Covenant Presbyterian Church and now serves as the Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Missions.
Jill enjoys eating out, is a habitual tea drinker, loves to go on walks, enjoys most outdoor activities, greatly values friendship and family, and takes pleasure in new experiences and travel. She is passionate about things she knows are important to God’s heart, like people. Leading and serving others is something that energizes her. Jill values people of all ages and loves the diversity of people in our world. Her heart’s desire is to faithfully and obediently follow Christ wherever he leads, and to share God’s love and grace with the people around her.
Tom Mitchell—Associate Pastor for Discipleship
512-334-3047 | tmitchell@covenant.org
Tom was born on a Native American reservation in northeastern Oklahoma where his grandparents served as missionaries with the Cherokee people. Prior to his sixth grade year, Tom’s family moved to Kansas where he graduated from high school and earned his undergraduate degree in piano performance at Friends University. Following four years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Tom earned his first graduate degree in Choral Music and Literature from the University of Illinois. He also did doctoral study in conducting and composition at the University of Oklahoma, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in May 2008. Tom was ordained and installed as Associate Pastor for Discipleship at Covenant on March 29, 2009.
Tom became a member of Covenant in May 2001 where he served in various capacities until the commencement of his current position. Prior to his arrival at Covenant, Tom served in the area of music ministry with congregations in Texas, Tennessee and Kansas. He also was active in professional musical theatre, and is a published and recorded arranger, composer and orchestrator.
Tom and Mary Helen Mitchell thrive on family! They have four daughters—one in Houston, two in Austin and one in North Carolina—and four grandchildren—two in Austin and two in Houston. Mary Helen serves as Executive Administrative Assistant to the Senior Pastor at Covenant, a position she has held for 13 years. They are also very close to Mary Helen’s mother and aunt in Montana and enjoy spending time with the extended family each June at the Armstrong Family Reunion in Island Park, Idaho. Tom has a passion for sports (especially the Oklahoma Sooners and St. Louis Cardinals) and hopes that his future will someday allow him to build the model railroad that he has wanted to construct for years.