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LEADERSHIP TEAM

Get to know the Advent Presbyterian Church team

CHURCH STAFF

Serving our Church Family

We are a team called to serve. Trusting in God's faithfulness, our leaders are committed to submitting ourselves fully to God’s Word. We use the gifts God has given us to teach, support, and walk alongside you as we seek to follow Jesus Christ together.

Taylor Leachman, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Taylor Leachman

Pastor

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Kelley Ellis, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Kelley Ellis

Pastoral Assistant

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Beverly Gault, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Beverly Gault

Ministry Operations Coordinator

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Maggie Zambetti, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Maggie Zambetti

Family Ministry Director

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Olivia Thurman, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Olivia Thurman

Music & Media Coordinator

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Will McKee, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Will McKee

Director of Christian Student Fellowship

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Jonathan Stepp, part of the Advent Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX leadership team, smiling

Jonathan Stepp

Setup Coordinator

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MINISTRY TEAM LEADERS

We Don't Do This Alone

Our deacons and ministry team leaders are instrumental in carrying out the mission and values of our church.

Philip Smith

Deacon

Thomas Flood

Deacon

Andrew Donohue

Deacon

John Moore

Deacon

Simon Farmer

Ministry Leader

James Armstrong

Ministry Leader

Peter Jackson

MInistry Leader

Andrew Young

Ministry Leader

Taylor Leachman

Pastor

Taylor grew up in Houston, Texas, in a family of doctors and met his wife, Julianna, while they were students at Vanderbilt University. Before returning to Houston in 2015, he served with Reformed University Fellowship in North Carolina and worked in ministry in Austin while completing his M.Div. at Redeemer Seminary. During their time in Austin, Julianna earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of Texas. In 2021, Taylor, Julianna, and a core team of leaders helped start Advent Houston, a church serving the medical, academic, and neighborhood communities around the Texas Medical Center. Taylor also enjoys coaching lacrosse and investing in young athletes. They have three daughters—Emilia, Gillian, and Mary Margaret—and love life in Houston as they watch God at work in their church and community.

Kelley Ellis

Pastoral Assistant

Kelley grew up in Houston, where she met her husband, Adam, while they were volunteering with Young Life. They married in 2008, and Kelley spent several years teaching high school math and serving with Young Life before moving to Connecticut, where their two sons were born. After returning to Houston for Adam’s work, Kelley joined the leadership team for Community Bible Study, and their family grew again with the addition of their daughter. She began serving at Advent Houston in the Children’s Ministry and now has the joy of serving as the Pastoral Assistant. Kelley and Adam have three children—Micah, Elijah, and Hannah—and love being part of what God is doing through Advent Houston.

Beverly Gault

Ministry Operations Coordinator

Beverly grew up in southwest Pennsylvania as the fifth of six children in a close-knit family who were active in their small Christian & Missionary Alliance church. She spent her career in healthcare—working in medical laboratories, hospital consulting, and business services—before meeting and marrying her husband, Paul, in 1990. Together they’ve shared both professional work and lay ministry, living in several cities before settling in Houston in 2012 to be near family. After years in corporate healthcare, Beverly and Paul spent five memorable years traveling full-time in their RV before putting down roots in the Oak Forest area. She has served in ministries such as the Great Banquet, Kairos Prison Ministry, Walk to Emmaus, and Bible Study Fellowship, and is excited to now serve as Advent Houston’s Ministry Operations Director.

Maggie Zambetti

Family Ministry Director

Maggie is mother to James and Rosie and wife to Ben. Before becoming a mom, Maggie worked in parachurch youth ministry at an organization supporting students in a housing project complex in Memphis. She then transitioned into the formal education sector as both an advisor and teacher before relocating to Houston. Maggie is also a leader for Side by Side Houston, the wives’ arm of the Christian Medical Dental Association. Maggie is passionate about helping children and families grow in their knowledge and love of Christ, welcoming people into Christian community, and guiding them to learn about God’s purpose for their lives and the world.

Olivia Thurman

Music and Media Coordinator

Olivia was born and raised in Houston with her parents and two younger brothers. She attended Texas A&M University, where she earned a degree in English with a focus on literature and was deeply involved in Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). After graduating, she served as an RUF intern, where God continued to grow her desire for vocational ministry. A true Houstonian, Olivia loves exploring the city’s many restaurants and coffee shops. She is grateful to now serve as Advent Houston’s Music and Media Coordinator, where she combines her love for people, creativity, and music, and looks forward to deepening her relationships within the church community.

Will McKee

Director of Christian Student Fellowship

Will was born in Plymouth, England, and grew up in Coppell, Texas, just outside of Dallas. He attended Baylor University, where he met his wife, Caroline, through Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). After graduating, they moved to Houston and became part of Christ the King Presbyterian Church, where Will later served as Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Covenant Theological Seminary and serves as Director for Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) at Advent Houston. In 2022, Will and Caroline welcomed their daughter, Posy, who was born at 24 weeks and lived for almost seven weeks in the NICU before passing away. Through that season of grief, they experienced God’s steadfast love through His people and the medical community—a love Will now hopes to share in his ministry at Advent.

Jonathan Stepp

Setup Coordinator

Jonathan grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where he attended The Church of the Good Shepherd before his family helped plant Christ Community Church in Chapel Hill. He later moved to Pittsburgh to study physics and math at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was involved at City Reformed Presbyterian Church. Jonathan is now pursuing graduate studies in physics at Rice University and serves as Setup Coordinator at Advent Houston. He’s grateful to be part of a church community that values both faith and thoughtful engagement with the world.

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