our staff


  • Katie Eichler

    pastor@spumchou.org

    Head Pastor

    Katie Eichler is an ordained Elder in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and has been serving under appointment as the Pastor of Discipleship at St. Mark’s UMC in the Houston Heights. She has worked in the United Methodist Church for 20 years: at St. Mark’s since 2015 and as the Director of Youth Ministries at John Wesley UMC in Northwest Houston prior to that. 


  • Daniel Zajicek

    dzajicek@spumchou.org

    Director of Music Ministries
    Daniel has a doctoral degree in music composition from Rice University. He currently is a bass player and singer for the bluegrass band Brazos River Pickers. He grew up in Columbia, Missouri, where he played piano, sang in choir, performed in plays, as well as with jazz and rock bands.


  • Ryan Pennington

    Outreach@spumchou.org

    Director of Outreach Ministries

    Organist/Accompanist
    Ryan Pennington is an accomplished musician with degrees in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi and Organ Performance from UCLA. Since 2022, Ryan has served as the Outreach Director - working directly with schools and the community to further the church's goals of connecting neighbors with the Love of Christ.


  • Susan Smith

    dayschool@spumchou.org

    Day School Director
    Susan Smith joined the Day School as the new Director and has been a parent and a teacher in the school as well. In addition, she assisted in the day school office. She was the director of her own church’s Children Ministry. Susan is a graduate of The University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Her husband has been the Scout Leader at of the troop at St. Philip’s for a number of years.


  • Rebecca Long

    office@spumchou.org

    Financial Administrator
    Originally from Alabama, Rebecca Long has been in Houston for 10 years. She holds a bachelor degree in Accounting from Texas Southern University. She currently works at Structuneering, Inc. - formerly owned by Winston Ed Kile. She is a mother of three children and is passionate about people and God.