Staff

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Father Garrin W. Dickinson

Rector

Fr. Garrin was born in Michigan and grew up in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia, and in rural Connecticut. That combination was confusing enough that somehow he found himself in an Army recruiter’s office, after which he did two and a half years as a tank driver, culminating in a combat tour during the first Gulf War. Having gotten that out of his system and having done his patriotic duty, he went to the University of Pittsburgh for a B.A. in English Literature. Since the rest of his family moved to the Pittsburgh area also, it became home.

After college, Garrin did a year of training for missions work with Youth With a Mission (YWaM). That included a month in Jordan and a month leading an outreach team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In the course of that training, it became clear that God was calling him to the priesthood, so he went to Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA. Fr. Garrin spent three years as Curate at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA. Then he accepted the call as Rector of Holy Nativity in 2005.

Along the way, Fr. Garrin met and married the luminously beautiful Jenny Higgins. They have three brilliant daughters: Lucy, Eleanor, and Mary.

Fr. Garrin is a devotee of the writings of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. He brews his own beer. And he thinks that the Church should be the center of everyone’s life.

Father John W. Kline

Priest Associate

The Reverend Canon John W. Kline was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia. Active throughout high school as both an athlete and musician, he graduated from West Chester University (1955) where he majored in brass and voice. In 1959 Fr. Kline graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg with an Master of Divinity degree, later earning the S.T.M. degree from the same institution. He served pastorates in Bittinger, MD and Lancaster, PA prior to entering the Episcopal Church.

After a year of orientation in the “Anglican Ethos” at the Philadelphia Divinity School, Fr. Kline was ordained Deacon (April, 1965) and then Priest (August 1965) by the Rt. Rev. Harvey D. Butterfield, Bishop of Vermont, and was called to be Rector of St. John’s Church, Randolph and Christ Church, Bethel, Vt, where he discovered himself preaching before the retired Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Arthur C. Lichtenberger, D.D.

Returning to Pennsylvania, Fr. Kline served as rector of churches in Williamsport, Sunbury and Sharon. While at St. Matthew’s, Sunbury, he became active in the healing ministry of the Church, was made a Chaplain in the Order of St. Luke the Physician, and led healing missions in the dioceses of Central Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and Northwestern PA.

While serving as Rector of St. John’s, Sharon, PA, the bishop, the Rt Rev. Donald J. Davis, appointed Fr. Kline to be his Archdeacon, with oversight of seventeen mission congregations. Four years later he was called to The Church of the Ascension, in Bradford, PA, from which he retired in 1997 after fourteen years as Rector.

While in the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Fr. Kline served as secretary, and then president of the Standing Committee for nineteen years, and was eight times elected a Deputy to the Triennial Convention of the Episcopal Church, where he served on the Music (Hymnal Revision) and Canons Committees. With his wife, he served on Marriage Encounter teams, and he also served as a Spiritual Advisor for Cursillo. He was also the Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, and in 1995, the bishop, The Rt. Rev. Robert D. Rowley, conferred on him the honorary title of “Canon Ecumenist”, in recognition of his long-standing work for Christian Unity at the diocesan, state, provincial and national levels of the Episcopal Church.

Following retirement in 1997, Fr. Kline and his wife moved to Plano TX. In the Diocese of Dallas, with the permission of the bishop, The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, D.D., he has served as interim priest at St. Matthias, Athens TX, and at the Church of the Ascension, Dallas. In 1999 he was appointed (part-time) Priest Associate at the Church of the Holy Nativity in Plano, where he also served as interim priest in 2003-04.

Fr. Kline is married to the former Jane E. Beeghley of State College, PA, and they have three children and two grandchildren, all in the greater Dallas area. They both enjoy gardening and travel, and cheering for Penn State. Fr. Kline is an avid golfer and is also active in genealogy.

Father Noe Mendez

Assistant Rector for the Hispanic Ministry

Born in 1962 in San José Sabinillo in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, Fr. Mendez is married to Maria Luisa Perez Valencia. They have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

Fr. Mendez was educated in Mexico City graduating from Secondary (High) School in 1978. He graduated from Normal de Maestros (Teacher’s College) de México in 1981. In 1982, he studied in the Center for the Arts run by the Social Security Administration of Mexico where he studied Basic Secretarial Skills, Folklorico Dance, and Tailoring.

Fr. Mendez began his working career in 1984 working for the Tlalpan Delegation government. In October 1984 he became active in the Intercultural Network of the Independent Action, in order to help people affected by the earthquake. In March, 1986, he took these projects to his home town in Oaxaca. There he worked on various projects such as building roads, schools, houses, and the town hall. After that, the work spread until it reached 22 towns where various projects were completed, such as, building roads, networks for potable water, reconstruction of houses and schools.

In 1987 Fr. Mendez emigrated to the U.S., living in Madera, California, and then on to Houston. In 1988 he was moved to San Diego and finally in November, 1988, to Dallas, working in the retail clothing business until January 1993 when he opened his own tailor business.

Fr. Mendez became a citizen of the United States in 1997.

In November of 1988, Fr. Mendez became a member of the Cathedral of St. Matthew. He started to work in the Cathedral teaching the youth Folkloric Dance for the Hispanic cultural events at the Cathedral and also worked in the Ministry of Hospitality in the kitchen, preparing meals.

Fr. Mendez began his English language training at Eastfield Community College in 1998. In March of 1998 Fr. Mendez was called to collaborate in fostering the growth of the Hispanic Ministry at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Plano.

In February 17, 2004 Fr. Mendez entered into Theology courses for the Ministry at the Instituto Teológico San Mateo, Dallas Texas.

In November of 2005 Fr. Mendez started the Hispanic Ministry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Dallas along with Christopher Kribs Zaleta, a friend who is a parishioner there. They held Evening Prayer weekly for five months and canvassed several nearby apartment complexes to invite people to come. On Easter 2006 they had their first weekly Eucharist, which continues to this day. He graduated December 13, 2006. and did his CPE at Parkland Hospital, 2007.

Fr. Mendez was ordained to the sacred order of deacons, November 10, 2007 and began serving at Holy Nativity as a Deacon.

Fr. Mendez closed his business in May, 2009 to devote full time to the ministry. He was ordained to the sacred order of priests, June 3, 2009.

Fr. Mendez now serves as Assistant Rector for Spanish Ministry at Holy Nativity Church, Plano, Texas.

Gene Meyer

Music Director

Gene Meyer was born and raised in Northern Illinois. Throughout his schooling he was active in music, starting with piano in first grade. In fourth grade at age ten, he started accompanying the school choir on the organ, becoming the church’s main organist in eighth grade at age 13, a position he held throughout high school.

Gene graduated from the University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio) with a degree in Computer Science and Music, along with an ROTC commission as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the Army. While serving tours of duty in Germany and El Paso, he also served as organist for both the Catholic and Protestant chapels, as well as organist for St. Raphael’s Catholic church in El Paso.

On leaving the Army, Gene went to work for Texas Instruments in Houston.  While in Houston Gene also held the position of organist at Prince of Peace Catholic Community. Gene moved to Plano in 1985, taking a position in TI’s newly created Computer Science research center in Dallas, eventually retiring from TI in 2002 as an engineering program manager.

In the Dallas area, Gene initially served as assistant organist at St. Mark the Evangelist  Catholic church in Plano. During the latter 1990’s, Gene and two of his daughters provided the music (organ, oboe and cello) for the Sunday morning family Mass at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Dallas. More recently, Gene served as organist and choirmaster at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Corsicana for nearly seven years, leaving that position on Easter Sunday, 2010.

Allison Maybery

Church Secretary

Our church secretary, Allison Maybery, graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1981 with a BBA in Business Administration.

After graduating, Allison began a career in the Savings & Loan industry and worked for Richardson Savings & Loan and Commodore Savings & Loan for a total of 8 years.

In the fall of 1989 Allison and husband Jim started their family and were blessed with a girl; in the spring of 1991 their second child came, this time being blessed with a boy. Allison performed duties as a stay at home Mom until the fall of 2001.

In October of 2001 Allison came to work at Holy Nativity and has been a key component in the workings of the church since. She believes that Holy Nativity is not only a wonderful place to worship, but a wonderful place to work as well. She genuinely loves being part of this wonderful church family and Holy Nativity is blessed with her service and love.