Allison Cambre, pastor, oldest of five children, was born in Pennsylvania. After graduating from French High School in Beaumont, Texas, he got his B.S. from Iowa State in Telecommunicative Arts, and his M.Th. from Southern Methodist University. He holds the distinction of being the youngest graduate of the Perkins School of Theology at SMU who earned a doctor’s degree.
Allison has been actively involved in education as a former Board member of the Clear Creek ISD, Rotary, and the Boy Scouts. He and his three sons are all Eagle Scouts. He currently serves on the Advisory Board to the Sam Houston Area Council.
Allison and his wife Beth, a retired neo-natal nurse, live in Hilshire Village, Texas and have six grown children, who live literally coast-to-coast, and Midwest to the South. They have seven grandchildren.
With more than 35 years in ministry, Allison’s leadership has helped the Terrace Church to create a new governance system, and to see increases in outreach ministries and program staff within the church since his arrival. His vision has helped develop Terrace Church’s mission which is “Transforming Lives through Connections”, and establish six non-negotiable core values.
In addition, he is a student of Bowen’s family systems theory, and is committed to working out five times a week!
The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Greene III, Pastor Emeritus, is the Honorary Counsul of Cameroon, and an educator. Charles has been a Methodist clergyman for 38 years, pastoring churches in Texas, Delaware, and Maryland. He received a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, M.A., American University, and doctoral studies in the U.K.
In the early seventies he was a professor of American Studies, University of Nagasaki, Japan, and worked as a speech writer for Mitsubishi.
Charles was the pastor of Terrace from 1987-1993, having the second longest tenure in the history of the church. He has been an active part of transforming lives and evangelism. A fifth generation Texan, Dr. Greene was born in Liberty, TX. He and his wife, Phyllis, have two children. Greene has served nine churches and was on the Bishop’s Committee from 2001-2005.
Dr Greene is a member of the Order of Lazarus and the Royal Order of Scotland.
Lavena Linhart, Director of Music and Fine Arts, has been on staff at Terrace since September 1985. She served as Children’s Choir Director and then in 1987 as Director of Music and Fine Arts. Lavena attended Houston Baptist University and taught K-4th grade music at St. Francis Episcopal Day School for 13 years, retiring in 2010. Over the past 25 years she has produced many children’s musicals in addition to multi-generational shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph, Godspell, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, Oliver, Annie, Peter Pan and most recently Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Her Kidz Theatre Program at Terrace is one of the most successful theater programs in Spring Branch and boasts over 50 boys and girls. They meet every week to learn about theater, music and performance.
Lavena and her husband Marshall have been members of Terrace since 1985 and are parents to Bobby, Brian, Debbie, Kim & Sharon. Their spare time is spent with their grandchildren and at their Galveston beach house.
Tammy Heinrich, Director, Outreach Ministries, has taught spirituality classes since the fall of 2005 at Santa Maria Hostel, a residential drug treatment facility for women in crisis, where she and her ministry team have contact with up to 70 women a week. She leads another ministry team in providing similar services to more than 20 clients at Bonita House, a sister facility of Santa Maria Hostel, and coordinates outreach efforts with residents of Turning Point Center.
Under her leadership, Terrace has been recognized for its outreach efforts as a recipient for the last two years of the prestigious Copeland Award for Evangelism by the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Tammy and her husband, Timothy, have been members of Terrace Church for more than 20 years, serving in a variety of leadership positions. Tammy currently participates in the church’s van ministry, youth ministry and the fine arts department.
She has worked as a public relations consultant and served in leadership positions with Kiwanis International, SEARCH, the A.D. Players Guild, Oak Forest Elementary School and Lanier Middle School. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.
She and her husband are the parents of four children: Timothy Jr., Allison, Michelle and Philip.
Kathy Gilbert, Director of Family Ministries, has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education 1st through 6th grade) & Early Childhood. She joined Terrace’s staff as a volunteer June 2008 and became a full-time staff member November 2008.
Before joining the staff, Kathy worked for Big Little School for over 20 years as a teacher, then as an age-level coordinator for elementary, junior high and preschool children. After leaving BLS, Kathy taught first grade and fourth grade language arts in CFISD.
Kathy writes a monthly newsletter, Terrace Kids Times that is sent to over 500 children. Terrace Kids Times has a monthly Bible lesson and activities. Once a week she presents Chapel to BLS children. Children hear Bible stories, sing, dance and praise God.
Kathy also works with Adult and Sports Ministries. Under her guidance Terrace received the Rising Star Award in Christian Education in 2008, 5 Stars of Excellence in Christian Education in 2009, and 5 Stars of Excellence and the Shoting Star Award in 2010.
Kathy and her husband Brian have been members of Terrace for over 34 years. She has 5 children (2 by marriage) Robert and Andrea, Gary and Allison, and Kevin.
Katie Rall, Director of Ministries to Families with Youth, has a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Sam Houston State University. She has always felt called to be a teacher and loves teaching about Jesus. Katie is a native Houstonian, a graduate of Westside High School and a long-time Methodist. Katie brings energy and excitement to our staff and to youth ministry.
Director of Ministries to Older Adults
Tricia Montalbano, Director of Big, Little School, was baptized here at Terrace and has been actively involved in the life of the church ever since. Daughter of Nancy Bell, the founder of Big, Little School, makes Tricia a second generation director.
Tricia worked at Big, Little School for many years during the late eighties and early nineties as an assistant teacher and after-school counselor, before leaving for college. She graduated in 1995 from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and Long Term Care. Tricia married her husband, Nick, in the winter of 1995. They have been blessed with two wonderful children, Abby & Nicholas, both Big Little graduates.
Tricia returned to Big, Little School in 1999 and is beginning her seventh year as director. She is dedicated to maintaining and preserving this very special program. Big, Little School provides recognized and awarded high quality Early Childhood Education. Established in 1972, Big, Little School has become a concrete part of the Spring Branch community.
Director of Celebration Worship
Office and Business Manager
Church Officers