COTC Clergy
Rector
Sarah has been in Austin since 2006, serving first with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Texas and later as a pastor at Christ Church. She met her husband Drew while earning her B.A. in Mathematics at Trinity University, and she completed her Masters in Theology and Ministry just before the birth of their third child in 2017. Sarah has served as a priest at Church of the Cross since 2021, and began serving as the rector in March 2025. She is passionate about Scripture, joy, and attending to God’s Spirit at work.
Deacon
krista@cotcaustin.org
A transplant from the East Coast by way of China, Krista arrived in Houston in 2003, where she met and married her husband Blake Mathews. She’s been tending to her music, her community, and her children in Texas ever since. After eight years of lay leadership at Christ Church Austin, the Vossler-Mathews joined the core team that planted Church of the Cross. Krista spent 18 months as an interim director of music at COTC before stepping down to focus on homeschooling her two children (Lucy and Casimir). Currently in the process of becoming ordained as a deacon in ACNA and once again an interim worship leader, she spends much of her time teaching, listening, reading, writing, baking, walking, and tinkering with setlists for Anglican worship.
wdavidotaylor@gmail.com
David Taylor is a theologian, author, speaker, priest, and director of initiatives in art and faith. A professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He has written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, Theology Today, Worship, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, and Books & Culture, among others. He is married to Phaedra, a visual artist and gardener, and you can see his daughter Blythe and son Sebastian at church on Sundays!
Staff
Director of Children’s Formation
briana@cotcaustin.org
Briana is a transplant from California, born and raised in San Diego. After graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara in 2014, it was time to head out to Austin where her husband, Calum, had gotten a job. One bite of brisket later, she knew it was the right place. Briana was heavily involved in children’s ministry at her home church, which evolved into opportunities like working as a camp counselor, teaching and leading in summer VBS, and running a preteen ministry on Sunday nights. While children’s ministry is her passion, her favorite kiddos are her two young girls, Maggie and Cora, who are both “pandemic babies". While she has always appreciates God’s glorious creation, Briana considers herself an avid indoorsman and enjoys thrifing, The Office, and spending time with friends.
Director of Operations
bryson@cotcaustin.org
Bryson has been in the Austin area since 2015 working in non-profit, church and real estate operations with Umlauf Sculpture Garden, Christ Church of Austin, as well as Keyrenter Property Management. He and his wife, Marisa, met while involved with CRU+ at Texas State University. They now live in Kyle with their two children, Violet and Parker. As a family they enjoy hiking, playing sports and any kind of board game. In addition to working with Church of the Cross, Bryson provides leadership coaching, strategic planning consulting, project management and fractional operational leadership to various clients in non-profit and real estate work.
Director of Worship
Justin is a recent transplant to Austin, having grown up in the northeast and spent the last 17 years in Boston, MA. He has previous experience as a worship director, church planter, and lead pastor, along with a history in songwriting, recording, and music production. He has an MDiv and ThM from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he is also completing his MA in counseling. At the moment, he's wrapping up his internship hours before seeking licensure as a mental health counselor in Texas. Justin is married to Sarah. They have two kiddos, ages 6 and 3. Along with interests in worship, theology, and counseling, he enjoys collecting records, following baseball and hockey, and reading genre fiction.
Parish Administrator
kellie@cotcaustin.org
Kellie was born and raised in East Texas. She grew up with a tight-knit family and being involved in church, which set a precedent for her later life. She graduated from Texas A&M in 2004 with a degree in communications, and while still in school, she launched her own small clothing line, Material. After graduation, she opened a store front right near campus. As the business has grown and changed over the years, she continues to create new pieces for the ever changing needs of her customers.
After moving to Austin in 2010 and later starting a family, Kellie's kids Nora and Owen have helped shape her career and skillset. Through these experiences she has honed an array of skills over the years that she puts to use as Parish Administrator.
Facilities Director
Sean moved to Austin in 2016 after completing his undergraduate degree in Los Angeles, CA, and getting married to his wife, Casey. Sean has served abroad and domestically in missions ministry, spending time primarily in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. His time in Haiti was focused on national church planting and community development work. More recently, Sean has been working in the property management and short-term rental market since 2021 and enjoys problem-solving and getting to work with his hands. Sean and Casey have two sons, Wyatt and Owen. Sean loves woodworking, wrestling with his boys, watching hockey, and getting outside as much as the hot Austin weather allows.
Nursery & Preschool Coordinator
Service & Volunteer Coordinator
Alli was born and raised in Dallas, and after graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Biomedical Sciences, she returned to Dallas to attend UT Southwestern for medical school. She married her husband, Mark, during medical school, and after she graduated they headed to New York City where she completed her residency in Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. While NYC will always hold a very special place in her heart, after their first daughter turned 1, she and Mark moved to Austin to live closer to family, and they now have 3 kids and are here to stay. Alli loves to chat about health and wellbeing, and she also loves baking, reading, and being outdoors. She has a passion for using her organizational skills to get the boring stuff out of the way so people can connect and flourish.
Financial Administrator
Krysta lives in Forest City, NC, and joined the COTC team in May 2024. She started her journey in higher education at Campbell University, where she ultimately earned a Masters of Divinity. She has served various churches as children’s director, pastoral associate, office manager, communications director, and communications specialist. Krysta is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in financial planning. She met her husband, Josh, at Campbell, and together they have two children: Elijah and Nicholas. Elijah, 9, uses his quick mind to memorize all things Transformers. Nicholas, 1, enjoys giving adults heart attacks by intentionally falling over backward.
Verger
Amy has been attending church of the cross for almost two years and serves as one of our vergers, checking in with volunteers on Sunday mornings and ensuring everything runs smoothly. She loves how the role allows her to foster the time and space for people to connect with Jesus and each other. During the week she puts her people and organizational skills to good use at Trader Joe’s and is always happy to chat new and favorite items!
Associate Priest of Care & Mission
kimberly@cotcaustin.org
Kimberly and her family recently moved to Austin from Phoenix, Arizona. After completing her education in social work at the University of Missouri, Kimberly relocated to Phoenix, where she met her husband Steve. Before transitioning into full time ministry, Kimberly worked in the field of social work for over a decade serving as therapist, hospice social worker, and working in foster care and adoptions. She completed her MA in Missional Theology through the Missional Training Center and served as a priest and church planter in Phoenix, as well as the director of operations for Surge Network. Kimberly and Steve have a nine year old daughter, Keenan, and they enjoy movies, the outdoors, the arts, and good food.