Ken Cowan, Palmer’s Artist-in-Residence and Organist, is Associate Professor and head of the organ program at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He has also served on the organ faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey.
Ken has recorded on the Pro Organo, JAV, and Etheral recording labels, and many of his recordings and live performances have been featured on NPR. He received a Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in New Haven, Connecticut, and his Bachelor of Music degree from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a church musician, he has held posts as Artist-in-Residence and Organist at Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City and as Assistant Organist at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
The Rev’d Allen M. Junek (pronounced “you-nick”) is the Associate Rector here at Palmer.
Allen is a ninth-generation Texan and joined Palmer staff in 2025 from St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Austin, where he served as Curate. Allen's primary responsibilities at Palmer include overseeing pastoral care and assisting the Rector in administration and worship. He is passionate about worship, evangelism, and the intersection of faith and public life.
After studying philosophy and classics at Texas A&M University, Allen went on to earn his Master of Divinity degree from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University and a graduate diploma from Bexley Seabury Seminary. While in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Allen discovered the Episcopal Church and joined the staff at the Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Dallas before relocating to Austin to complete his final year of studies at Seminary of the Southwest. While at Southwest, Allen served as the lay chaplain for the Episcopal Student Center at the University of Texas.
When he’s not at church, Allen can likely be found scoping out a new coffee shop, reading a book at the gym, or testing out a new recipe. He and husband, Alex, enjoy traveling and taking long walks with their flat-coat retriever, Benji.