Our people: Anthem singer lands back in Clovis

CLOVIS - Growing up, Jenny Owens moved around a lot. Amongst all the moves, the Michigan-born daughter of a pastor spent several years in Clovis while her father worked at the Nazarene church in the area. Her family eventually moved to Arizona, where she now claims as her home state.

After spending her college years in San Diego, and another few in Colorado, Owens' journey back to Clovis has everything to do with falling in love, planning a family and the benefits of small-town living.

Owens works a few times a week at Wild at Heart, a retail boutique on Pile Street. When she's not there, she can be found at home with her two young children, or with her husband at the church they started together four years ago. The congregation of their church, Oasis Church of the Way, meets regularly for worship, good food and Bible study inside the historic post office building on Fourth and Mitchell.

Q: How did you end up here? What made you decide to stay?

A: My husband joined the military when he was 18 and had his first orders to the Cannon Air Force Base. We met at the Applebee's in town on my 21st birthday. I was here visiting for a friend's wedding.

He went on to complete his orders at Cannon and was offered a contract to stay on in civil service.

My husband and I are both from really big cities. And so besides the fact that he was offered a really good job in civil service at the base, it just seemed like a good place to start. We just kind of felt like this is where we were supposed to be -- like this is what God wanted us to do.

The job opportunities at Cannon for my husband were just awesome and then there was the fact that we knew we wanted to start a family. It is just a great place to do that. The community is what kept us here, it's the people. 

We felt like it would be good for us to build our marriage and our family and so we chose to stay.

Q: What would you say is one surprising or little-known fact about you?

A: I've gotten to sing national anthems at some Major League Baseball games. 

I've sung it for the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. I've always been a singer -- I've been singing since I was old enough to talk. Four years old was my first time singing in front of people on a mic.

I actually dropped out of our concert choir in college to join the Gospel choir because it was more fun. 

Q: What is your favorite trait of your husband's?

A: His realness. What you see is what you get. Always, with everyone. At home, as a dad, as a pastor, as a husband -- he is just real. What you see, is what you get. And I love that about him.

Q: What is your favorite part about running the Oasis church?

A: I think it is the fact that we have created an environment where there is just an openness to come as you are. The reality of what that looks like is honestly an acceptance that we have to have of our own selves -- to bear who we are. We're not fake nice here, it's a genuine love for people to come and experience Jesus. No matter what you look like, where you come from, the life that you live -- this is a place where you can encounter Jesus and be welcomed in with love. And that's something that I love about this place.

Q: Have you ever met anyone famous? Who and how?

A: Technically my brother-in-law is famous. He is a Broadway dancer and singer. He's currently in "Beetlejuice." OK. He's also been in "Motown." 

He's just going to finish through the summer and then he actually took a job with the Boston Conservatory and he's going to be teaching full-time, musical theater dance.

Because of him I've never been to a Broadway show where I haven't been backstage. I got to see Hamilton for $40 on Broadway, I've met the person who created Elphaba (from "Wicked"), the girl who played Penny in "Hairspray," Vanessa Williams ... I've met a lot of people through my brother-in-law.

Q: Where is your dream vacation?

A: I go between a European cruise or the Maldives. That's actually our dream; we want to do our 25th wedding anniversary to the Maldives, just off the coast of India.

Q: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice 10 years ago, what would it be?

A: Nothing is set in stone. The way you think, the way you operate your life -- nothing is ever set in stone, and all it takes is a choice to change and to put the hard work in and accomplish the things you've always wanted to do.

There's just so many ways to think and to operate and to realize that you actually have the power to change that, is wonderful.