Pastor Tom Parkinson

Things you may not know about Pastor Tom:

Pastor Tom still enjoys reading about political figures—especially presidential biographies—and is currently working his way through Grant by Ron Chernow. He also likes playing sports, including golf, church-league softball, and disc golf.

Not many churchgoers can claim that their pastor is a former professional rapper. Still, anyone who has heard one of Pastor Tom Parkinson’s Easter sermons or seen him rap during Worship in the Park will likely not be shocked to learn that—while in high school—he won first place in a rap contest that garnered him time in a recording studio, a song on rapper Sterlen Barr’s album, and even a modest royalty check for his original rap about tobacco prevention.

Some children take the role of teacher, parent, or superhero when they play pretend. One of Rev. Tom Parkinson’s earliest memories is of playing the pastor at church—complete with stuffed animals for the congregation, a table for a pulpit, and his dad’s oversized black T-shirt for a pulpit robe. He was five years old.

A native of Indiana, PA, Pastor Tom attended Grace United Methodist Church while growing up. His family was active in the congregation, and it was during his early teen years that Pastor Tom first started thinking about a vocation to ministry.

“When I was 14, a woman at church approached me and said I had gifts for ministry and I should consider becoming a pastor. I had just started getting involved in youth ministry and was beginning to claim my faith as my own,” Pastor Tom explained.

The conversation got him thinking, and he attended the local preacher’s licensing school. He preached his first sermon at 14, and by age 15 was serving periodically as a guest preacher at local United Methodist churches.

From those very first days, Pastor Tom has had connections to Dutilh Church. To wit:

• Rev. Jack Patterson was Pastor Tom’s childhood pastor at Grace UMC. His son, Rev. Doug Patterson, was Dutilh’s pastor from 1982 – 1996.

• Rev. Dr. Don Scandrol, who served at Dutilh from 1997 – 2006, was Pastor Tom’s teacher at the licensing school. He was also Pastor Tom’s first district superintendent.

• That first guest-preaching gig at age 15? It was at a church revival, at the invitation of Pastor Dwayne Burfield, who served Dutilh from 2009 – 2016.

• Rev. Dr. Brad Lauster, who served at Dutilh from 1994 – 2000, moved directly from Dutilh Church to Grace UMC. He was a mentor to Pastor Tom.

“Pastor Brad facilitated my journey into ministry,” Pastor Tom explained. “I was blessed to discern that calling early and by my junior and senior years in high school, I knew that was the path God was leading me to pursue.”

Having an early sense of his calling to ministry did not keep young Tom entirely out of trouble, however; once it even landed him in the principal’s office.

“I led the Christian Fellowship group in high school,” Pastor Tom explained. “We organized a prayer event before school.” The event was so successful it drew more than 300 people. Unfortunately, it also blocked the bus lanes, prompting Pastor Tom’s one and only disciplinary visit with the school principal.

When not busy getting busted for his community-organizing skills, Pastor Tom was actually a pretty good kid.

As a freshman, he got the lead role (Dr. Hawkeye Pierce) in his school’s fall production of M*A*S*H, and that spring he played the lead in Cheaper by the Dozen. At that point, having achieved his goals on stage, Pastor Tom moved on to different activities.

“I was always a fan of history and writing/English,” Pastor Tom said. He took AP courses in U.S. History and Government and was active in his local YMCA chapter of Youth and Government, where he served as a student legislator in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and a committee chair. He ran for and won his party’s nomination for governor, though he opted not to pursue the state-wide YAG governorship because of the time commitment.  Pastor Tom also participated in “We the People,” a student organization focused on debate and constitutional law. His high school debate team won the Pennsylvania competition and got to compete in Washington, D.C.

As Pastor Tom was beginning his journey in ministry, his father James, a mechanical engineer at the time, also discerned a call. Rev. Jim Parkinson became a pastor in the United Methodist Church when Pastor Tom was 17 and preparing to head off to college.

“Ministry was a thing that brought us together and that we have in common,” Pastor Tom said. His father currently serves as senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Erie, PA.

At Geneva College, a Christian liberal arts school in Beaver Falls, PA, Pastor Tom majored in Political Philosophy and Theology. He met his future wife, Amy, during freshman orientation. Today, they are parents to Isaac (12), a seventh grader, and Naomi (6), a first grader.

After graduating from Geneva in 2007, Pastor Tom entered Duke University’s Divinity School, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2010. During graduate school, he served as a part-time associate pastor at Duke’s chapel. There, he was responsible for student ministry and worship leadership. During his second year in the program, he stepped up to serve as the interim leader after the senior pastor left abruptly.

That experience helped to clarify his choice of profession. While others might have found that responsibility overwhelming, Pastor Tom said it was energizing to help lead the church through a time of crisis.

His first appointment as a newly minted M.Div. was at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel, PA. During that time, Pastor Tom helped the congregation to create Roots of Faith, a community outreach center that continues to thrive today and offers a legal clinic, job training, medical clinic, community meals, and worship services in Sharpsburg, PA.

After six years in Fox Chapel, the district superintendent invited him to lead Dutilh Church. In addition to his many other connections to Dutilh, Pastor Tom already knew and respected Rev. Jim Gascoine.

“My first question when they asked was, ‘Is Jim staying?’” Pastor Tom said. “Jim’s partnership is a big part of what has made being at Dutilh such a pleasurable experience.”

Another thing Pastor Tom loves about Dutilh Church is the people.

“The best thing about this job is the people,” Pastor Tom explained. “This congregation—in ways that are unique—is gifted and interested in innovation, in trying new ways to reach people with the love of Jesus. The gospel calls out our best, and Dutilh people give their best.”

Pastor Tom believes deeply that Dutilh Church is what God was preparing him for, where God was calling him to be, and that all those Dutilh connections throughout his faith journey were signposts along the way.

“I feel blessed that God has groomed me to be in pastoral ministry all my life,” Pastor Tom said. Dutilh Church, in particular, is a great fit because, he said, “This church is open to vision and strategy for the future. Once we identified that vision, people have pursued it with laser focus and passion.” He said figuring out how to lead the staff and organize the church structure most effectively have been both a blessing and a professional challenge.

“I never led a staff team before coming to Dutilh,” Pastor Tom said. “While it has challenged and stretched me, it has also allowed me to form incredibly meaningful relationships with the gifted team members we have at Dutilh. Our staff team is a small family, and I am blessed to serve alongside them.”

The moments that bring the most joy, he said, are “the God moments, when I can see the hand of God working on someone’s life. Whether that might be at FISH Camp or being with someone at the end of their life as they make that transition, those moments of grace keep you going.”

Looking to the future, Pastor Tom is enthusiastic and hopeful.

“In the last four years, we have done a lot to get our house in order,” Pastor Tom said. “Now we are ready to reach out into the community, to find people who will become followers of Jesus because of the people in this church.”