
Meet the New Pastor!
Starting in January 2023, we called Rev. Dr. Al Tizon to serve as lead pastor, and he answered. We will let him introduce himself in his own words:
What a privilege to serve Grace Fellowship Community Church in the fascinating city of San Francisco. A little about me:
I don’t quite know how to answer the question, “Where are you from?” because my family and I have lived in many different places, as close as Berkeley and as far away as Manila, Philippines, with stops in cities such as Seattle, Chicago, and Philadelphia. So, I’m from where I live, where my family is!
My wife Janice and I have been married…a long time. We have four grown children who are all married and having kids of their own. At the moment, we have six grandchildren and one on the way.
I earned a BA in Religious Studies and an MA in Church Leadership Studies both from Vanguard University of Southern California (Costa Mesa, CA) and a Ph.D. in Missiology from the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA). I write, teach, preach on my passions, which include the church’s call to peace, justice, reconciliation, and evangelism. If you want to know the books and some of the articles I’ve written, please visit my website at www.draltizon.com. It’s my hope that all that thinking and writing serves the church in some way, as she serves the world in Christ’s name.
I’ve had the privilege of serving in many ministry capacities, including missionary, pastor, professor, activist, organizational director, and denominational leader. At the core of my sense of call is Jesus and his mission, especially to the lost, poor, oppressed, marginalized, and traumatized. As imperfect as the church may be, I believe the community of God’s people remains the basic unit of God’s transforming work in the world. To serve a local expression of the Church called Grace Fellowship in San Francisco is an honor and a gift!