CHICAGO, IL (March 9, 2015) — Al Tizon has been nominated to serve as the next executive minister of Serve Globally, it was announced today.

Tizon, a Covenant minister, most recently has served as co-president of Evangelicals for Social Action and associate professor of holistic ministry at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University.

“It’s exhilarating,” Tizon said about the nomination. “It’s exciting to be able to serve my denomination.”

In a column reposted by the Companion last year, Tizon described the commitment he and his family had made to missions. “Early on in our marriage, Janice and I intentionally chose God’s mission as the principal driver for our lives; among other things, this resulted in resigning from our jobs and preparing, in our case, to move to the Philippines to work among and with the poor.”

Friends questioned the wisdom of their decision, especially since they had two young children at the time. Tizon wrote, “I hope our responses to these sincere folks were kind and humble but also clear that our commitment to God’s call to serve the poor for the sake of the gospel compels us.”

He and his family engaged in community development work, ministry to children who lived on the streets, and pastoral ministries among the poor in his native Philippines for almost 10 years as missionaries with an international mission sending agency called Action International Ministries. He has served several churches in both the Philippines and the United States, including Berkeley Covenant Church, where he was the lead pastor from 2001 to 2006.

Linking local and international ministry is a key theme for Tizon, who frequently cites Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

“I take that seriously,” he says, adding that the verse, “hits every one of my passions.”

“Al brings core leadership gifts, missionary and cross-cultural experience, a heart for all of our mission priorities, and extensive international connections with leaders and organizations,” said president Gary Walter in making the announcement. “Uniquely, he is extensively published and brings scholarly networks in the field of missiology as well—and a heart for connecting strongly with North Park.”

Tizon’s books include Missional Preaching: Engage, Embrace, Transform; Transformation after Lausanne: Radical Evangelical Mission in Global-Local Perspective; and Honoring the Generations: Learning with Asian North American Congregations. He co-edited Following Jesus: Journeys in Radical Discipleship—Essays in Honor of Ronald J. Sider with Paul Alexander.

Tizon received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in religious educational and church leadership from Vanguard University of Southern California in Costa Mesa, California. His doctorate in missiology is from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

He currently lives in an intentional Christian community called Praxis House in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

Delegates to the Annual Meeting in June will vote on Tizon’s nomination.