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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 28 May 2009 18:17 |
Pastor Tom Glisson and his wife Earlene will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary on June 1st of this year. It will also be the 35th anniversary of their ministry together.
They accepted their first assignment in 1974 as a part time evangelist and Sunday School promoter while Tom was still in college. In 1976 they were assigned to their first church in Waukegan, Illinois where they stayed 8 years. While in Waukegan they birthed two beautiful daughters, Heather and Heidi. During that time Tom finished his B.A. Degree in Biblical Studies at Trinity College, Deerfield, Illinois. Tom took a short hiatus from pastoring and began seminary graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1987 from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. During that time for two years they also pastored a small church in Matteson, IL.
In 1977 while at the Waukegan church Tom began volunteering as a chaplain at the local hospital. After seminary Tom felt a call to hospital chaplaincy ministry and applied and was accepted as a chaplain intern at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. In the next 18 months he completed 2 basic units and a one year residency of Clinical Pastoral Education. From there Tom worked as a staff Chaplain at Northwest community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL but after only six months he was hired as Director of Pastoral Care for LaGrange (IL) Memorial Hospital and stayed there 3 ½ years. In July of 1993 the Glisson family made a major move as Tom was hired as the Director of Pastoral Care for Trident Health System where he still serves in that position. (Earlene says “it was a dream come true to move to the Charleston area. We absolutely love the Low Country!” In 1994 Tom earned designation as a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and has served in several positions of leadership at both the state and national level with the APC.
In January 1997 Tom and Earlene also began to pastor Grace Fellowship Church. Tom says “I love my chaplaincy ministry but I also love being the pastor of Grace Fellowship Church. In the church, my wife who is a gifted musician, and I can share together in ministry. It also gives me the opportunity to preach which I love to do. And the members of Grace Fellowship Church are so loving and friendly that I always look forward to gathering for worship and/or fellowship.” |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 28 May 2009 18:18 |
