November Business Connection Lunch

Finding Meaning and Satisfaction

Jim Tyson was born and lived for forty years in the Valley Forge area of Pennsylvania just outside of King of Prussia. He and his wife Jean married in 1980 and have five boys–Joshua, Daniel, Caleb, Jonathan and Nathaniel–who range in age from 24 to 37. In 1981, the Lord transformed their lives and started them on a new journey with Him.

Shortly after coming to the Lord, Jim sensed a call to ministry that was confirmed by his wife and pastor and others who knew him. He began his studies and graduated summa cum laude from Valley Forge Christian College (now University of Valley Forge) with a Bachelor of Science in Bible and was awarded membership in the Delta Epsilon Chi Honor Society. Jim then got his Master of Divinity degree (Pastoral Studies major with a Counseling minor) from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

Although serving in ministry since 1986, much of that time was shared with other full-time work as an electrician and in contractor supply sales. Jim has been the Assistant Pastor of the former Park Avenue Assembly of God Church in Trooper, PA. While in Seminary he interned at Community Evangelical Free Church in Elverson, PA and then became the full-time Director of Christian Education at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, PA at which time he transitioned into the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). While at Proclamation, he started Grace Counseling Services, a biblical counseling service to bridge the gap between pastoral care and psychological services. Jim was licensed to preach by the Philadelphia Presbytery of the PCA in 2000. In 2002, Jim was ordained by the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery of the PCA and received a call to pastor Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Shrewsbury, PA. This brought them to York in February 2002. 

In January 2014, he was called to be Interim Pastor of New Life Presbyterian Church in York. He served in this position until they hired their new pastor in August 2015. That same month, he was called to serve as Interim pastor of City Church York. After a year, as Interim City Church York called him to be their full-time pastor in September 2016. In 2017, when York City launched its Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategy, Jim and City Church got involved in the support and outreach side of the initiative. In 2019, after the departure of the GVI project manager, Jim was asked by the police chief to apply for that role. After much prayer and discussion with his wife and church elders, Jim took the position, which was endorsed as a chaplaincy by his denomination, and served in that role until May of this year.