Pastor John Tyson comes to Plymouth from Des Moines Mennonite Church in the Merle Hay neighborhood. In this role, John continued to expand his gifts for pastoral ministry, especially his core passions of facilitating faith formation for children, youth, and families, the task of preaching, and helping the church become a more vital presence in the city through the work of community organizing and other means of serving our neighbors. He has come to admire and appreciate Plymouth’s commitment to justice through his work with AMOS.

John grew up in the Greater Philadelphia area and was raised in a large evangelical Nazarene church but, through important friendships and an interest in peacemaking, began to identify as a Mennonite Christian in early adulthood. After discerning a call to pastoral ministry in his mid-20’s, John completed his Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary (Princeton, NJ), where he was awarded for his work in the field of Christian Social Ethics. Prior to coming to Des Moines, John served for four years as the Associate Pastor for Faith Formation at Bethel College Mennonite Church (North Newton, KS). John’s faith and theology continue to be shaped by many ecumenical and progressive influences.

John enjoys connecting with people of all ages and helping them to discern God’s presence in their stage of life. He cares deeply about fostering intergenerational relationships, furthering the social witness of the church, and helping the church adapt to our rapidly changing culture. John is married to Amy (she/her), a native Iowan and social worker at Blank Children’s Hospital, and they have two young children, Levi and Asher. In his spare time, John enjoys playing and coaching basketball, listening to podcasts about politics, being disappointed by the Philadelphia sports scene, and enjoying life in and around Des Moines.