Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Called to come back home

Overtons heed call to Dallas

Published November 1, 2011 in Witness

"Everything in my entire life has prepared me to come to PCPC” is how our new assistant pastor Tommy Overton described it. Having served as associate pastor at First Presbyterian in Rome, Georgia, for eleven years, Tommy and his wife Priscilla recognized God was drawing them to minister to families here at PCPC. So upon being called to PCPC by a search committee, they loaded up their car with their four kids, Austin (14), Elli (12), Lily (11), and Judson (9), and headed west on I-20.

Having arrived in Dallas amidst a blistering heat wave, Tommy knew it was definitely God who moved them here to shepherd, equip, and disciple PCPC families! Tommy and Priscilla recognized something special about PCPC—that we prioritized prayer, humility, and collaboration among ministry leaders. They also respected how we sought to abide in Christ—and not rely on our own strength. These are just two of the many reasons confirming why Tommy and Priscilla felt called to PCPC.

Tommy reports, “I am overwhelmed that God called me to return to Dallas to serve the Lord in and with the PCPC church family. As an assistant pastor, I will be shepherding souls with the outstanding pastors, leaders, and elders here through a variety of ways. One of the main areas of leadership will be serving ministries that reach families with an emphasis on thriving marriages and equipping men.”

Being prepared all along
Life has not always been smooth traveling for Tommy. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother raised him in a single-family home. At age 17, Tommy remembers driving down Northwest Highway when his car tire blew—causing him to veer into Northwest Bible Church’s parking lot. After mending his tire, some Christians shared the gospel with him—allowing Christ to mend his broken heart and set a new direction for his life.

Years later, in the 90s, Tommy found himself serving in youth ministry at Highland Park Presbyterian Church alongside another youth worker—Priscilla. The two fell in love and married. They just celebrated their sixteenth wedding anniversary. “It is a joy to do ministry with Priscilla,” Tommy recently said. “Although her primary calling is to be a mom, Priscilla also has a passion for discipling younger women.”

When asked about when he knew he was called to ministry, Tommy replied, “The Lord revealed His call on my life to be a pastor in the early 90s after several wonderful opportunities in student ministry. Today, after two decades of ministry, I am more excited and honored about God’s call on my life (and my family’s) than ever. I am passionate about shepherding through gospel-centered discipleship and spiritual formation. My heart is overjoyed when discipleship grows into evangelism and outreach. Furthermore, I love to see people (especially families) changed through gospel-driven missions and outreach. 

Tommy and Priscilla, we thank God for you both and appreciate your heart to minister to our families throughout the years to come.
—Matt Rodriguez