Tom
Warm. Authentic. Genuine. Meet Tom Atchison, the senior pastor at Fox Valley Church.
If Pastor Tom were a superhero, many of us would relate to his origin story. Tom grew up in Wheeling, IL, and after high school, attended the University of Illinois. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he continued his education at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he received a Master’s of Theology. When he went on to earn a Ph.D. from Trinity International University, he tipped the scales a bit in favor of extraordinary. Nonetheless, he’s a down-to-earth guy whose warm smile makes everyone feel at ease.
Pastor Tom and his wife Cathy have three grown children who are all married and serving the Lord. They are also the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.
The Lord called Pastor Tom into ministry right out of the University of Illinois. He served with CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) in Houston, TX, then Dallas, followed by Chicago. During this time, Tom and Cathy sensed God leading them to a church ministry and specifically to Fox Valley Church. They began their ministry here in November 1992 when the church was worshipping at Jacobs High School.
Pastor Tom loves to open up the mysteries of God’s Word. He finds great joy in seeing people discover truths in the Bible and loves telling the story of Jesus. As senior pastor, he enjoys teaching and preaching the Word each week, working with an all-star staff, and leading the body into new ministry seasons.
We are thankful for a senior pastor who loves God’s Word and hungers to study, understand, and live it out. Pastor Tom enjoys gardening, hiking, running, and taking long walks or bike rides with Cathy when not studying theology. He also has developed an interest in drawing and finds great joy being with their grandchildren!
Full of surprises, Pastor Tom shared that in his earlier years, he enjoyed skydiving and still loves to scuba dive and snow ski. Setting a fine example for all the men of this church, in his free time, Pastor Tom enjoys giving his wife Cathy foot rubs while watching Hallmark movies! Without a doubt, Cathy is a blessed lady!
