Our Pastors are a family, and are passionate about their chosen family at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and Gracia Viva. Â Each called to serve, teach, preach and order the life of the Church, they are dedicated to making our church a beacon of hope in the community.
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Senior Pastor | Preaching, ordering the life of the church, and setting the vision for our community as she fulfills her role as an elder in the United Methodist Church through Word and Sacrament
Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison is the Senior Pastor of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church. With nearly 30 years of full-time ministry in the United Methodist Church, Rachel is widely recognized for her powerful preaching and her ability to help individuals and congregations proclaim the Gospel faithfully in the midst of today’s social and political complexities.
A passionate disciple-maker and advocate for justice, Rachel’s ministry centers on extending God’s love to those on the margins, including LGBTQ+ persons, migrants, asylum seekers, and unsheltered neighbors. She has been deeply engaged in efforts to restore dignity to all persons, and was instrumental in helping establish coordinated inclement weather shelter across the DFW metroplex—ensuring safer overnight options during extreme cold after the tragic death of a Dallas neighbor exposed to freezing conditions at a bus stop.
Rachel serves on the Board of Directors for the Reconciling Ministries Network, where she co-convenes the national Reconciling Clergy Cohort and played a key role in efforts to remove harmful language from the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline—helping create space for openly LGBTQ+ clergy to serve.
She is also the president and founder of Safe Spaces Lebanon, a nonprofit supporting refugee children and families, reflecting her deep commitment to global justice and compassionate care.
Her leadership and impact have been widely recognized. She was named Peacemaker of the Year (2024) by the Dallas Peace and Justice Center, LGBTQ+ Texan of the Year (2025) by Dallas Voice, and Organizer of the Year (2026) by both Dallas Voice Readers’ Choice Awards and the Resource Center Dallas. She has also received the Profiles in Leadership Award from Southern Methodist University.
Rachel is a co-editor of the CEB Women’s Bible and has preached and taught nationally, including at the Church of the Resurrection’s Leadership Institute and Drew Theological School’s Tipple Lectures. She holds degrees from Texas Wesleyan University, Drew Theological Seminary, and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.
Rachel and her wife, Cheryl Griffin-Allison, live in Dallas and are the proud moms of four amazing adult children—and one very spoiled furbaby, Penelope Lane.
Renewal Leave: Â July 2026
Pastor, Worship & Multicultural Ministries
Originally from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Pastor Isabel Marquez-E serves as Pastor of Worship & Multi-Cultural Ministries at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church. She provides leadership for worship, multicultural ministry, and the congregation’s growing Spanish-language ministries, helping shape a church where people of every culture, language, and background are welcomed, celebrated, and invited into the life of the community.
Pastor Isabel’s ministry is grounded in a deep commitment to God’s justice and love for those on the margins. For years, she has led and expanded ministries serving Latinx communities, immigrant families, refugees, asylum seekers, and children, faithfully accompanying individuals and families as they navigate new beginnings, legal systems, and life in a new country. She is a passionate advocate for compassionate immigration and asylum reform, family reunification, and the protection of human dignity, believing that every person is created in the image of God and deserves safety, belonging, and the opportunity to flourish.
A respected leader within both the church and the broader community, Pastor Isabel serves on the board of Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON), where she supports immigration legal ministries and advocacy. She also serves on the Core Team for the Thriving in Ministry initiative, helping equip and encourage Latinx clergy and ministry leaders throughout the United States. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and received her Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology.
Pastor Isabel and her wife, Vicky, have been married for more than 20 years. They live in Dallas, share their life with their three children and Coco the chihuahua and Milly the chi-weenie.
Office Hours: Â By appointment + Sabbath: Â Friday
Executive Pastor
Rev. Ryan Wager serves as Executive Pastor of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, where he leads the church’s operations, outreach, congregational care, stewardship, and strategic initiatives. Since joining the staff in 2019, he has helped shape OLUMC into a community known for radical hospitality, innovative ministry, and a deep commitment to justice.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of executive leadership at AT&T before entering full-time ministry, Ryan brings together organizational leadership and compassionate pastoral care to help the church grow in faithful and sustainable ways. He has led the development of transformative community ministries, including emergency shelter initiatives, meal programs, clothing ministries, and Pathways to Dignity, OLUMC’s care coordination and outreach ministry serving unsheltered neighbors.
A passionate advocate for justice, belonging, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, Ryan’s ministry is deeply informed by Wesleyan theology, queer theology, and liberation theology. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Reconciling Ministries Network, the Dallas Peace and Justice Center, and Safe Spaces Lebanon. He also represents Oak Lawn UMC through Housing Forward and collaborates with community partners across Dallas to advance housing stability, healthcare access, and compassionate responses to homelessness.
Originally from New York and now proud to call North Texas home, Ryan is completing the Course of Study through St. Paul’s School of Theology as he continues to grow in pastoral leadership and theological formation. He is passionate about helping the church become a place where every person experiences God’s love through authentic belonging, courageous justice, and communities of hope.
Office Hours: Â Mon – Thurs. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. + Sabbath Friday
