{"id":8685,"date":"2024-09-02T20:49:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T01:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olumc.org\/?page_id=8685"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:55:54","slug":"clergy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/olumc.org\/es\/clergy\/","title":{"rendered":"Clergy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our Pastors – Bio & Contact Info<\/h2>\n

Our Pastors are a family, and are passionate about their chosen family at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and Gracia Viva. \u00a0Each 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.<\/p>\n

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Product Manager<\/span><\/span><\/div>

Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s social and political complexities.<\/p>\n

A passionate disciple-maker and advocate for justice, Rachel\u2019s ministry centers on extending God\u2019s 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\u2014ensuring safer overnight options during extreme cold after the tragic death of a Dallas neighbor exposed to freezing conditions at a bus stop.<\/p>\n

Rachel serves on the Board of Directors for the Reconciling Ministries Network<\/span><\/span>, 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\u2019s Book of Discipline\u2014helping create space for openly LGBTQ+ clergy to serve.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/span>, and Organizer of the Year (2026) by both Dallas Voice<\/span><\/span> Readers\u2019 Choice Awards and the Resource Center Dallas<\/span><\/span>. She has also received the Profiles in Leadership Award from Southern Methodist University.<\/p>\n

Rachel is a co-editor of the CEB Women\u2019s Bible<\/em> and has preached and taught nationally, including at the Church of the Resurrection\u2019s Leadership Institute and Drew Theological School\u2019s Tipple Lectures. She holds degrees from Texas Wesleyan University, Drew Theological Seminary, and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.<\/p>\n

Rachel and her wife, Cheryl Griffin-Allison, live in Dallas and are the proud moms of four amazing adult children\u2014and one very spoiled furbaby, Penelope Lane.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Email Rev. Rachel<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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Software Architect<\/span><\/span><\/div>

Pastor Isabel Marquez-E<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pastor, Latinx & Multicultural Ministries<\/p>\n

Pastor Isabel Marquez-E, originally from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, serves as Associate Pastor at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and Church Planter of the Gracia Viva Spanish-speaking congregation. As the leader of Dallas Responds\u2019 refugee, asylum, and immigration programs, she advocates and administers help for refugees in the changing political landscape and has campaigned for years to ensure the safety and humane treatment of immigrants from around the world.<\/p>\n

Deeply committed to social justice, Pastor Isabel serves on the board of Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) and brings together interfaith communities to advocate for refugee and immigration policy reform and the protection of human rights. She holds a degree from the University of North Texas and is currently attending Iliff School of Theology. She is also part of the Core Team for the Thriving in Ministry program, supporting Latinx leaders across the United States.<\/p>\n

Pastor Isabel and her wife, Vicky, have been married for more than 20 years. They live in Dallas with their three children and the loves of their lives: Coco the chihuahua and Milly the chi-weenie.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Email Pastor Isabel<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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DevOps Engineer<\/span><\/span><\/div>

Rev. Ryan Wager<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Executive Pastor<\/p>\n

With over 25 years of leadership in the private sector and public service, Rev. Ryan blends business acumen and pastoral care to advance OLUMC\u2019s mission. Since 2019, he has spearheaded transformative community programs\u2014including inclement\u2011weather shelters, meal ministries, clothing closets, and the Dallas Responds initiative for unsheltered neighbors\u2014demonstrating his deep commitment to radical hospitality.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a bi-vocational minister, Rev. Wager brings nearly 25 years of experience at AT&T to support the church\u2019s growth and strategic initiatives. A passionate advocate for justice and inclusion\u2014shaped by his study of queer and liberation theology\u2014he serves on the boards of the Reconciling Ministries Network and the Dallas Peace and Justice Center. Ryan also represents OLUMC with Housing Forward, advocating for unhoused neighbors across Dallas and Collin counties, and sits on the board of Safe Spaces Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally from New York and a North Texas resident for over a decade, Rev. Wager is currently enrolled in the Course of Study at St. Paul\u2019s School of Theology, continuously enriching his pastoral and theological formation.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Email Pastor Ryan<\/span><\/a><\/div>
Book a meeting w\/Pastor Ryan<\/span><\/a><\/div>
Pastor Ryan’s Blog<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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Our Pastoral Family is here when you need us!<\/span><\/span><\/h2>
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