Tom Cullen has served as the lead pastor of The Church on the Corner in Albany, CA since 2002. He is an ordained Minister of the Gospel by American Baptist Churches USA and Growing Healthy Churches. Tom also serves on the staff of Growing Healthy Churches. A primary responsibility in that role has been to help plant new churches, as well as to coach and mentor existing churches and pastors. Previously he served 25 years with GTE Corporation, which is now a part of Verizon. He served in various capacities, starting with delivering mail on to being director/general manager for a multi-state business unit. His corporate life taught him about people, leadership, mission and accountability which God is now using to run the Father’s business.
He and his wife Dorothy reside in the SF Bay Area. His son Brett and wife Bekah have three children. His daughter Megan and husband Matt and have two children.
His personal interests include reading, staying up on current events, sports, bike riding, and spending time with family.
Tom’s passion is helping people to grow to become spiritually maturing, self-feeding, world-changing Christ followers. This includes mentoring the arising generation and leaders to serve effectively in ministry. This passion was born out of the lessons he’s learned on his journey of life: that living life in alignment with Jesus makes life work best and it allows you to be a part of the bigger mission to change the world for Christ.
Tom’s formal education includes:
B.S. Economics & Finance, Indiana University, 1979
MSBA, General Management, Indiana Univesity, 1986
MBA, General Management, Indiana University, 1988
MDIV, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, 2004
Tom’s wife, Dorothy, serves as our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Administrative Assistant, and web designer. Dorothy received her BA in International Relations from UCSB in 1990 and studied in Bordeaux, France for one year through the Study Abroad program. She worked in data and database analysis for 15 years. Then in 2010, she received her Prelimary Teaching Credential for elementary aged students from Patten University and served as a substitute teacher in public and private schools. She has also served as a Sunday school teacher for over 20 years.
Dorothy began her spiritual journey in college on a search for “truth” having been raised with Catholicism. She began this search through existentialism and the new age religions which she ultimately felt did not answer life’s bigger questions like how did we get here, why is there so much order and design in the universe, and where does love come from? Whereas the Bible has clear and logical answers for all of these questions.
In 2002, she finally came to accept Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. This was when she felt that the lights suddenly turn on in her life! Since then, she has been passionate about sharing Jesus with others!