Rev. Dr. John Charles Tittle is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and was ordained in 1998. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from George Fox University. He has certificates in Clinical Pastoral Education and Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
John’s first call was as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Kennewick, WA, after which he spent four years in a Central Washington Presbytery validated ministry of mission work in Alexandria, Egypt. Upon returning to the United States, he was called as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Georgia. John has been at Immanuel since 2008 and absolutely loves Tucson and Immanuel.
John and Sarah have been married since 1999 and are blessed with four children: Abby, Luke, Jude, and Phoebe. John enjoys listening to people’s life stories. He wants to be a loving presence in the lives of the people in his congregation. He has a listening, pastoral way with all generations, from young singles and families to “seasoned keenagers.”
John celebrates diversity – different perspectives – and seeks to be sensitive to all points of view. He is described as gifted in teaching and leading, and is passionately committed to Jesus. He has keen insight on making the Gospel pertinent and fresh for today. One of John’s colleagues in ministry said, “John is first and foremost passionate about Jesus – following Jesus, seeking to become more like Jesus, communicating Jesus clearly and passionately, and going where Jesus goes – to the poor and the downtrodden. John is passionate about relationships with his family, his church, his friends, and his world.”
A Few of John’s Favorite Things
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Family!
John, Sarah, Abby, Luke, Jude, Phoebe
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John’s Recent Favorite Reads/Listens:
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, Tom Holland
Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents and What They Mean for America’s Future, Jean M. Twenge
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, Robert Waldinger and Marc Schutz
The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Ruben
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and the Quest for an Inspired Life, Lisa Miller
Surrender: Forty Songs, One Story, Bono
Establishing Home: Creating Space for a Beautiful Life with Family, Faith, and Friends, Jean Stoffer
The Nineties: A Book, Chuck Klosterman
The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
The Escape Artist, Jonathan Freedland
Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor E. Frankl
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, Jon Meacham
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, Stacy Schiff
David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
Recently enjoyed movies/TV shows: Ted Lasso (Season Three), The Floor is Lava, Peaky Blinders, The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Music on heavy rotation: Cory Hanson, Alvvays, Black Duck, M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, Mavis Staples
Favorite artists: Chagall, Rothko, Pollock, and Van Gogh
Favorite Bible Story: Jacob wrestling the angel
Favorite comfort food: goat cheese, pistachios, and pita chips
Favorite coffee house: Cartel Coffee Lab (downtown Tucson)
Hobbies: F45 workouts, collecting pens, reading/listening to books, hiking, and attempting to enjoy mushroom coffee
Favorite zoo animal: Primates
Annoying habit: I’ve been told by family members my sneezes are a smidgeon loud
Language I wish I was fluent in: Besides Spanish and Norwegian, if pressed I would probably go with either Flemish or Russian
Bucket List Items: The Holy Land, Scotland, Oregon Coast, New Zealand, China, to name a few
Recently learned word: “brio” which means vigor or vivacity of style or performance
Favorite Quote: “If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.” – Wittgenstein
Sports teams: My hometown Chicago teams: Cubs, da Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls. And also, NAU and UofA
An interesting fact about me: Lived in the Middle East for three years.
What I like about Immanuel: We’re Christ-centered and welcoming, and we appreciate a variety of perspectives.
Rev. Dr. John C. Tittle
Pastor / Head of Staff
john@immanuelpc.org