Pastor’s Corner: Alan Tumpkin

Alan is Lead pastor at LifeChurch Southfield and Director of Church Planting at the GLC

Marcia and Alan

Alan Tumpkin, the lead pastor at LifeChurch Southfield in Southfield, MI, demonstrates a journey marked by resilience and faith. Married to his beautiful wife Marcia for nearly 20 years, Alan’s life story offers profound insights into the transformative power of Jesus. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with him to explore deeper into his journey towards becoming a pastor and planting LifeChurch Southfield.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Alan grew up in a family where church attendance was typically reserved for holidays. It wasn’t until high school that a friend introduced him to the teachings of Jesus through conversations that would change his life. A pivotal moment occurred when Alan’s car broke down on his way to school—a seemingly mundane event that turned into a cry for help as he erupted in anger and called out to Jesus. This outpouring led him to experience an overwhelming sense of forgiveness and sparked a commitment to explore his faith further alongside his friend.

Following high school, he pursued higher education at William Tyndale College on a music scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in religious education and music. His college years were marked by significant growth; he served as the worship director at a local church for six years before facing spiritual challenges that led him away from Christ.

Alan and extended family

Alan’s professional journey led him to work for an urban coalition called New Detroit, Inc., where leaders aim for racial understanding and equity. He created and began hosting a radio program titled “Back to Back.” He later served as the Director of Violence Prevention for Wayne County. Eventually relocating to Atlanta Georgia, he found success in a business focused on conflict resolution within schools. This company grew to around 60 employees! He also founded several other successful businesses in the Atlanta area.

However, despite this outward success during what appeared like good times without Christ, 2003 brought an unforeseen health crisis. Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and facing heart failure with only 12% heart function, and after suffering two strokes that compromised his speech—a harrowing experience unfolded within hospital walls where fear met faith once more. In those moments of vulnerability, Alan turned back towards God with newfound urgency.

With GLC Superintendent Garth McGrath

Miraculously defying medical expectations, Alan regained strength—his heart began healing remarkably fast under what even the doctors attributed to divine intervention; “Only Jesus could have healed you!” This profound realization propelled him back home to Detroit in 2004 where he married Marcia shortly thereafter (2005).

He started to work as an administrator for a Detroit public school which seemed promising initially, however Alan felt compelled towards theological study and decided to enroll in seminary. Alan began his theological studies at Moody Theological Seminary but eventually ended up at Ashland Theological Seminary where he met Pam Pangborn, a pivotal moment that opened doors to The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). He graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary in 2009.

His path took another significant turn when he met Alex Rahill at LifeChurch Canton. Sharing his dream of planting a church, Alan found encouragement and guidance in Alex’s belief that Southfield was the right place for this vision to come to fruition. With Alex’s support, Alan embarked on a residency at LifeChurch Canton and gained invaluable experience. In 2011 LifeChurch Southfield launched. He continued to participate in various ECC meetings with Alex Rahill and there he had the privilege of meeting Garth McGrath (GLC Superintendent), who would later play an instrumental role in his journey as he offered Alan the Director of Church Planting position for the Great Lakes Conference (GLC) in 2017.

Alan’s journey is not merely one of challenges to overcome but also serves as a reminder that while our pathways may not always be straightforward, every twist and turn can serve a purpose larger than ourselves. Through faith and perseverance, we can find hope amid uncertainty and work our way back towards Him.