Rev. Tom Harris arrived in Palo Alto in 2024 after serving a church in Baltimore, MD for 17 years. During this time in Baltimore City his dedication to racial, gender, and economic justice became central to his faith. He says, “My theology is based on an understanding of God as the source of creation and as a liberating force in the world. We align with this divine energy when we connect with and care for the natural world and when we participate in the liberation of all who are oppressed. In fact, our own liberation is ultimately dependent on the liberation of all people. ‘None of us are free, if one of us is chained.’”
Pastor Tom (or Tom) grew up on the East Coast of Central Florida. He attended Clemson University where he studied Sociology and met and eventually married his wife Sasha. After that he attended San Francisco Theological Seminary graduating in December 1999. Then he served a small, rural church in Deckerville, MI for 2 years, followed by a suburban church in Charleston, SC for 4 years. Finally landing in Baltimore, MD where he served Govans Presbyterian Church from 2006-2024.
Tom and Sasha have two children ages 20 and 24. His calling to First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto came about as the youngest was leaving the nest and they were discerning what might come next. Tom says, “The progressive theological and political stands of First Presbyterian align perfectly with my own values. Their vision of becoming an ‘intergenerational, multi-ethnic, anti-racist, geographically and economically diverse church’ matches my own vision of how the world should be.”