Colson Parker

Alvin was born in California and spent his formative years in the suburbs of Kansas City and Northern Virginia. He received his Bachelor's in Kinesiology from James Madison University and his Masters of Divinity from Covenant Seminary (and is currently working on his Doctorate in Ministry!).

Alvin came to know the Lord through weekly meetings with his mentor at the Chinese church his family began attending in middle school. Those formative gatherings deeply shaped his philosophy of ministry. As a result, he views the church as place that equips the saints for the work of ministry, a conviction that remains central to his role as a pastor.

He spent seven years working with Cru, during which he met and married his wife Sarah (their first date was during a snowstorm). Before coming to Uptown, he served as the Director of Student Ministries and Associate Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church of Chesapeake.

Alvin and Sarah are blessed with four girls--Lydia, Miriam, Abigail, and Lily. Alvin was once part of a blockchain startup, used to go all the midnight showings of Marvel movies, and loves having family dance parties.