Even before he was a pastor, Tony was performing in a variety of locations around the world for over 40 years, delighting his audiences with wonderful music, theatrics and humor.  Tony was still a teenager when he began singing at Al Hirt's place in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  He performed in Las Vegas, London, New York, Chicago and Florida opening stars like Don Rickles, Jackie Gleason, Mike Douglas, Frankie Ford, and doing his own one man shows. 

But in 1995, Tony gave up the bright lights to answer a different calling when he began the process of becoming a pastor.  Tony completed his formal theological education at Duke University Divinity School and became a United Methodist pastor in 1998.  He served as the Pastor of Worship and the Arts at Christ Church United Methodist in Fort Lauderdale until his appointment July 1, 2007 as the pastor of Azalea Park United Methodist Church in Orlando.

While being fully committed to his pastoral responsibilities at Azalea Park,  Tony has continued his evangelical outreach in supper clubs and other secular venues, even while he has used his gifts of preaching and teaching in his church ministry.  The Tony Chance Music Ministry offers Tony another way to reach out to share Jesus' love, especially with folks who feel far from God.  Tony travels to churches around the state with a self-contained worship concert.  The message is simple, but life-changing-- a description of grace that can be heard and embraced by people who might never step foot into a regular church service.  Check it out at www.tonychance.org

On January 1, 2007, Tony married the Rev. Clare Chance.  They share four daughters.  Tony is the proud father of two grown daughters: Devon, a ninth grade teacher in Germantown, Md.; and Lauren, who has completed her Master of Divinity Degree at Duke and is now serving Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver.  Clare's daughter Lela is in law school in Jacksonville and her daughter Emily is a sophomore at Wake Forest. 

The Chances are also obnoxiously proud grandparents of three grandsons - Lincoln, who is three years old, Miller, who is 18 months old, and Carter, who made his entrance the first of February 2008. 

Tony and Clare and their three dogs, Becca – a toy poodle, Jake – a dachshund and Don Diego dela Vega – the alpha male Chihuahua who speaks only Spanish, live in the Conway area of Orlando in the parsonage provided by Broadway United Methodist Church, where Clare serves as pastor.

You can email Tony at tonychance@bellsouth.net

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