Our Pastor

Pastor John was born in Youngstown, OH but grew up in a suburb of Cleveland OH similar to the Lakes area community. Although he was raised in a Presbyterian church, he did not become actively involved with the church until his senior year in high school, preferring to spend Sunday morning on the golf course or camping with friends. He attended Utah State University in Logan UT, to study forestry, ski and enjoy the dry western climate. Along with another student, Ron Watters, John began a Campus Crusade for Christ fellowship group. The group grew from 2 to 20 the first year and to 40 students the second. While in prayer his senior year in college, God showed John that he had been placed in this leadership position to prepare him for ministry. 

Enrolling in Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to see the east coast and study urban ministry. During his first year at seminary, John met Carol who was a research scientist at the Polaroiod Corporation. She was developing sysethsis processes for the chemicals in the instant film. There were married in 1976 at the Colchester Community Church. John then graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 1978.

Pastor John was ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA and his first call was to the Northfield Presbyterian Church in Northfield OH as an Assistant Pastor serving in youth ministry. While at Northfield he recruited and trained a youth ministry team, and expanded the wilderness camping experience into the program. He also participated in the formation of a community based substance abuse tasks force that assisted the local school board in forming substance abuse policy. His first pastorate was at the Port Shelden Presbyterian Church in Port Sheldon MI. He addition to his pastoral duties, John also assisted various agencies ministering to those suffering from substance abuse and their families. He took a leave of absence from church ministry to work with Eagle Village, a residential treatment agency as an Adventure Activity Specialist conducting seminars for schools, churches and business using a high and low ropes course and climbing towers. He returned to the west to serve as Associate pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Wenatchee WA and the Eastmont Presbyterian Church in E. Wenatchee WA. John has also served as a Hospital and hospice chaplain with the Central Washington Hospital also in Wenatchee.

Pastor John's ministry was interrupted when we was stricken with lymphoma in 1994. He had a peripheral stem cell transplant when the cancer reemerged but has enjoyed 9 years of remission. He was awarded the Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Spiritual Formation in 2005. He has a strong interest in assisting people in developing their spiritual life. Pastor John enjoys hiking, backpacking and gardening with his wife, Carol, who works at Rockwell Medical in Wixom. They recently were given a Beautification Award by the city of Wixom for their landscaping. They have enjoyed 30 years of marriage and have three children--Jennifer, Sarah and Abigail, a sophomore at Walled Lake Central High School.