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Originally from Athens, Georgia, John spent much of his adult life in Mid-Atlantic journeys through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City. His education mirrors his South-Northeast journey: undergraduate from Mississippi College, Masters from Tulane University, Ph.D. from The Catholic University, and post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
For twenty-five years, John had a career with the U.S. Public Health Service. He returned to Georgia in 1991 with an assignment to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
In 1993, John decided to end his public service to the government and begin a life of public service in the church. In 1996, after graduation from Seminary, John began his Ministry to God at Macland Presbyterian Church. Shortly after that, he answered the call to First Presbyterian Church in Marietta.
John believes in the church’s tremendous value in everyday life. This involves members from the youngest to the oldest and encompasses every major marker of life -- births, graduations, marriages, job and city moves, and even death. The church has been a resource in his own life as he had an older brother with muscular dystrophy, experienced his wife’s death at age 45, and committed to a new blended family at age 50.
Today, John’s work at First Presbyterian encompasses folks at all stages of life. His primary focus is in the development of local, regional and world missions. In addition, John serves the PCUSA as the Convener of the Kenya Mission Network. This is a group of 16 presbyteries, 70 congregations, and an increasing number of individuals with connections to Kenyan congregations. John treasures his call to use his experiences to support a mission team vision at FPC.
John takes his call to be pastor as a trust. He values the public and the private times spent with people’s faith journeys. John has seen the church make a difference with acts of kindness and with living testimony to Jesus’ love.
John’s family includes wife, Debbie, her three adult daughters and his adult son and daughter. John enjoys food (cooking and eating), following international news, traveling, reading the Gresham-Cornwell genre novels, and conversations driven by others.
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, Associate Pastor
