John was baptized in the Anglican Church and at one time was even a member of “CBL” (Church Boys League)! However, life was to lead him in other directions and eventually to careers in live theatre, university student services and community social services. Along the way, John also became very engaged in popular movements for progressive social change, especially those concerned with peace and disarmament, organized labour struggles, and environmental action. Somewhere in there, he also found time to do a BA in History and an M.Ed in Counselling Psychology.
At that point, divine providence stepped in and John met and married Catherine, the love of his life for over 40 years now. They have a daughter, Rebecca, and, when she was just a toddler, they began to attend a local (albeit not Anglican) church. Then providence struck once again and John, to his considerable surprise, felt a call to ministry. There followed four and a half years at seminary, a masters degree in theology (with a university gold medal!), and then ordination as a minister. John served in parish ministry first in Edmonton and then back in Kitchener, where he also became very involved in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and activities.
Then it came time to retire and with that the decision to return to his Anglican roots. John first came to St. Andrew’s in the spring of 2017 and right away he knew he was home. Since then, he has become very active at St. Andrew’s, serving on parish council, as a synod delegate, and as leader of the weekly Bible Study group, amongst other things.
Then, in 2021, John began his journey as a vowed religious with the Anglican Order of Preachers (the Dominicans). John was noviced in 2023 and then installed at St. Andrew’s as a Licensed Lay Reader in 2024. He continues to have a passion for history, movies, detective fiction, old TV shows, the Maple Leafs, and going pretty much anywhere with Catherine. They also enjoy gardening together and working on their house, which is owned by their cat, Dillon.
