Executive & Teaching Pastor / Elder

One of only five people in the world who was actually born and raised in Nashville, John actually attended college at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He earned a BA in History and a MS in Curriculum & Instruction before becoming a public school teacher for several years, eventually transitioning to full-time ministry and writing. He spent nearly 15 years as a youth pastor before his time (and his hair) ran out. 

In addition to his life as a full-time pastor, John also works as a professional writer. He has authored, coauthored, or served as the primary collaborative writer for more than 30 book projects with various authors and publishers. He loves running, watching various University of Tennessee athletics events, repenting for his overreaction to various University of Tennessee athletics events, watching his daughter, Sadie, play volleyball, binging British television, road tripping it with his brilliant and beloved wife of more than 23 years, Laura, and pretending that he’s still eating Keto. 

A self-proclaimed recovering Pharisee, God’s grace pursued John when he thought he already had a firm grasp on it. Since then, Jesus continues to lead him into deeper places of emotional health and true community with other broken-being-made-whole people around him.