Not having been raised in a Christian home, Fr. John followed many paths and life choices until a small group of people introduced him to the Gospel and the Reality of Jesus Christ. Even after years of involvement in youth ministry, street ministry, and service to the homeless and addicted populations, he always felt that there was a deeper step that he needed to ‘work out his own salvation’ (Philippians 2:12). In time, God introduced him to the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. As Fr. John has said, “It was almost like I was finally coming home to a place I had never been, but always wanted to go.”

Fr. John married Sue (Orthodox name Tabitha), was tonsured as a Reader, then a Subdeacon in the Orthodox Church in America, and upon moving to the mountains of Waynesville, NC, joined the UOC-USA and helped start Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church. John was ordained Deacon on April 25th, 2021, and Priest on April 20, 2024, by His Eminence Archbishop Daniel with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Antony.  He continues to work with the addicted and incarcerated population and is active in ministry to the homeless and poor populations of the Waynesville area. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services from Maryville College in Maryville, TN, and a Master’s Degree in Applied Orthodox Christian Studies from St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2022.