John is a native of North Carolina. He grew up in a Presbyterian household where going to church and living out the faith practically through service were bedrocks of being a Christian. John’s parents, two younger brothers, and their families live in the Raleigh area. John grew up in Raleigh and went to college at Appalachian State University and earned a degree in Electronic Media and Broadcasting.

He had deep experiences in faith formation at a young age and into college which after a period of discernment, led him to pursue ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary. After graduating, John served as the Associate Pastor for Youth at First Presbyterian Church in Libertyville, IL. After that call, he served as Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Mission at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church in Wake Forest, NC.

John is married to Madeline Burgess who faithfully juggles two jobs while going to nursing school. She will graduate next May and is already excited for what the next chapter holds. They live in Raleigh and have a sweet dog named Birdie who is good at letting them know when it’s time to close the laptop and go on a walk.

John is excited about coming to serve at First Presbyterian Smithfield as he and the church continue to navigate their witness in an evolving world.

Every ministry setting any pastor is called to is relational. All ministry is relationships – relationship with God, relationship with congregants, relationships with officers, relationships with fellow staff, relationships with volunteer leaders, and relationship with the community. Everything begins and ends there. A wise pastor is one who nurtures and grows that connective tissue in and through everything they do in a call. The setting I always look for is a place where this concept is treated seriously. As C.S. Lewis famously said, “there’s no such thing as a solitary Christian.” More specifically, the setting and style of ministry the Spirit keeps me in and continually drives me to is a place where a church family is always seeking to understand and wrestle with the practical implications for Gospel living - this means a setting where the justice aspects of the Gospel are treated with respect; where we strive for and practice the radical love of Christ’s; and a place where there is room to both celebrate present and legacy ministries, while honoring and rejoicing that God is always about to do a new thing and stretch us into new, holy growth.